22 April 2021

BT has secured a new multi-year contract with Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) to continue as its network partner in the UK and Republic of Ireland.

Under the terms of the contract, BT will transform WBA’s networking and deploy next-generation technology to improve the experience for employees and customers.

BT’s network will provide faster, more responsive access to applications and data and simplify the roll out of new customer service innovations as part of WBA’s digital transformation. 

Joris van Oers, managing director, resources, manufacturing and logistics & Europe, BT, said: “Connectivity is central in the new digital environment WBA is creating for its customers. Our managed network will provide secure and reliable access to applications and data in the cloud and support innovation by providing agility to deploy new services faster.” 

Furthermore, the new, managed service will support the shift of business applications and data in the UK and Ireland to the cloud to improve the reliability and performance of connectivity in the company’s stores, warehouses, distribution centres and support offices.

The solution includes the transformation of voice services across Boots stores, cyber security to protect customers, colleagues and devices and extending mobile connectivity — with plans to include 5G — for service resilience and to expand capacity to support peaks in demand. 

“We chose BT because we share a focus on delivering standout customer experiences,” Steve Rempel, senior vice president and international chief information officer, WBA. “Our digital plans demand full visibility, control and security of applications and data crossing our network so we can join up in-store and online experiences for customers and colleagues alike.” n