Premier Foods signs on with Vanco

Virtual network operator (VNO) Vanco has announced in Barcelona today a slew of new customer contracts worth millions of pounds, including a deal with UK firm Premier Foods.

VNOs - of which Vanco is the market leader - don't own networking infrastructure, but negotiate and manage deals with operators. Earlier this month, they announced a multi-million pound deal with Specsavers.

Premier Foods - which includes Hovis, Branston and Quorn brands - has signed on for a five-year contract, which will see Vanco connect 83 UK sites such as depots, data centres, offices and manufacturing plants via a MPLS (multi protocol label switching) network.

That deal will also see Vanco help consolidate the firm's communications following its acquisition last year of RHM.

Phil McCallum, Premier Foods' director of IT and infrastructure, said: "A major plus point was Vanco's independence. It means that we know the technology we are using is the best and most suitable for us, as Vanco are not just pushing us to use its own equipment and services."

McCallum also praised Vanco's Active Negotiation Process, which sees operator contracts re-appraised annually, to help push prices down. For more details on the ANP, view the below video featuring Vanco's UK managing director Andy Sumner:

Sumner said the Premier deal was an "interesting win" as earlier incarnations of the foods company had previously signed on with Vanco, moving to a standard operator when they were bought out. "They must have had fond memories of their partnership with us, and now they're back," said Sumner.

Vanco also said it has signed Eurosport, the pan-European sports broadcaster.

"Vanco's solution was very interesting, firstly on a technical point of view, as it was customised to our needs combining different carriers' solutions and unique technical offers such as the usage of several back bones and local xDSL access," said Stephane Gaude, Eurosport's infrastructure manager. "From a financial point of view, the solution will allow us to considerably reduce the cost of our network."

In addition to those deals, Vanco also announced a $2 million (£1 million) contract with Brinks Incorporated, a security firm in the US, as well as a pair of three-year contracts with fashion firm Pimkie and consumer IT services firm is4.

Alongside those new customers, Vanco has also won a five-year, $4.6 million (£2.3 million) contract extension with Cookson Electronics. The deal will see the UK materials science company upgrade its global wide area network, which spans 26 countries. A separate five-year, $6.5 million (£3.3 million) extension was also signed with sister-company Vesuvius, Vanco said.

Chief executive of Vanco Allen Timpany said the firm has a 98 per cent retention rate with its customers, which he said "shows the value we bring to these organisations".

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