Prudential UK has signed a multimillion-pound voice and
data outsourcing contract with BT that will include the company
rolling out voice over IP (VoIP) to cut its communications
costs.
The five-year deal covers 7,000 staff, including 900 in the
financial service company’s Indian call centre in Mumbai.
John Worth, Prudential UK chief information officer, said the
company receives about 1.5 million calls a quarter from customers
and makes almost two million calls a quarter.
Worth said, "This contract will completely transform our
communications with the aim of fully integrating all voice and data
services within 18 months.
"We expect to be making our first VoIP calls by the middle of
next year and, until we reach the full integration of voice and
data on a single network, we will run a traditional phone system in
parallel."
VoIP will enable Prudential to cut costs as BT consolidates the
company’s communications onto a single network and allows it to
make cheaper or free "packetised" IP calls across the internet
without having to rely on the public switched telephone
network.
There have been concerns that VoIP traffic could be the subject
of hacking attempts, a particular threat for a financial services
organisation such as Prudential.
Worth said, "Subject to our approval, it will now be up to BT to
come up with the robust security measures to prevent such a
threat."
Prudential considered proposals from six different suppliers but
chose BT because it offered the best functionality on the best
terms.
Worth said, "Improved functionality with high security for data
was always the driving force for undertaking such a transformation,
and that is what we think we have got with the BT contract."
Prudential’s 31-strong in-house communications team will be
transferred to BT under Transfer of Undertakings legislation.