BT Revamps Randstad Networks And IT Infrastructure In £88m Deal

BT is to revamp HR and staffing firm Randstad’s IT infrastructure, standardising networks across the organisation’s 3,500 sites, including 147 in the UK, in 37 countries across the world.

Randstad currently has multiple domestic and regional providers and says this consolidation will allow for better network performance, higher levels of service for customers, enhanced security and give the company greater flexibility in what it spends and how it rolls out IT.

The €100 million (£88m) deal will see BT standardise fixed and wireless networks in Randstand offices and give all 33,000 staff access to cloud-based voice services, hosted in data centres across Europe, North America and Asia.

BT Randstad contract

“We were looking for a global network and cloud services integration partner to help us gain more control over our network estate, increase efficiencies, maximise the benefits of the cloud and help accelerate our digital transformation,” said Bernardo Payer, general manager of Randstad Global IT Solutions.

“BT will take away the burden of managing a multitude of different suppliers and make it easier for us to implement new services for our employees and customers.”

BT will deploy IT based virtual private networks (VPNs) across the offices and provide direct connectivity to Amazon Web Services (AWS) using BT Cloud Connect, which also provides access to Office 365, Salesforce, HPE and, later this year, Oracle.

Randstad is already an AWS customer and public cloud is just one component of its digital transformation, alongside Cisco Meraki technology and software defined networks (SDN).

Digital transform

“We have selected TCS as our partner for the transformation of data centres and infrastructure and BT for the transformation of Networks,” Randstand told TechWeekEurope. “BT will transform global networks and voice from legacy hub and spoke MPLS networks to Cisco Meraki Based Software Defined Networks running on low cost connectivity.

“BT will act not only as a transformation partner but also as an integrator for Circuits and Services globally managing underlying telco partners in the countries we currently operate in.”

“I am proud that a global leader such as Randstad has chosen BT and sees the benefits of our Cloud of Clouds portfolio strategy,” added Fabrice De Windt, BT Benelux CEO. “Our ambition is to be the leading global cloud services integrator, offering customers unparalleled choice, security, resilience, speed, flexibility and agility on their digital transformation journey.”

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