Ericsson moves into IT managed services through deal with 3 Italia

Swedish vendor Ericsson has announced a deal with 3 Italia that will see it take on responsibility for the modernisation and management of the operator’s data centre and IT infrastructure. The deal builds on a managed services deal covering the operator’s network, which was struck in 2005 and extended until 2014 in a further announcement last year.

While Ericsson is the market leader in managed services for mobile networks, this deal represents the firm’s first move into managing a carrier’s IT infrastructure.

Ericsson said the deal covers data centre consolidation with hardware modernization, upgrade and  consolidation of 3 Italia’s software application domains, as well as  transformation of operations and  business support systems, including billing and  customer relationship management.

3 Italia’s  three existing data centres will be consolidated into two, located in Rome and Milan. This, combined with the introduction of a new virtualized software  architecture, housing all of 3 Italia’s applications and allowing the operator  to use its total IT infrastructure more efficiently, means the operator can  lower its energy and IT hardware and software costs by 40 and 50 percent  respectively, Ericsson said.

“With the relationship we already  have today, we are confident Ericsson will contribute in the same positive way  as an IT consultant as they have as a network infrastructure  supplier,” said Antonella Ambriola, CTO 3 Italia.

“By strengthening our offering within the IT business we move  into an arena where operators previously have not seen us as a natural  partner,” added Valter D’Avino, head of Managed Services,  Ericsson.