Unilever N.V.
UNILEVER SIGNS 7 YEAR CONTRACT WITH IBM FOR FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONAL SERVICES..
Corporate-news processed and transmitted by DGAP.
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
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Unilever NV and Unilever PLC
23 December 2005
UNILEVER SIGNS 7 YEAR CONTRACT WITH IBM FOR FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONAL SERVICES
OUTSOURCING
Unilever today announced it has signed a contract to outsource significant
parts of its financial transactional services to IBM. This agreement covers
more than 20 European countries and is part of the One Unilever programme,
which aims to streamline the organisation in order to increase competitiveness
in the marketplace and step up growth.
IBM will provide financial services including Purchase to Pay, General
Accounting and Bill to Cash and will be delivered from IBM centres in
Portugal, Poland and India. The deal is expected to deliver significant cost
savings to Unilever throughout the seven years of the contract. These
anticipated cost savings will contribute to the overall targeted EUR700
million annual savings of the One Unilever programme.
“IBM brings strong business process knowledge, deep technical expertise and a
flexible, responsive business model to finance shared services. As a
specialist in this area, IBM will be able to help us optimise our business
process performance, and deliver additional savings in support of our core
business; offering consumers excellent brands and products”, says Kees van der
Graaf, president Unilever Europe.
Van der Graaf added: “This change will affect quite a number of our employees
in Europe. We are committed to treat all of them responsibly and will follow
all appropriate consultation processes. When jobs are affected we will do our
best to find alternative employment”.
“IBM will apply business insight within our global network of operations to
optimise business performance. The agreement will create long-term economic
benefits for Unilever,” said Tony Cronin, general manager, business
transformation outsourcing, IBM. “This relationship is a strong example of the
new on-demand business IBM is targeting in the marketplace for Business
Performance Transformation Services.”
Unilever will follow a phased approach in implementation over approximately
two years, starting in the first quarter of 2006. Approximately 750 people are
affected by this change.
For further information:
Tanno Massar
Corporate Media Relations Director
Tel +31 10 217 4844
tanno.massar@unilever.com
OR
Richard Janes
IBM Business Consulting Services
Tel. +44 207 021 9370
Richard.janes@uk.ibm.com
SAFE HARBOUR STATEMENT: This announcement may contain forward-looking
statements, including ‘forward-looking statements’ within the meaning of the
United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as
‘expects’, ‘anticipates’, ‘intends’ or the negative of these terms and other
similar expressions of future performance or results and their negatives are
intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking
statements are based upon current expectations and assumptions regarding
anticipated developments and other factors affecting the Group. They are not
historical facts, nor are they guarantees of future performance. Because
these forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, there are
important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from
those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements, including,
among others, competitive pricing and activities, consumption levels, costs,
the ability to maintain and manage key customer relationships and supply chain
sources, currency values, interest rates, the ability to integrate
acquisitions and complete planned divestitures, physical risks, environmental
risks, the ability to manage regulatory, tax and legal matters and resolve
pending matters within current estimates, legislative, fiscal and regulatory
developments, political, economic and social conditions in the geographic
markets where the Group operates and new or changed priorities of the Boards.
Further details of potential risks and uncertainties affecting the Group are
described in the Group’s filings with the London Stock Exchange, Euronext
Amsterdam and the US Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Annual
Report and Accounts on Form 20-F. These forward-looking statements speak only
as of the date of this document. Except as required by any applicable law or
regulation, the Group expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to
release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements
contained herein to reflect any change in the Group’s expectations with regard
thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any
such statement is based.
End of announcement (c)DGAP 23.12.2005
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WKN: 860028 ; ISIN: NL0000009348; Index:
Listed: Amtlicher Markt in Frankfurt (General Standard); Freiverkehr in
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