UK insurance group Aviva has signed a contract worth £3 million with BT for the supply and management of a multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) network that will connect its locations in 37 countries to its group headquarters in London.
The MPLS network will deliver fixed link Internet Protocol (IP) data services worldwide, connecting all international sites on a common network infrastructure for the first time.
The new network will consolidate a number of different communication platforms operated by multiple service providers, and will help reduce costs and streamline administration and invoicing processes.
BT says the new network will allow Aviva to exploit further its global intranet, giving staff faster access to corporate information. BT will also deliver secure managed e-mail services.
Danny Janssens, IT solutions engineering director, Aviva, says: "Working with BT, we can rationalise our disparate international communications networks under the management of one global supplier, delivering cost savings as well as enabling us to roll out new services."