To remain competitive, the Fiat Group needed to enhance its IT and communications services to operate faster and with greater flexibility. So, in late 2005, the group signed a  450 million five-year outsourcing deal with BT to provide the motor manufacturer with its global telecommunications services. The outsourcing contract with Fiat kicked off in February 2006 and will reach its conclusion on 31 December 2010.

Now at the halfway stage of the contract, the Fiat Group invited global media to its Mirafiori Motor Village in Turin, Italy, in late September. BT currently manages Fiat`s telecoms infrastructure requirements across more than 40 countries, providing Fiat with dedicated, networked IT services. "Our manufacturing processes are closely aligned with data transmission, which means we cannot afford to have manufacturing breakdowns because of telecommunications flaws," says Gilberto Ceresa, Fiat Group CIO.