Halian has announced that the European Investment Bank has chosen a consortium, entitled Actium-IO, led by international IT services provider Halian partnering with Telindus, Getronics, Arhs Cube and Devoteam.

The EIB has engaged a new service consortium to support the Bank’s digital transformation vision. Following a competitive public tender process, the Actium-IO consortium demonstrated it had the capacity to drive the continuous evolution of EIB’s current IT infrastructure, and to support its growing role both within the European Union and around the world. A dedicated team will focus on delivering best in class “Business as Usual” services as well as helping to shape and implement the Banks future infrastructure requirements.

The EIB is the European Union’s long-term lending institution. Established in 1958 under the Treaty of Rome, it is a “policy-driven bank” whose shareholders are the member states of the EU. The EIB uses its financing operations to bring about European integration and social cohesion. As the largest multilateral borrower and lender by volume, EIB provides financial expertise for sound and sustainable investment projects which contribute to furthering EU policy objectives. Following the financial crisis of 2008, EIB played a major role in mobilising investment channels to rebuild confidence in the European capital markets. Today, it is responding to new global challenges and will oversee a projected EUR 500 billion of supported investments by the end of 2020.

With over 5,000 users needing technology services across a network of local and regional offices, the EIB is resolutely turned towards the future and wants to propose innovative solutions, acting today to prepare for tomorrow.

The consortium of best in class partners will deliver the necessary operational changes to successfully implement the EIB’s IT infrastructure roadmap while delivering quality services. In the coming years, this will also potentially include moving parts of the scope to managed services mode, establishing a software-defined data centre, enabling 24x7 support, and near-shoring certain services.

In the meantime, Halian and its partners will dedicate over 40 IT infrastructure operations staff covering activities in the following domains:

• Server Operating Systems Engineering and Administration Services
• Linux (including Red Hat), Unix, Windows
• Virtualization Engineering and Administration Services
• Storage and Backup Engineering and Administration Services
• Infrastructure Applications Engineering and Administration Services
• Monitoring, Scheduling, Automation and Orchestration Engineering and Administration Services
• Infrastructure Operations Services
• Datacentre Support and Infrastructure Asset Management Services

The initial four-year contract, that may be extended to potentially seven years in duration, will provide EIB with secure and best practice data centre processes, as well as a path to greater operational agility and cost effectiveness.

Razvan Rujoiu, Head of the Infrastructure Services Unit at EIB, commented “At the EIB, innovation, flexibility and efficiency lead the Bank’s agenda. To achieve our strategic goals in the short and long-term, we need reliable, high-achieving and trusted partners. The Actium-IO consortium offering, led by Halian, has provided a solid and coherent answer to our requirements, leveraging the strengths of its members, well-known players on the IT Infrastructure Services market. We trust that together we will continue to innovate and improve our services to the Bank.”

Levon Antonian, CEO of Halian, commented “We have delivered valued results for the Bank over the last 10 years. So we’re delighted that the EIB has decided to continue our strategic relationship through an exceptionally strong consortium of companies. I believe our insights, understanding and reputation as a trusted partner were critical factors in the awarding of the contract. And we’re privileged to work alongside some great companies in the consortium, that will all contribute hugely to taking the Banks infrastructure capabilities to the next level.”