Unilever has extended its outsourcing contract with BT, a deal worth around additional €173m.

The new deal will see BT accelerate technology innovation in services such as unified communications, messaging, supply chain, wireless technology and agile working in over 100 countries over the next four years.

BT currently supports services across Unilever’s three operating regions. The scope of the service includes the design, management and operation of a secure fully integrated end-to-end IT networking infrastructure.

BT is responsible for ensuring that the service helps enable Unilever to operate in all its markets, supporting its employees, consumers, customers, partners and suppliers. This service covers an increasingly integrated platform delivering data, voice, video and mobility services to around 1,000 sites.

The new contract emphasis will be on leveraging BT’s global innovation and development capabilities with practitioners sharing their knowledge of people, processes and developing technologies. The contract will also continue to help Unilever deliver its new supply chain applications.

The original contract, announced in November 2002 and worth around €1bn was the first comprehensive global telecommunications outsource contract ever undertaken by BT and is one of BT’s largest global deals.

When the original contract was signed it was one of the largest telecommunications outsourcing contract in UK corporate history.