Date:27/08/2004 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2004/08/27/stories/2004082701480700.htm

Back Bigger role for TCS in UK health project

Raja Simhan T.E.

Chennai , Aug. 26

TATA Consultancy Services (TCS) is likely to play a much bigger role in the UK's National Health Service information technology project following a series of IT deals signed recently between the National Programme for Information Technology (NPIT) and key suppliers, including TCS.

TCS is a member of the Fujitsu Alliance appointed as Local Service Provider in a Ł896 million (around Rs 7,520 crore), nine-year contract to help the NHS to improve healthcare for patients in the southern region of England.

TCS expects a turnover in excess of Ł120 million (around Rs 1,007 crore) from this deal to provide clinical application implementation and data migration, says information available on TCS's Web site.

Under the new enterprise-wide arrangement, TCS will offer competitive fixed rates for services related to the National Programme to any NHS organisation or sub-contractor requiring them. In other words, TCS could become a national IT supplier in the UK, and any cluster (from other regions of UK), trust or even other suppliers can use it.

The rates have been agreed by NPIT and hence there is no need for separate negotiations, said a TCS official. "Through the new arrangement, we could now provide our service to the entire country, and not just restricted with southern region alone," he said.

The NPIT also signed various other agreements with suppliers, including Cisco Systems, EMC Computer Systems, Hewlett Packard, SeeBeyond and Sun Microsystems.