Kesko and Elisa to intensify cooperation in telecommunications and ICT services

KESKO CORPORATION PRESS RELEASE 05.09.2012 AT 13.00 1(1)

Kesko will concentrate its telecommunications and ICT services in Finland, Sweden, Norway, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Russia to one service operator. The three-year agreement covers data communications, mobile, voice and switching services as well as video conference solutions for Kesko offices.

Intensified cooperation enables Kesko to improve business efficiency significantly, with the aim at an increasingly higher level of service. Improving the accessibility of employees, the reliability of operations and reducing time on business travel are in a key position here.

"The most important factors when choosing a business partner included the quality and cost-efficiency of the services provided by Elisa as well as their innovation in building new services, which made it possible for us to concentrate the services and their development to one partner," says Arto Hiltunen, Vice President, CIO, Kesko's Corporate IT.

"The first agreement as extensive and long-standing as this with Kesko enables us to intensify and expand cooperation into many different sectors and is very significant for us. Our strengths include creating value for Kesko in several areas by providing, besides telecommunications and ICT services, also IT and video conference solutions under one roof," says Reijo Lähde, Vice President, Corporate Sales at Elisa.

Further information:
Kesko, Benjamin von Nandelstadh, IT Manager, tel. +358 10 532 0016, benjamin.von.nandelstadh@kesko.fi
Elisa, Antti Karjalainen, Key Account Manager, tel. +358 10 267 1414, antti.karjalainen@elisa.fi

Kesko is a highly valued listed trading sector company. It manages retail store chains that are valued by customers and efficiently produces services for retail store chains' purchasing, logistics, network development and data management. Kesko's operations include the food, home and speciality goods, building and home improvement, and car and machine trades. Its division parent companies and chains act in close cooperation with retailer entrepreneurs and other partners. Kesko has about 2,000 stores engaged in chain operations in Finland, Sweden, Norway, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Russia and Belarus. Kesko and K-retailers form the K-Group, whose retail sales totalled €12 billion (VAT 0%) in 2011. The K-Group employs around 45,000 people. www.kesko.fi

Elisa is a telecommunications and ICT service company. Our online and ICT services provide Finns with experiences, and businesses with productivity. We serve approximately 2.2 million consumers, companies and public administration organisations. As the market leader in mobile subscriptions, we offer the most comprehensive and fast 3G network and 4G speeds in Finland. In 2011, our revenue was €1.53 billion and we employed 3,750 people. We offer international services in partnership with Vodafone and Telenor. For more details, go to www.elisa.com.