- Approximately 9,000 Manulife employees to convert to IP Telephony
- Deal highlights success of Bell Canada’s IP and Value Added Solutions strategy
TORONTO, Dec. 10, 2004 – Bell Canada today announced an exclusive outsourcing agreement with Manulife Financial for the provisioning and management of Internet Protocol (IP)-based voice and data services. With this agreement, Manulife will benefit from an IP-based infrastructure that will deliver improved network reliability, scalability and greater cost efficiencies. The new platform will also be the foundation for an enterprise-wide voice over IP (VoIP) deployment at Manulife. The agreement between both parties was signed on December 1, 2004.
The outsourcing arrangement will leverage Bell Canada’s Value Added Solutions capabilities by using BCE Connexim, Bell Canada’s outsourcing and professional services arm, making this service an end-to-end solution that will significantly reduce Manulife’s overall operational costs.
“For Manulife, the decision to migrate to IP made perfect sense – from both a strategic and technological perspective,” said John C. Mather, Chief Administrative Officer, Manulife Financial. “A fully outsourced migration to IP will enable us to meet cost reduction goals. Bell Canada’s selection was made based on stringent criteria, including network management expertise, reliability and security. Also, Bell recommended a migration approach that ensured that our business will evolve to the 21st century seamlessly and efficiently.”
Bell Canada will simplify management of the IP-solutions provided to Manulife by delivering the following capabilities through a single point of contact:
- Complete end-to-end managed solutions;
- North American coverage;
- Seamless service delivery of Manulife’s North American voice and data infrastructure management including Wide Area Network, Local Area Network, Metropolitan Area Network, and the migration to IP Telephony; and
- Enhanced service level agreements covering provisioning, performance and reliability.
Complete end-to-end managed solutions;
“Enterprise customers are increasingly looking to technology partners who can provide end-to-end solutions and not just individual pieces of the puzzle,” said Isabelle Courville, Group President, Enterprise Markets, Bell Canada. “Providing a fully outsourced IP-based solution will deliver value to Manulife and its shareholders by enabling the company to focus on its core business, while taking them where they need to go – over both the short and long term.”
With this contract awarded to Bell Canada, Manulife has become a pioneer among its peers as it embraces IP communications solutions on an international scale.
About Manulife
Manulife Financial is a leading Canadian-based financial services group serving millions of customers in 19 countries and territories worldwide. Operating as Manulife Financial in Canada and most of Asia, and primarily through John Hancock in the United States, the Company offers clients a diverse range of financial protection products and wealth management services through its extensive network of employees, agents and distribution partners. Funds under management by Manulife Financial and its subsidiaries were Cdn$346 billion (US$274 billion) as at September 30, 2004.
Manulife Financial Corporation trades as ‘MFC’ on the TSX, NYSE and PSE, and under ‘0945’ on the SEHK. Manulife Financial can be found on the Internet at www.manulife.com.
About Bell Canada
Bell Canada, Canada’s national leader in communications, provides connectivity to residential and business customers through wired and wireless voice and data communications, local and long distance phone services, high speed and wireless Internet access, IP-broadband services, e-business solutions and satellite television services. Bell Canada is wholly owned by BCE Inc. For more information please visit www.bell.ca.
