(9 December 2009 5:35 pm)

MUMBAI: HCL Technologies Ltd (HCL), the IT services provider, has entered into a five-year agreement with News Corp’s UK subsidiary News International, to optimize its technology cost.

As a part of the deal, HCL will manage News International's datacenter and network environments. News International produces newspapers including The Times, The Sun, The Sunday Times and News of the World.

HCL will also be responsible for transforming the datacenters. This will involve transformation projects such as migrating operating systems to lower cost solutions.

"The focus within News International on reducing operational costs and increasing technology process standardization requires a flexible, on-tap technology organization with a global presence and the best global technology partnerships,” says News international director of technology services Nick Leake. “This engagement will provide News International with reduced costs, an improved end user experience, more resilient systems and reduced technology complexity.”

Added HCL Technologies Infrastructure Services Division SVP & worldwide head of sales for infrastructure management & transformation services Pradeep Bindal, "We are confident of providing efficient operations, reduction in ongoing opex and capex and IT operations best practices to News International over the tenure of this engagement."

HCL also said that it is already working with other News Corporation companies for their technology infrastructure management requirements.

HCL has recently announced engagements with Reader's Digest and Viacom Inc.