Recognizing the imminent need for Year 2000 compliant desktops at all its branches, Nationwide has decided to implement a "technology refresh program" across the company. Unisys won the contract in the face of stiff competition from SNI (the main supplier of the equipment), Computacenter and ICL.
Unisys will be responsible for installing some 8,000 SNI PCs, Special Cherry Keyboards, numerous flat screens and approximately 2,000 printers, providing staging, delivery, installation and overall project management. The staging and configuration will take place in Milton Keynes. Unisys will install up to eight branches per day, with a target of 32 branches per week.
"We were keen to choose an implementation strategy which would mean minimum disruption for our customers," explained Mike Humphreys, Head of Technology,
Nationwide. "Unisys offered us the best solution by proposing an integrated delivery and engineering team, ensuring the same engineers would deliver and install the equipment in the same day, after working hours."
"The other options involved a number of different contractors, each responsible for different stages of the process. We chose Unisys because it has an excellent reputation and proven track record in implementing large scale, complex projects such as this," he continued.
The initial pilot took place during August and the roll-out, which began in October 1998, is planned through March 1999.
"Winning yet another contract from Nationwide is significant for Unisys, as it is proof that our approach to large scale implementation projects works," said Joseph Walton, vice president, Europe, Unisys Global Customer Services. "During recent months we have seen a trend emerging for building societies to implement Y2K compliant equipment throughout their branches as they realize the significance of this issue."
Editors Note
About Unisys
Unisys (NYSE:UIS) is more than 33,000 employees helping customers in 100 countries apply information technology to solve their business problems. Unisys solutions are based on a broad portfolio of global information services including systems integration, outsourcing, "repeatable" application solutions, consulting, network integration, remote network management, and multivendor maintenance and support, coupled with enterprise-class servers and associated middleware, software and storage. Repeatable solutions are focused on key vertical markets including financial services, transportation, telecommunications, government, publishing and other commercial markets. Headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania in the Greater Philadelphia area, Unisys 1997 annual revenue was $6.6 billion. Access the Unisys home page on the World Wide Web - http://www.unisys.com - for further information.
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