Rental car company hopes to bolster customer services and operational efficiencies throughout 13 countries in Europe
February 18, 2004 Unisys Ltd., a subsidiary of global information technology (IT) services company Unisys Corp., said it has signed a five-year contract with a subsidiary of Avis Europe plc, the leading car rental company in Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia.
Under the terms of the agreement, Unisys said it would implement and oversee infrastructure managed services for over 5,600 desktops in some 1,200 Avis offices and rental stations across 13 countries in Europe.
Unisys will provide service management, infrastructure management and standardization to a single technology platform. IT queries from Avis' employees, offices and rental stations will now be handled centrally via a help desk at the multi-lingual Unisys Managed Services Centre in Schiphol, The Netherlands.
"Through our partnership with Unisys, we anticipate significant IT cost savings over a five-year period. In addition, we expect to realize enhanced services delivery and a consistent user experience through the standardization of technology," confirms Mittu Sridhara, chief information officer, Avis Europe plc. "Avis selected Unisys because of its services capability across Europe and a sound cultural fit between both organizations, alongside a deep understanding of our key business issues."
"A managed infrastructure will help Avis offer its customers an improved standard of service and provide its employees with up-to-date IT services, while achieving cost savings," said Jos Schoemaker, vice president and general manager, Global Infrastructure Services, Unisys Europe, Middle East & Africa. "Unisys core strengths in consistent service delivery methodology and flexible project management will enable us to benefit Avis employees and customers by managing thousands of desktops in many locations across many countries."
Under the agreement, Unisys will provide infrastructure managed services to Avis locations in: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland and the U.K.
