CSC signs $400m contract with Zurich

Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC) has signed a $399m deal to provide desktop support to Zurich Financial Services Group.

The eight-year deal will see CSC assume responsibility for electronic workplace desktop services (EWP) for about 51,000 employees of the insurance-based financial giant.

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It will service Zurich's businesses in the Canada, the UK, US and elsewhere in Europe and its responsibilities include global service desk, local on-site support and software packaging and distribution.

The contract has a base period of six years, with two extension options of one year each.

Michael Paravicini, CIO at Zurich Financial Services Group, said in a statement: "CSC already provides support for the development and maintenance of our application software, and our expanded relationship will allow us to provide a more integrated holistic solution for both our EWP and application support needs."

CSC relationship with Zurich began in July 2004 when it signed a seven-year global IT applications outsourcing contract.

The agreement sees CSC providing all applications development and support services to Zurich's businesses in Germany, the UK, the US and Switzerland.