BSkyB Gears for Growth with Completion of TV Airtime Sales Project by Cap Gemini Ernst & Young
New Software Conversion Technology Saves Two Years of Development Time and £12 Million of Budget
3 February 2003
BSkyB is ready for long-term growth in commercial television following the completion by Telecom Media Networks*, an industry practice of the Cap Gemini Ernst & Young Group of an £8 million IT project to revitalise and update its core airtime sales system which manages the advertising revenues from more than 100 TV channels. The project was completed on time and within budget.
The new system is fully scalable and therefore capable of handling potential expansion in the number of channels available to advertisers. It also gives significant improvements in speed, ease of use and performance. Cap Gemini Ernst & Young completed the project in less than a year following a short proof-of-concept pilot exercise.
Simon Post, IT Director at BSkyB, said: ‘Conventional wisdom decrees that it takes three years and £20 million to develop a new airtime sales system, so by adopting the Cap Gemini Ernst & Young proposals we have saved two years of development time and £12 million of budget.’
Cap Gemini Ernst & Young deployed advanced automated software conversion techniques to update the existing airtime sales system, which was implemented back in the early-1990s and which lacked flexibility and scalability. The entire multi-module system has been converted from an earlier-generation programming language and database system to modern Oracle client server technology, utilising new code evolution software. Third party vendors identified and deployed by Cap Gemini Ernst & Young on the BSkyB project included Oracle and Execom.
Dan Beckett, Senior Project Manager at BSkyB, said: ‘Throughout the project the Cap Gemini Ernst & Young team demonstrated a thorough, professional and extremely competent approach to managing the project. They fostered a strong and effective partnership with BSkyB which without doubt contributed to making the project the great success it has been.’
The project has been rated by BSkyB as one of the most successful projects it has undertaken, with performance of the newly converted software attaining the required levels from day one of the go-live.
Ian McWilliams, head of Business Development for Telecom Media Networks in the UK and Ireland, said: ‘We were able to deploy our global capabilities, with expertise from as far away as Australia, in order to offer BSkyB a highly cost-effective solution. We have enabled BSkyB to squeeze maximum return from their investment in IT systems, and this is clearly a vital benefit in today’s fiercely competitive media markets.’
Cap Gemini Ernst & Young says that many other organisations, including those in manufacturing industry, financial services and the public sector, could save £millions by using its new automated software conversion techniques instead of replacing existing systems wholesale with totally new ones.
‘Many companies squander time and money on new systems when they would do better to revitalise their heritage IT’, added Ian McWilliams.
*The legal entity which has been assigned for the project is Cap Gemini Telecom Media & Networks UK Limited
About the Group Cap Gemini Ernst & Young:
The Cap Gemini Ernst & Young Group is one of the largest management and IT consulting organisations in the world. The company offers management and IT consulting services, systems integration, and technology development, design and outsourcing capabilities on a global scale to help businesses continue to implement growth strategies and leverage technology. The organisation employs around 55,000 people worldwide and reported 2001 global revenues of more than 8.4 billion euros.
More information about individual service lines, offices and research is available at www.cgey.com
About Telecom Media Networks:Telecom Media Networks, an industry practice of the Cap Gemini Ernst & Young Group, focuses on the consulting needs of communications service providers worldwide.
It offers a balanced mix of business consulting and technology implementation that enables communications service providers-both traditional businesses and dotcoms-to thrive in the network economy. Combining expert industry knowledge, strong partnerships, an excellent set of tested solutions and R&D capability, Telecom Media Networks is in the top tier of global consulting and systems integration firms for the communications industry.
For further information, please contact:
Emma Giles, Media Relations Manager
Tel: 0870 904 5814
Email: emma.giles@cgey.com
