RSA renews Vodafone IT contract with focus on 'more mobile and secure infrastructures'

'We need a strong provider who understands our business and is able to provide us with the best technology, which is why we chose Vodafone,' says RSA supply manager Gavin Hobbs

Global insurance firm RSA has extended its ICT contract with Vodafone for an another five years.

The contract extension will see Vodafone upgrade RSA's existing telecommunications and network systems, which are currently used by more than 10,000 employees in the UK and Western Europe.

RSA is making an increasing push to go digital, and signified its intent to move forward with this by recently hiring former Santander Germany CIO Darren McKenzie to the newly created role of chief operating officer for the UK and Western Europe.

And speaking to Computing in January, RSA group CIO Darren Price described the lengths he's going to in an effort to transform the insurer.

While the financial terms of the deal haven't been disclosed, RSA and Vodafone have been working together since 2007. The insurance firm says that the decision to renew the partnership - which will now reach 13 years in length in 2020 - was made following an "extensive tender process" which involved a number of other suppliers.

Under the terms of the new agreement, Vodafone will supply RSA with "more agile and secure infrastructures" so that the insurance company can "respond more effectively to the changing needs of customers and employees".

The renewed contract will also see Vodafone hold responsibility for managing support of RSA's cloud-based IT and telephony contact centre services. Vodafone will also supply RSA with video conferencing services.

Gavin Hobbs, supplier manager at RSA, explained why the organisation opted to renew the contract with Vodafone.

"Every day, we have thousands of customers contacting us so it's essential that our telecommunications and network services operate as effectively as possible," he said.

"Achieving this means that we need a strong provider who understands our business and is able to provide us with the best technology, which is why we chose Vodafone," Hobbs continued.

"We've had a very successful relationship with the company over the last eight years and we look forward to working with them," he added.

Vodafone global enterprise chief executive Jan Geldmacher also welcomed the renewed partnership between RSA and Vodafone.

"RSA has a strong vision for its future and we are delighted to be working with them to make that vision a reality. Creating the right communications and technology environment will be so powerful in delivering new levels of operational agility and improving the overall customer experience at RSA," he said.

"I believe that we have the right combination of experience and understanding of the company and the insurance industry to make this a success," Geldmacher concluded.