TietoEnator, OP-Pohjola Group Central Cooperative (OPK) and Ilmarinen Mutual Pension Insurance Company have concluded an agreement on the delivery of ICT operations management services for the OP Pohjola Group and Ilmarinen for the next seven years starting 1 June 2008. The services are to be produced by the joint enterprise FD Finanssidata, of which TietoEnator owns 60%, OPK 36% and Ilmarinen 4%. TietoEnator used to own 30% and OPK 70% of the business.

The joint venture will start its operations at 1 June 2008. FD Finanssidata’s present employees will be the main part of the staff. Mika Vihervuori from TietoEnator Processing & Network has been appointed as CEO of FD Finanssidata .

The ICT operations management of the banks in OP Pohjola Group services are already handled by FD Finanssidata but by the end of 2008 it will also be responsible for the ICT operations of Pohjola’s insurance business and those of Ilmarinen. The joint venture will produce all centralised ICT operations management services, such as data centre, mainframe and server management services in accordance with TietoEnator standards and working closely with TietoEnator itself. Combining these services to make an efficient and comprehensive whole is a process that will last up until 2010.

“As we prepared the agreement, we had three main targets: improving quality of the service and cost efficiency as well as ensuring the expertise. First of all we want to secure the usability and quality of our services keeping up the excellent level”, says Heikki Vitie, Senior Executive Vice President at OP-Pohjola Group Central Cooperative.

“TietoEnator offers us an effective model of collaboration which combines its skills and expertise with those of its technology partners. With this arrangement we can benefit from high production volumes and the cost efficiency. Unified standardised services and service processes will secure the efficiency of the operations as well as the further development of the service quality.” 

“OP Pohjola Group and llmarinen will gain from the fact that TietoEnator has a wide knowledge of the banking sector’s IT needs and business support based on sound customer expertise. We are proud of the confidence that OPK and Ilmarinen have shown in us and we believe we can take our collaboration even further,” says Ari Karppinen, Executive Vice President and President of Processing & Network.