Lufthansa Passenger Airline has awarded air transport telecommunications provider Sita a $US215 million contract to supply a global desktop solution, officials announced yesterday.
In addition, Sita is also providing Lufthansa with a global communications network, based on IP standards, to link its worldwide offices to its central host system in Frankfurt, Germany. This contract is worth $US32 million.
According to officials, the five-year desktop contract will cut the airline's infrastructure costs, standardise its IT services and ensure year 2000 compliance.
In the project, more than 6000 computer workstations will be installed in more than 400 locations throughout the world. Sita's Cute (common use terminal equipment) will form the basis of the operation, which will be managed remotely across Sita's global network.
Lufthansa will link passenger processing services in city centres, train stations, hotels and bus depots to its headquarters and airports using the global network.
According to Ian Henderson, regional marketing manager of Sita Australia, local operations of the telco provider will be involved with the rollout of desktop services to Lufthansa's Australian offices.
Peter Heath, president, North East and Central Europe, Sita, is predicting other members of the six airline grouping, Star-alliance, will also move to outsource desktop and network management to Sita.