LONDON -- BT has been awarded an extension to its original seven-year outsourcing contract with Unilever. The deal, worth around an additional £270million, will see BT continue to deliver Unilever’s voice, data and mobile services for an additional three years.

The original contract, announced in November 2002 and worth £670m was the first comprehensive global telecommunications outsource contract ever undertaken by BT and is one of BT’s largest and most significant global deals. By working in partnership, BT and Unilever are in the process of transforming Unilever’s infrastructure to one of the most modern corporate networks in the world.

Andy Green, CEO of BT Global Services, said: “Unilever’s decision to extend this relationship with BT to 2012 illustrates their confidence in our capacity to continue to add value to their business, drive efficiencies and further strengthen their ability to compete in a challenging environment. We look forward to delivering further benefits in partnership with Unilever over the next six years.”

Neil Cameron, Unilever chief information officer, said: “I am delighted that we have been able to re-sign this contract with BT. The first three years of the agreement have delivered both in cost and service, clearly demonstrating that the bold decision taken by both companies in 2002 was justified. By extending this contract to 2012, I am confident that together we will be able to drive value for both our organisations in an area of technology that is clearly undergoing radical change”.

BT Group plc (NYSE: BT; London: BTA)