EUROCONTROL awards 43 million euro contract to consortium led by Bull

Contract calls for transition in sourcing strategy – Bull to set up Program Management Office

Brussels, Paris – May 17^th 2011 -- EUROCONTROL, the European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation, has awarded a multi-year contract for the development and testing of business critical applications to a consortium led by Bull. Besides the development and testing, Bull will be leading a strategic transformation office helping EUROCONTROL transition its sourcing strategy. The total contract value is 43 million euro spread over the next five years, with a possible prolongation of another two years.

The EUROCONTROL system Bull will be in charge of is operating all the aircraft traffic around Europe, defining and optimizing the aircraft routes, controlling aircraft flight plans and insuring air security all over the European sky. It is therefore a very important system, related to the huge number of data and highest level of security requested.

It will provide EUROCONTROL with access to the latest service-oriented technology and to the industry’s business maturity model and best practice. This new partnership will support EUROCONTROL’s efforts in moving towards a more cost-efficient sourcing policy by pulling together the expertise and resources needed to develop, run and operate the applications required for its Central Flow Unit part of the “Network Manager” functions.

“The contract was awarded to the 2GETHER Consortium after a EUROCONTROL open call for tender,” says Jacques Dopagne, EUROCONTROL Director Network Management. “The 2GETHER Consortium had the most convincing overall offer covering the key requirement of the EUROCONTROL Network Manager function. Our collaboration will be instrumental in supporting the delivery of a reliable, secure and collaborative data-centric network supporting all the actors of Air Traffic Management in Europe”

“This collaboration is a prime example of a Public/Private Partnership,” says Saskia Van Uffelen, CEO of Bull Belux and responsible for European Institutions for Bull Group. “This contract will clearly demonstrate how Europe is advancing in bringing private companies and public institutions together in a working relationship. “

“Given the critical level of Eurocontrol activities, Bull, as one of the European leader in building and securing digital mission critical systems, has the expertise to help EUROCONTROL transition to a more efficient way of sourcing,” says Philippe Vannier, Chairman and CEO of Bull. “We see this contract as a recognition of our capabilities in managing mission-critical systems. This contract is a new opportunity to demonstrate our expertise in industrializing development activities and ensuring business continuity.”

"Bull's strategy is to address solutions and services related to critical systems, ie systems which are at the heart of the vital needs of our customers, for which massive data flows and storage, computing power, and security are essential”, says Pierre-Yves Chaltiel, Executive VP International and Business Development in charge of development and international of Bull Group.

“Thanks to our business expertise and our technical competencies, Bull has answered to the specific needs of Eurocontrol” explains Thierry Siouffi, Executive VP Business Integration Services “Air Traffic Control information systems, are of course one of the major critical system needed today and in the future, for transport. This contract demonstrates the capacity of our Group to grow our position in the defense and aeronautical fields”.

Under the contract that was awarded to Bull representing the consortium, Bull will through a software factory management approach, gradually move away from the time and means based model to a fixed price model with a Services catalog. The scope of the contract includes application development based on Statements of Work, application development sourcing services, staff augmentation and optional support services.

For this contract, Bull and Tata Consultancy Services have joined their capabilities and have formed the 2GETHER Consortium. Bull acts as the consortium leader and will manage the program. The consortium will take over 70 people from different service providers, with the possible extension to other departments. Besides, Bull is also recruiting a large number of Java, C++, ADA and other profiles. Through this program, BULL will be prime contractor, gathering the tasks which were spread among 15 different subcontractors to EUROCONTROL, giving a global service to EUROCONTROL Central Flow Unit (CFMU) , with a guarantee of performance and continuity of service, and reducing the overall cost of support and evolution of all related software applications.

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