DLA Piper has represented publicly-owned utility Scottish Water on the re-procurement of its core IT and telecoms infrastructure. The deal sees the formation of a strategic Digital Technology Partnership, with contracts with an estimated total value of between £200 million and £300 million awarded to Atos and Capgemini.

The five-year Digital Technology Partnership comes after a highly competitive tendering and procurement process and culminates in both bilateral IT services agreements and a three-way collaboration agreement between Scottish Water and both strategic partners. Atos and Capgemini will deliver a range of IT services, including customer-focused IT services and core IT infrastructure and applications. The operational services from the new Digital Technology Partnership will commence in autumn 2018.

The DLA Piper team, which worked with Scottish Water over a two-year period, was led by UK Head of Intellectual Property and Technology, John McKinlay, working with IPT senior associates John McGonagle and Linzi Penman, IPT associate Chris Rennie, Employment partner Kate Hodgkiss and Employment senior associates Kate Morley and Euan Bruce.

John McKinlay said: "This is an extremely significant strategic partnership which will ensure effective and efficient provision of water supply services in Scotland. It was a complex project on which to be involved and we thank all those involved for their collaboration and cooperation. This partnership will enable Scottish Water to achieve its vision for the future through the implementation of next generation digital solutions."

Rob Mustard, Scottish Water’s Digital Director, said: "We want our networks and systems to be as reliable, resilient and as secure in a world where digital technology has become the cornerstone of everyday life for billions of people. Our new partnership will improve not only how we use technology to produce and deliver water but also enhance our customer insight to ensure what we do is as effective as possible and that communities continue to get the best possible service. The support provided by DLA Piper was a critical part in the success of our procurement journey."