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Jacques Whitford positions for growth and selects Bell Aliant
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Location: Blogs News |
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| Posted by: ITNovaScotia Admin |
Friday, December 15, 2006 |
Strategic alignment allows organization to focus on core operations
HALIFAX, NS — One of Canada’s most innovative environmental and geotechnical engineering firms has partnered with Atlantic Canada’s largest information and communications technology (ICT) provider for outsourced support of its entire ICT environment. Today, Bell Aliant (TSX: BA.UN) and Jacques Whitford jointly announced they have signed an agreement to outsource the operation of Jacques Whitford’s IT infrastructure and implement a fully managed Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephony environment. The contract, which will be carried out in part through Aliant and xwave, the IT Division of Bell Aliant, has a seven-year term and is valued at more than $40 million.
“Jacques Whitford has experienced consistent and significant year-over-year growth and this contract provides a foundation for the future growth of our business,” said Bob Youden, Chief Executive Officer, Jacques Whitford. “As an employee owned company, we have entered into this agreement to ensure we can provide the best service to our clients around the world.”
Under the agreement, Aliant will support and optimize Jacques Whitford’s entire ICT infrastructure, which encompasses hardware and software for approximately 1600 employees in 46 offices across Canada and the United States. The company will consolidate all of Jacques Whitford’s business applications including data, file, email, VoIP and Wireless functions into a consolidated fully managed infrastructure. This allows Jacques Whitford to increase overall efficiency and service, as well as capacity for collaboration and knowledge sharing. These capabilities will ensure the company has the ability to effectively meet clients’ current needs and anticipated future requirements.
In addition, the agreement will see resources from Jacques Whitford merge with those of Aliant. This will entail the transition of members of Jacques Whitford IT staff, who will maintain similar positions in Aliant and xwave offices.
“While Information and Communications Technology are key facilitators for the work we do, we recognize that our needs would be better served by an organization for whom ICT is a core business,” said Bob Youden. “Aliant has proven itself to be that organization, and is a partner we’ll be able to work with closely while remaining focused on our own core operations. This agreement allows us to focus maximum energy and attention on our clients and their needs, rather than managing and supporting internal systems.”
“Drawing from the resources of the Bell Aliant family, we are well-suited to meet Jacques Whitford’s needs,” said Paul Kent, COO, xwave and Senior Vice President, Enterprise Solutions. “Having provided various IT and telecom services to Jacques Whitford for a number of years, we’re now building on that relationship and taking a consolidated approach to Jacques Whitford’s business needs as a single-source ICT. With our significant expertise in both IT and communications, we can effectively provide Jacques Whitford with a full suite of business applications, in any of their office locations around the world.”
The agreement was effective August 1, 2006 and was expanded to include VoIP and Wireless effective January 1, 2007. The agreement is expected to be fully operational in the first quarter of 2007.
About Jacques Whitford
Jacques Whitford will be celebrating its 35-year anniversary as a Premier employee-owned provider of engineering, environmental and earth science solutions in North America. Employing over 1,600 people worldwide, Jacques Whitford presently has offices in every province and territory in Canada. In the United States, offices are located in Maine, New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island. The firm also has joint ventures in Trinidad, W.I., UAE, Qatar and in Canada. More information can be found at www.jacqueswhitford.com
About Bell Aliant
Bell Aliant (TSX:BA.UN), through its operating entities, serves its customers throughout six Canadian provinces with innovative information and communication technology (ICT) solutions including telephony, wireless, Internet, data, video, IT professional services and value-added solutions. Bell Aliant also provides IT professional services through its xwave offices in Canada, the US and in Ireland. Bell Aliant’s 10,500 employees build on its 100 plus year history by collaborating to deliver the highest quality of customer service, choice and convenience. More information can be found at bell.aliant.ca
About xwave
xwave, a Division of Bell Aliant, is a full-service business-solutions provider that serves clients through systems integration, infrastructure services, and fulfillment. These areas offer clients a broad delivery capability: xwave plans, designs, builds and operates complete ICT solutions that meet business-process needs and are designed to deliver a tangible return on technology investments. With more than $355 million in revenues and 1,500 people, xwave is one of the largest business-solutions organizations in Canada, with locations in St. John’s, Halifax, Moncton, Saint John, Fredericton, Charlottetown, Summerside, Ottawa, Toronto, New England, Washington DC, Florida, Colorado and Ireland. More information can be found at www.xwave.com
For further information, contact:
Karen.Ewing@xwave.com
(877) 332-4605
Russell Morrison
Chief Technology Officer
rmorrison@jacqueswhitford.com
(403) 750-7659 |
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