Getronics’ Service Endorsed by Portman for over €½ million

London – October 27, 2004 - Getronics, one of the UK’s leading ICT solutions and services providers, has secured a further three-year contract with the Portman Building Society, to provide branch support and maintenance for desktop PCs, printers and infrastructure at its 800 seats in all 114 Portman branches.

“We have a strong network of branches,” explains Phil McCabe, CIO, Portman Building Society. “We differentiate ourselves on customer service in these branches and the IT that supports it is therefore crucial. We have worked with Getronics for over a number of years and remain impressed with the support and services that the partnership provides.”

A strong cultural fit between the two organisations helped cement the contract, which includes a powerful service level agreement to ensure Portman’s customer service is never interrupted. Getronics hopes its performance with the Portman will help generate opportunities in the future to support the IT infrastructure of The Staffordshire, a trading name of the Portman, which operates in the West Midlands.

Roger Whitehead, managing director, Getronics UK and Ireland comments: “Organisations in the retail banking sector operate in a fiercely competitive market and need to be assured that they can offer their customers the best service possible for every minute that their branches are open. The service level agreement and support we have offered the Portman will continue to enable them to concentrate on their core business without having to worry about issues around their IT.”

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About Getronics UK & Ireland:
Getronics is one of the UK's leading Information and Communication Technology (ICT) companies, specialising in the financial services and telecommunications markets. With over 1,200 highly skilled employees, Getronics UK is one of the largest of the 30 Getronics subsidiaries worldwide. Through consulting, integrating, implementing and managing infrastructure and business solutions, the company helps many of the world's largest global and local organisations to maximise the value of their technology investment and improve interaction with their customers.

For further information about Getronics UK and Ireland, please visit www.getronics.co.uk

About Portman Building Society:
Portman Building Society has been established for over 150 years tracing its roots back to 1846, making it the third oldest building society in the UK. It is the 4th largest UK building society with assets of over £15.1 billion and employs over 2,000 staff. With some 150 (Portman and The Staffordshire) branches based predominantly in the south of England, the Society serves over 1.8 million members. For further information visit your local branch of the Portman or call 0845 60 90 600. Details are also available at www.portman.co.uk

The Staffordshire is a trading name of Portman Building Society. The brand was created as a result of the merger between Portman Building Society and Staffordshire Building Society, which completed on 31 December 2003. The Staffordshire has 39 branches in the West Midlands and its administrative centre is in Wolverhampton.

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