BP Amoco in $200M Outsourcing Pact
British oil company BP Amoco PLC last week expanded its finance, accounting and information technology outsourcing contract with New York-based Pricewaterhouse Coopers in a 10-year, $200 million deal that includes the company's Canadian operations. Dan Kane, a spokesman for BP Amoco, said he expects the outsourcing arrangement to reduce the company's total costs by as much as 30%.
Auto Web Deals
Automakers Ford Motor Co. in Dearborn, Mich., and General Motors Corp. in Detroit launched major Web alliances last week. Ford announced it will work with Santa Clara, Calif.-based Yahoo Inc. on personalized Web services and voice-activated Web access in its vehicles. GM inked deals with Internet access providers America Online Inc. and NetZero Inc. in Westlake Village, Calif., to offer targeted Web marketing.
Nasdaq Goes Overseas
Nasdaq Stock Market Inc. in New York has formed a joint venture with a software developer in India to create Internet-based trading systems aimed at supporting Nasdaq-Japan and Nasdaq-Europe when those electronic markets go live next year.
The joint company, called IndigoMarkets, will be supported by SSI Technologies Inc. in Chennai, India.
Short Takes
James R. Kinney, longtime CIO at Kraft Foods Inc. in Northfield, Ill., has announced plans to retire in March. Steve Finnerty, Kraft's vice president and chief technology officer since 1998, will succeed Kinney. ... New York-based Barnesandnoble.com LLC CEO Jonathan Bulkeley resigned last week to pursue interests in other Internet companies. ... SAP AG said John Milana resigned as chief financial officer at its U.S. subsidiary. ... Struggling Netherlands-based Baan Co. lost its second top executive in two weeks with the resignation of Chief Financial Officer James Mooney. ... Novell Inc. shipped NetWare 5.1 last week.