Ericsson and Telefonica O2 UK Sign Multi-Year Managed Services Agreement

Ericsson and Telefónica O2 UK reportedly have signed a multi-year managed services agreement as per which Ericsson (News - Alert) will provide field maintenance and other services for the Telefonica O2 UK 2G and 3G networks. 

As part of the pact Ericsson will also provide field maintenance services for radio and switch sites, spare parts management logistics support as well as optimisation and drive services and facilities engineering services for Telefónica O2 UK.

In a release, Ericsson officials said that the company and Telefónica O2 UK have a multi-year relationship for supply of mobile core network technology.

This new agreement, officials said, marks the first time that Ericsson will undertake day-to-day operations for Telefónica O2 UK.

Officials said that in addition to the new agreement with Telefónica O2 UK, Ericsson has a global relationship with Telefónica in multiple countries.

"We view this as an excellent step in the development of a long-term strategic partnership with Telefónica O2 UK and we are extremely honored to have been chosen by Telefónica O2 UK as its managed services partner,” said Mats Granryd, managing director, Ericsson UK, in a statement.

Granryd said that although Ericsson and Telefónica O2 UK have enjoyed a long relationship this agreement has significantly strengthened it, bringing the companies much closer.

Ericsson officials said that through economies of scale, best practice tools, methods, processes and efficient resource allocation, Ericsson's managed services supports its partners to improve network performance and end-user experience whilst reducing operational costs.

Ericsson claims that it has the telecom industry's most comprehensive managed services offering. It ranges from designing, building, operating and managing day-to-day operations of a customer's network, including end-user services and business-support systems, to hosting service applications and content, as well as providing network coverage and capacity on demand.

As a major player in managed services, Ericsson has officially announced more than 100 contracts for managed services with operators worldwide since 2002.

In all current managed services contracts, excluding hosting, Ericsson is managing networks that together serve more than 275 million subscribers worldwide.