FirstGroup extends Atos Origin contract to the US

Following the successful outsourcing of its UK datacentres in October

IT services firm Atos Origin has signed a new five-year deal worth more than $30m (£18.5m) with UK and US-based transport provider FirstGroup.

This follows the successful outsourcing of FirstGroup's UK datacentres to Atos Origin in 2010, with the new deal covering the consolidation of the company's datacentre infrastructure in North America.

Atos Origin will provide a range of services with varying architectural standards and will migrate and transform First's North American datacentre operations into a utility-based service delivery model - that is, a private cloud.

FirstGroup expects the deal to deliver cost savings, minimise risk and provide the commercial, financial and technical flexibility to support its business plans.