Indian IT solutions leader NIIT Technologies is to provide infrastructure management services for the core business applications for Eurostar, the high-speed passenger service between the UK and mainland Europe. NIIT Technologies was chosen from among 35 global firms to help improve efficiency as part of Eurostar’s ongoing focus on service quality.
Hindu Businessline quotes NIIT Technologies CEO, Arvind Thakur: “(The project) involves data centre consolidation, virtualization and running support centre activities including helpdesk. NIIT Technologies will also design and set up a new Wide Area Network connecting all Eurostar offices and stations as well as provide multi-lingual support to operations in the UK, France, Belgium, Switzerland and the Netherlands. The contract is based on service level agreements for remote infrastructure services and hosting of critical applications”.
Says Christophe Lemaire, CIO, Eurostar: “. We are looking forward to benefiting from NIIT Technologies’ extensive experience and comprehensive portfolio of managed services which will allow us to focus on our core competencies, improve productivity and enable business innovation”.
Sunil Surya, President, NIIT Technologies Europe adds: “We are delighted to serve Eurostar International as it reinforces our European footprint where the Company already has a strong presence of multi-year collaborations with marquee clients in the Travel and Transport industry”.
NIIT Technologies is ranked No.1 in travel by Datamonitor Black Book of Outsourcing and has held this position for three consecutive years. The Company continues to strengthen its position in becoming a significant IT services player in the European Travel and Transport markets.
Eurostar is the high-speed train service linking St Pancras International, Ebbsfleet International, Ashford International, Paris, Brussels, Lille, Calais, Disneyland Resort Paris, Avignon and the French Alps. Eurostar was established in 1994 as a partnership between three railway companies: and last year became a single, unified corporate entity owned by three shareholders: SNCF, SNCB and LCR. The current Eurostar train was first introduced into service in 1994 carrying 750 passengers and operating at speeds of up to 300kph. Since then, the fleet of 28 trains has carried more than 115 million passengers between London and the Continent.   July 12  2011