M&S signs store IT support contract

Marks & Spencer (M&S) has signed a seven-year contract for IT support in some 600 M&S stores.

The contract incorporates existing services provided to the High Street retailer by Fujitsu Services, allowing it to work in partnership to identify mechanisms for driving down costs over the medium to long term.

It includes the installation and ongoing service and support of all IT systems in the UK, Ireland and Channel Islands stores.

Damone Quigley, Marks & Spencer head of infrastructure and application services, said Fujitsu was a proven supplier, having worked with for over 30 years.

"Over the course of the last few years, we have modernised 70 per cent of our store portfolio and improving the technology has been a large part of this," he added.

"It is vital that we have a responsive partner who can not only install and support the IT equipment in our stores from multiple vendors, but also identify potential cost savings."

The service provider historically provided mainframe services to the retailer, before providing in-store IT system support some years ago.

At the same time, M&S has been involved in overhauling its in-store computers and point-of-sale software with IBM and partner PCMS through a contract signed last year.

Miya Knights

A 25-year veteran enterprise technology expert, Miya Knights applies her deep understanding of technology gained through her journalism career to both her role as a consultant and as director at Retail Technology Magazine, which she helped shape over the past 17 years. Miya was educated at Oxford University, earning a master’s degree in English.

Her role as a journalist has seen her write for many of the leading technology publishers in the UK such as ITPro, TechWeekEurope, CIO UK, Computer Weekly, and also a number of national newspapers including The Times, Independent, and Financial Times.