EDS puts GCat gripes among Tplc?s pigeons

Partnership hits stormy waters as EDS responds to alleged complaints about the reseller?s management of supply contract

Tplc?s multimillion pound contract to supply EDS logistics for the government supplies catalogue (GCat) is on the brink of collapse after the reseller was given one month?s notice.

The three-year contract was awarded in April 1996 after the EDS/Tplc partnership triumphed in a four-way bid, beating IBM, Bull and CSC and Computacenter to provide logistics. While the exact value of the contract is unclear, an EDS representative at the time claimed it was worth at least #200 million annually. But other sources have estimated that the figure was closer to #400 million.

However, it has emerged that last week EDS sent a letter to Tplc, giving the company a month in which to rectify problems with the implementation of the EDS infrastructure.

Marian Freeman, EDS UK press and PR manager, confirmed that there was an issue with Tplc. ?EDS has had a number of complaints over the past six months. We are reviewing those complaints with Tplc and are putting some procedures in place to ensure that the work gets done. We?ve been very specific about what we want changed, and we fully expect Tplc to comply,? she said.

One source claimed that EDS had written to between 300 and 400 suppliers on the GCat catalogue, advising them of the situation. ?My understanding is that Tplc has made a series of administrative cock-ups in its handling of the contract, which has been slow and error prone,? the source claimed.

It is understood that Computacenter, which lost out to Tplc last year, has been in talks with EDS to win the contract. Mike Norris, CEO of Computacenter, said: ?Clearly we tendered for the GCat business when it was awarded. It would be silly to say we are not interested. But it?s between Tplc, EDS and CCTA.?

Neil Easdon, general manager at Tplc, said: ?If we did have an issue with EDS, we certainly couldn?t comment on it.?