Abbey inks €40m Getronics deal for branch IT refit

Abbey has signed a €40m contract with Getronics to refit the hardware and infrastructure for the bank's 741-strong branch network.

Abbey, which recently dropped the 'National' part of its name in a rebranding exercise, has been running pilots this month.

The full roll out is expected to begin early 2004 and take approximately four months. The deal covers 40,000 desktop devices, including PCs, flat screens, laser and network printers and 9,000 Getronics PR2e passbook printers.

The IT firm has a 20-year relationship with the bank and will also install a new Windows XP platform to replace Windows 98, which will run Abbey's own software.

Bill Gibbons, director of technology services and support for Abbey said in a statement: "It is essential in the world of financial services to deploy technology that gives you a competitive edge, and we believe that these new systems will enable us to deliver that."

Georgina O' Toole, analyst at Ovum Holway, said the scope of IT outsourcing deals in the retail banking sector will continue to increase, with cost reduction and competitive advantage remaining the key drivers.