News / Business
O2 pursues managed-services work in the UK
O2 said in 2006 that preferred supplier status with the UK government procurement agency OGCbuying.solutions would let it bid for public-sector managed-services work.
Selling beyond the SIM
The operator said it was the only network provider in that position alongside more traditional IT companies. Business-sales chief Ben Dowd described conversations with both procurement heads and IT managers, arguing that O2 needed to think more like an IT company than a network operator.
O2 also discussed relationships with Accenture, LogicaCMG and distributor Westcoast. It cited a 9,000-SIM AA contract for fleet voice and data connectivity, including a handover to GSM if GPRS failed. These were contemporary examples of a corporate-sales strategy, not evidence of later procurement status, rankings or contract terms.