Cable & Wireless has signed a multimillion-pound, three-year deal to deliver data communications services across Richard Branson's Virgin Group.

The new contract extends the telecoms supplier's existing role and includes provision of virtual private network services over IP to 130 sites, managed security, WiFi and application monitoring systems.

The services will be provided across all Virgin Group companies, including Virgin Trains, Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Active.

The increased bandwidth will allow Virgin Atlantic’s applications to work more effectively, enable Virgin Trains to upgrade its business technology and provide more robust real-time systems to Virgin Active, says group chief information officer Gareth Lewis.

‘We are a complex business, made up of a diverse number of different companies, each with very specific requirements,’ he said.

By outsourcing data communication services, Virgin Group will be able to focus on its core business, Lewis said.