Infosys lands IT outsourcing deal

Infosys has landed a five-year deal with pharmaceuticals giant AstraZeneca due to its 'expertise in IT outsourcing'.

The global technology and consulting services firm will provide maintenance and development of AstraZeneca's IT systems in areas including manufacturing, supply chain, finance and human resources under the multi-million dollar contract.

Richard Williams, global chief information officer at AstraZeneca, said: "The combination of Infosys' outsourcing expertise, technology leadership and proven record in rationalising and standardising business process were all contributing factors to our decision."

Infosys chief executive officer Kris Gopalakrishnan said his company's programme will support AstraZeneca's attempts to expand its business.

Last week, researchers reported that IT outsourcing and managed IT services are likely to expand in the economic slowdown.

Following analysis of US Department of Commerce data, experts at Forrester Research predicted that firms specialising in outsourcing will benefit from companies looking to reduce costs.

Chief information officers are expected to focus on improving efficiency and increasing productivity, they added.