IT services company Gen-i, which chose not to re-bid for a contract worth A$1.3 billion over 10 years with Commonwealth Bank of Australia in July, remains willing to work for the bank, CEO Chris Quin says.
Quin says Gen-i, which has been a provider to CBA for eight years, put a bid on the table shortly before the bank went to tender. It then decided not to participate in the broader tender process.
A Gen-i spokesperson later confirmed the company would be prepared to update that bid and represent it at the end of the tender process.
“We’re still doing an enormous amount of work for CBA,” Quin says. This includes putting unified communications into new buildings for the bank.
“We’re keen to have a role in future. Not bidding does not mean we are not willing to supply services,” he says, adding that some contracts with the bank run through to 2013.
Quin says a decision on the tender is expected soon. The major telecommunications services contract expires in February.
In July, Telecom announced Gen-i would not participate in CBA’s tender for the provision of telecommunications services across Australia. It added the decision did not affect its financial guidance.
“Our strategy for growth in Australia means an investment in our people and capabilities, with a focus on building our core competencies,” Quin, said at the time in a statement.
“The nature of CBA’s network means it is difficult to leverage this capability for other clients in the mid-market, where we focus on building our scale and capabilities for repeatable solutions.”
Quin says Gen-i is growing every year. The emphasis now is on profitability and quality of delivery, he says. ITIL has been introduced and is being extended across Gen-i’s processes. “You can’t make money doing a bad job for customers,” he says. “You will be held to account.”