The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has signed a multi-million pound seven year-deal with HP to develop the department's Future Firecrest technology infrastructure.

The deal will see the FCO's existing Firecrest system - which provides 11,000 desktops in 153 countries around the world - upgraded over a two-year period.

Future Firecrest will enable the FCO more flexibility and speed in responding to situations around the world and is a central element of the department's eDiplomacy IT strategy. It will provide more mobile rapid-response systems, and more extensive video-conferencing facilities so global teams can work together regardless of location.

HP beat the SAIC-led Trinity consortium to win Future Firecrest, which is the largest IT deal FCO has ever signed.

The deal breaks new ground in the relationship between the public sector and its private sector suppliers, according to the FCO.

The contract creates a joint service delivery model under which the external supplier and the department's in-house IT provider will collaborate to develop, implement and support the Future Firecrest system.

The team will be run under joint management and while HP will have overall responsibility, management of individual parts of the service will fall to whichever member of the partnership is deemed most appropriate.

FCO Permanent Under Secretary Sir Michael Jay said: 'This represents a genuine partnership as opposed to a more traditional outsourcing arrangement.

'Having the right IT and high quality services to support it will be critical in helping us realise the FCO strategy over the next decade.'