BBC outsources finance and accounting technology to IBM

IBM will take over the BBC’s accounting and payroll services from SopraSteria.

IBM will deliver a range of accounting technology such as application management, transaction processing, financial management, payroll and customer support.

Over the five years of the contract  – which starts in November 2016 – IBM aims to transform the BBC’s accounting services by introducing mobile and cloud technologies, allowing remote working and using robotics to drive accuracy and efficiency.

BBC’s director of finance, Ian Haythornthwaite, said he hoped the contract would give the broadcaster several advantages “in simplicity and innovation as well as making a significant contribution to our savings targets”.

“I am confident that IBM will help us further transform our finance and business processes,” he said.

IBM was chosen from a shortlist of four companies which were evaluated on a range of criteria including value for money, cultural alignment and the ability to drive improvements.

The move is part of a series of technology changes at the broadcaster. In March 2016, the BBC published a prior information notice, looking for a single supplier to provide enterprise ICT and hosting services worth up to £560m, as its longstanding IT outsourcing deal with Atos ends in 2017.

The BBC is moving away from its single supplier deal, moving to a “tower model” where similar IT functions are grouped together into smaller deals. As part of the move, it also awarded a £100m, seven-year deal to BT to supply a broadcast network in January 2016.