BT brings intelligent IT to Panalpina

Panalpina has signed a contract with BT to streamline its IT systems, replacing a string of existing local and regional services with a single provider.
BT will overhaul the global forwarder’s network infrastructure, which connects 500 offices in over 75 countries and move it to a single integrated platform. BT will also provide services from its BT One Voice portfolio to converge voice and data on a single platform.
The new network is described as a hybrid infrastructure, based on BT’s IP Connect and Internet Connect services, combining the reliability and security of IP-based Virtual Private Networks (VPN) with the flexibility of Internet connections. It will also underpin continued implementation of Panalpina’s new global enterprise resource planning (ERP) and transportation management systems.
Services such as BT Connect Intelligence, will also optimise the network for the specific applications used on it.
Panalpina’s chief information officer, Ralf Morawietz described the agreement as “a major milestone on our way to becoming the most customer focused global provider of freight forwarding and logistics solutions.” BT would provide a single point of contact for communication services, and “take away the burden of managing a multitude of different suppliers.” It would also make it easier to implement new services and to support employees and customers, he added.
BT Global Services’ president Europe and global telecom markets, Corrado Sciolla, added: "In the new digital world, customers and employees are becoming more demanding, systems are evolving and established rules changing. We are very proud that a global leader such as Panalpina has chosen BT to manage their communication services. The intelligent features of our network services will also help Panalpina improve the performance of its business-critical applications and constantly adapt the whole communications infrastructure to its rapidly evolving digital needs."