Steel manufacturer Corus has adopted a multisourcing model for its IT services, in a move to reduce costs and improve company efficiency.

The change of approach follows the completion of a £400m, 10-year contract with Capgemini, which ended in 2007. Last week Corus announced a smaller, five-year deal with the outsourcing firm, at a total value of £26m.

While Capgemini will now be responsible for Corus's mainframe services, including support for the company's UK factories, other operations will be handled by a mix of internal staff and outsourced partners.

Corus itself will develop a single set of standards for managing its contracted operations, and will run a service desk to assist its staff in the UK and the Netherlands.

The company is the second largest producer of steel in Europe, manufacturing 20 million tonnes every year.