TIETO CORPORATION PRESS RELEASE 8 January 2014 13:00 CET

Following fierce competition, Tieto won the contract to provide IT support to the Swedish state-owned Almi Group. The total solution includes everything from operations, support and client workstations to all hardware. The agreement covers all of Almi's more than 40 offices throughout Sweden for a five-year term with the option for a one-year extension.

The solution includes the Tieto Cloud Server service platform, which offers good scalability. Almi will only pay for the capacity used, at the same time that capacity can be adjusted to seasonal changes and changing needs for server capacity.

Almi Företagspartner helps small and medium-sized enterprises with financing and business development. Almi has outsourced IT since 2008, and Tieto took over the contract from another provider. The public procurement stressed the ability to collaborate and demanded extremely high quality of service.

"We particularly looked at the provider's ability to work with us to continue improving Almi. Tieto came with what was clearly the strongest card: a credible and functional collaborative model, without a lot of fluff," says Magnus Carlqvist, head of IT at Almi.

From an international perspective, government authorities and companies lag behind with respect to outsourcing.

"Our experience is that much can be gained from an analysis to identify core activities as well as what can be sourced in a business. The deal with Almi is in line with Tieto's strategy and we are very pleased that Almi has entrusted us with further developing and improving its outsourcing model," says Madeleine Rittner Chami, Head of Government Sector Tieto.

For Almi, outsourcing is more than just price and technology. "We don't want a provider that just nods in agreement; we want one that suggests quality solutions and is proactive", explains Magnus Carlqvist. Tieto has both extensive experience of outsourcing for various government authorities and thorough knowledge of IT in the banking and financial sector. This background is a good fit for Almi, which works with lending and innovation, both of which require security and confidentiality.

For more information, please contact:

Madeleine Rittner Chami, VP, Head of Government Sector Tieto Sweden, tel. +46 703 56 22 03, madeleine.rittner.chami[a]tieto.com

Mats Brandt, Vice President, Industry Public Tieto Sweden, tel. +46 70 530 33 25, mats.brandt[a]tieto.com

Magnus Carlqvist, IT-chef, Almi Företagspartner AB, tel. +46 70 959 89 22, magnus.carlqvist[a]almi.se

Roland Falkdalen, Head of Procurement, Almi Företagspartner AB, tel. +46 70 590 83 37, roland.falkdalen[a]almi.se

Tieto is the largest Nordic IT services company providing full life-cycle services for both the private and public sectors and product development services in the field of communications and embedded technologies. The company has global presence through its product development business and global delivery centres. Tieto is committed to developing enterprises and society through IT by realizing new opportunities in customers' business transformation. At Tieto, we believe in professional development and results.

Founded 1968, headquartered in Helsinki, Finland and with approximately 15 000 experts, the company operates in over 20 countries with net sales of approximately EUR 1.8 billion. Tieto's shares are listed on NASDAQ OMX in Helsinki and Stockholm. Please visit www.tieto.com for more information.  

Almi's vision is to create opportunities for all viable ideas and companies to be developed. With our advisory service, loans, venture capital and incubation, we have customers in all commercial phases, from ideas to successful companies.This includes ideas with potential for growth in the early stages as well as existing companies that are investing in growth and expansion. Almi is owned by the government and regional public owners, and is near to its customers in 40 locations around the country. Almi is organised into four business areas: Advisory service, Loans, Venture capital and Incubation.

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