Continental, one of the top automotive suppliers worldwide, has confirmed a deal with T-Systems and BPO provider, Cognizant to provide application management services to the research and development operations of Continental's tyre divisions.

As part of the three-year contract, the partners will replace Continental’s current service provider of over ten years. Cognizant will provide the bulk of the services from India. The deal is expected to drive significant administration and maintenance costs on Continental’s Computer-Aided Design (CAD) systems. It is hoped the arrangement will also free up IT staff to focus on further IT development for the company’s core business.

"Profitable growth and consistent cost management in all business areas are the basis of our success as a company. T-Systems' business model is another building block of this success," said Elisabeth Hoeflich, CIO of the Continental tire divisions.