Aviva sticks to outsourcing

The UK's biggest insurance firm, Aviva, has continued to simplify its IT infrastructure and reduce the amount of network equipment it holds in house by outsourcing, says Comms-express.com

In its latest financial results, the company said consolidation of its IT services is continuing at pace.

With the aim of reducing costs and boosting efficiency, the firm said it is outsourcing a large portion of its business to reinsurer Swiss Re.

Outsourcing of strategic documents is becoming more popular as companies look to reduce expenses and costs during the economic downturn, reports BCS.

That is according to industry analyst firm Gartner, which said that any outsourcing of print and online documents should be done in a manner that does not compromise quality or confidentiality.

'Strategic document outsourcing offers organisations the opportunity to eliminate print and mail-related capital expenditures while potentially reducing material and postage expenses," observed Pete Basiliere, research director at Gartner.

Patni Computer Systems, a global IT and BPO services provider, has been ranked as the number one 'Green innovative information technology vendor' by the prestigious '2009 Black Book top green outsourcing vendors survey', according to Manufacturing Business Technology.

The 'Green outsourcing vendors survey', conducted by the Brown-Wilson Group, is an annual industry survey of outsourcing service providers' pro-environmental initiatives from the perspective of their client experience.

Patni was credited as a highly-recommended vendor who exceeded client satisfaction, with over 315 client nominations. Commenting on this, Jeya Kumar, CEO, Patni said: "We are delighted to be recognised by our clients for our innovative green initiatives. As we lead the race of IT vendors who are looking to adapt to this changing recessionary landscape, we will continue to adopt newer means to reduce costs for our customers. While Green IT is a key area of concern for global customers, we have recognised that green initiatives are as much a business necessity today and for our generations to come."