Outsourcing deal will impact IT roles, TAL confirms

TAL partnered with the Indian outsourcing giant late last year to provide tech support and infrastructure operations services, including the creation of a new hybrid cloud platform, the company said.

Speaking to CIO Australia, TAL said it was unable to confirm the number of IT staff the partnership would affect.

"The partnership has impacted a number of roles across our IT team. We are still in a transition period and are looking to redeploy people in impacted roles wherever possible so exact numbers of people impacted can’t be confirmed at this time," a TAL spokesperson said.

"However, we can confirm that TAL will continue to have an in-house IT team of approximately 300 people, led by our CIO, David Gillespie."

The Tech Mahindra (formerly Mahindra Satyam) partnership will provide TAL with greater scalability and flexibility, the spokesperson said, "giving us capability uplift and access to specific skill sets when required".

Access to latest technology, greater automation and 24-hour technology service desk support were also among the expected benefits.

The cloud platform would enable faster time to market and greater integration opportunities with TAL's group superannuation and alliance partners, the spokesperson added.

"This partnership will enable us to deliver the increased service quality our customers and partners expect as well as drive more effective and efficient business outcomes," they said.

TAL has around 1,600 staff and more than 3.7 million customers in Australia. CIO Gillespie joined the company in 2013 from London-based global asset management company Fidelity Worldwide Investment.

Tech Mahindra has previously partnered with a number of big Australian brands including Telstra, Suncorp, Vodafone Hutchinson Australia, National Australia Bank and Optus.