The BBC has signed a new five-year deal with Atos for the provision of IT and other technology services.

The contract, said to be worth £560m, will provide staff with “simple to use, quality tools and systems” including laptops and phones. Business applications, hosting services and a technology helpdesk are also included.

“[It] completes a major piece of work re-sourcing our core technology services,” said BBC chief technology officer Matthew Postgate.

“The BBC is reinventing itself for a new generation and the technology we use is critical to that mission. Today’s deal allows us to improve the way we work, making our systems and tools simpler and more efficient. It completes a major piece of work re-sourcing our core technology services, allowing us to drive the use of IP technology in broadcasting and make the BBC internet-fit.”

The agreement is the final part of the BBC’s Aurora Programme which is said to have “saved hundreds of millions of pounds” for the Corporation.

Aurora replaces a £2bn 10-year deal that the BBC previously had with Atos. 

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