HP is taking over the data center operations of German pharma firm Celisio as part of a seven year outsourcing deal.

Celesio AG is a large European pharmaceuticals services providers with operations in 14 countries.

Under the deal 200 staff will transfer from Celesio to HP which includes managing Celesio's data center environment, including storage and server management for approximately 4,500 servers.

"A standardized technology infrastructure is critical since we operate in several European markets and cover the entire spectrum of pharmaceutical distribution," said Christian Holzherr, chief financial officer and management board member responsible for Information Technology at Celesio. "HP will help us achieve more integrated business processes and efficiency improvements company-wide. HP's proven business technology and industry expertise makes it the ideal partner to help us meet our business goals. Celesio is a group that operates in several European markets and thus it is very important that we have a standardised IT-infrastructure in all of the countries we are active in...From 2010 on, in the following years synergy effects of up to 200 million euros will be realised...The outsourcing will lead to a tightening of working processes across the group."

Additionally, HP will manage a full range of network and voice services that connect Celesio's employees with each other, partners, customers and vendors.

HP will standardize and manage Celesio's employee computing environment, which includes global helpdesk, end-user support, incident and problem management, as well as asset and change management for 23,000 workplaces in more than 100 locations.

HP also will implement servers, storage and PCs. "Celesio will improve performance and lower operational costs with this new engagement," said Francesco Serafini, senior vice president and managing director, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, HP. "Our highly qualified services professionals, global reach and deep industry experience enable us to deliver a simplified and flexible technology infrastructure solution that will help Celesio continue to be a pharmaceutical industry leader."