Press Articles & Comment

Kemp Little dials up extra T-Mobile coverage with Ericsson outsourcing

tHE lAWYER, january 2008

By Ben Moshinsky

Technology boutique Kemp Little has helped to improve mobile phone coverage for people on the T-Mobile network, advising the company on an outsourcing agreement with Ericsson.

Kemp Little commercial technology partner Paul O'Hare worked on the five-year deal with T-Mobile senior counsel Reg Dhanjal. The contract involves the outsourcing of T-Mobile's network operations and repairs, and will see around 200 T-Mobile maintenance staff transferred to Ericsson as part of the deal. The company hopes that this will improve service to customers.

O'Hare said: "As part of the deal Ericsson will implement a network modernisation programme. It will swap existing components to enhance reliability and improve the network coverage overall."

He added: "For me the significance of the deal is that it involves the outsourcing of business-central elements. It goes right to the heart of T-Mobile's business."

T-Mobile is a long-standing client of Kemp Little, having used the firm since it was launched by Richard Kemp 10 years ago.

Dhanjal said: "We were very pleased to have Kemp Little alongside us on this agreement.This is an important step in the evolution of our network strategy."

Kemp Little partner David Williams advised T-Mobile on employment matters, while Ericsson completed the deal with an in-house team led by UK and Ireland general counsel William Johnson.

O'Hare said that to cut costs more IT suppliers are doing in-house deals rather than retaining a law firm.

"They are bulking up on their legal teams and fewer companies go to external firms," he added.