IBM has won a major IT outsourcing contract with Minor Group to improve its productivity and enhance the efficiency of its core IT applications.

Under the multi-year deal IBM will provide on-demand IT services to met the "changing needs" and volumes of the group with "usage-based" pricing frameworks as well as provide related support and maintenance tasks for ten years.

William Heinecke, Minor Group's chairman and chief executive officer, said: "This long-term outsourcing relationship with a reliable partner is essential as we are planning for double digit growth over next five years.

"Developing a partnership with IBM for its IT operations and application management services will allow us to enhance our IT systems and infrastructure much quicker and in a more cost effective manner than working on our own."

Minor Group will now move its key IT systems to IBM's Thailand-based data centre where the firm will identify ways to reduce costs and improve infrastructure.

Dedicated specialists from IBM will work closely with Minor Group's own IT professionals to create a competitive IT advantage as well as support its 18,000 employees.

Minor International, part of Minor Group, has over 700 outlets system-wide under The Pizza Company, Swensen's, Sizzler, Dairy Queen, Burger King and LeJazz brands and is Thailand's largest food service operator.

It also has an impressive hotel portfolio of 16 hotels and over 2,400 rooms under the Marriott, Four Seasons, Anantara, and Minor International brands in Thailand, the Maldives, Sri Lanka and Vietnam.

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