Premier Foods selects Vodafone for telecoms and networking deal

Five-year integrated communications agreement includes fixed and mobile voice services and a managed network

Premier Foods has signed up Vodafone to become the food manufacturer's exclusive provider of fully integrated communications.

A multi-million five-year deal will lead to the company providing Premier Foods, producer of well-known food brands such as Hovis, Mr Kipling, Bisto and Batchelors, with fixed and mobile voice services and a managed network connecting all of the company's sites.

The contract forms part of Premier Food's strategy to improve efficiency, reduce complexity and better meet customer needs while still driving growth. The exact value of the deal hasn't been disclosed.

"I see this single-source agreement as an important step in supporting the company's plans to simplify the organisation, improve operational efficiencies and enhance collaboration," said Mark Vickery, group information services and change director at Premier Foods.

"Reducing complexity is a key part of our strategy to drive growth," added Gavin Darby, the company's CEO.

"By continually improving our efficiency and effectiveness we will be better able to meet customer needs," he continued.

"I am delighted to be working with Vodafone who will deliver the right integrated communications platform to support our future growth," he concluded.

Vodafone global enterprise chief executive Jan Geldmacher also welcomed the deal.

"By creating a combined communications service for Premier Foods we can help to realise further value from within their business and achieve their growth ambitions," he said.

"We believe that our agreement will quickly become a powerful and productive partnership and one which highlights the benefits of integrated communications."