Canadian Bank Keeps AS/400s Under Watch of CGI

Published: May 15, 2007

by Alex Woodie

CGI Group, one of Canada's biggest IT services and outsourcing companies, has signed a long-term deal with the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) for, among other things, management of its AS/400 environment, the IT services firm announced last week.

As a wholly owned entity of the Government of Canada, BDC's goal is to support the development and growth of the Canadian small and mid size business (SMB) sector through free financial, investment, and consulting solutions. True to that calling, the organization outsources some functions so it can better focus on serving its constituents.

Last week, CGI Group announced that BDC has extended its current four-year hosting contract for another four years, with three one-year options beyond that. In addition to managing its AS/400 environment, CGI Group will provide printing and insertion, network connectivity, 5970 audits, and business continuity planning.

Mireille Rondeau, vice president of systems and technology for BDC, says CGI has lived up to its side of the bargain. "We have established a partnership of trust with CGI, and we particularly appreciate the quality of its data centers and associated services," Rondeau says. "CGI offers the skills and technological structure and know-how to support our business operations."

With annual revenues of $3.3 billion, Montreal, Quebec-based CGI Group is one of the largest independent IT and business process outsourcing (BPO) firms in the world. The company employs about 25,000 people, offers solutions for every major industry, and is considered by Gartner to be a "challenger" in the market for North American ERP service providers.

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