easyJet has outsourced its mission-critical IT infrastructure to underpin its risk management strategy, provide an enhanced customer experience and reduced costs per seat.

98% of easyJet’s business is conducted via its Web site, making it one of Europe’s biggest Internet retailers. During peak periods, the airline books an average of 10 seats per second and generates nearly $4 million an hour.

The five year multi-million dollar contract with SAVVIS will ensure high availability and resilience to its IT operations. SAVVIS will provide easyJet with a fully managed solution that integrates real-time hosting, networking and utility solutions to support easyJet’s Web site, reservations and flight operations systems, as well as its email, financial and paperless management applications.

easyJet will rely on SAVVIS to provide mirrored remote data centres and highly-resilient networks that deliver 24/7 real-time service.

SAVVIS’ managed solution will enable easyJet to adapt its IT resources to meet customer demand during peak booking and promotional periods.

easyJet also has the ability to connect with providers of other travel related services such as insurance companies, hotels and car rentals in real-time to provide the best deal to customers, making the Web site a ‘one-stop-shop’.

easyJet’s Web site, ticket reservation and flight operations systems, and WAN are supported by a highly resilient architecture delivered by SAVVIS as a managed service. easyJet will also benefit from a guaranteed reduction in the price-per-seat for the life of the contract.

The outsourcing of its IT infrastructure is part of the airline’s ongoing strategy to enhance customers’ online experience and to guarantee lower costs per seat. easyJet is taking advantage of a flexible and adaptable cost per seat billing model from SAVVIS to cut IT costs as the number of customers increases.

“Outsourcing our critical IT infrastructure to SAVVIS will enable us to manage the supply and demand of business services more effectively and allow us to focus on our core business; providing our customers with safe, good value, point-to-point air services,” said Andy Caddy, Head of IT Services at easyJet. “Given that our business requires the highest availability, 100% of the time, and that you can’t always predict peaks in demand, we brought in the only company which understood our needs and could guarantee the highest level of resilience and availability. In the future we are looking forward to taking advantage of further developments in utility computing from SAVVIS, which forms part of our long-term strategy to reduce costs, improve efficiency and further manage seasonal peaks in demand.”

“easyJet’s unique and innovative business model has fundamentally changed the way Europeans think about travel,” said Richard Warley, SAVVIS Managing Director of EMEA. “As their business continues to grow and adapt, they need IT systems and operations that are as visionary as their company. easyJet recognizes that SAVVIS can provide them with a superior solution that will support both their current business and future growth.”
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