February 6, 2004 — (WEB HOST INDUSTRY REVIEW) — The BBC (bbc.co.uk) announced today that it has created a shortlist of bidders for a £2 billion-contract for its Technology subsidiary.
On the list are CSC, Fujitsu, EDS, Capita, Accenture, IBM, Logica and HP. BBC will bring its shortlist down to three by the end of April. The sale is expected to be complete by September.
“We have received really positive feedback from the market about this deal, and are delighted to be able to announce that our timetable for procurement is on track,” says the BBC’s chief technology officer John Varney. “During the next phase of the process there will be a rigorous evaluation of not only the technology expertise and operations of these bidders, but their culture and fit with the BBC – this is a crucial part of our negotiations.”
BBC decided to sell Technology after determining it could potentially save at least £20-million per year if its technology services were outsourced.
The BBC’s union calls the sale “dangerous.” Union officials said it is “a bit like selling your nerve system” because Technology is responsible for ensuring the software and hardware works to make sure programs are being broadcast, or are routed to where they need to go on a daily basis.
