Digital services provider Atos has won a 13-year contract to provide customer contact and support services for Aegon's protection business, taking over from Serco.
The transaction was a "transfer of undertakings (protection of employment)", or TUPE, meaning the same personnel will remain in place.
In a statement released on Monday (10 October) a spokesman for Aegon said: "Following a competitive process, Atos have been selected to partner Aegon in providing customer contact and support services for its protection business in Lytham.
"Aegon are committed to increasing the number of families and businesses with protection cover in the UK and as a very successful BPO (business process outsourcing) supplier, Atos will help us achieve this."
A spokesperson for Aegon said the shift had been seamless and would have no impact on Aegon's protection clients.
Atos is in charge of multiple IT contracts for the UK government.
It handles outsourced IT at the Department for Work and Pensions, the Ministry of Justice, the Home Office, HM Treasury, the Department of Health, the Ministry of Defence, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency.
Adrian Gregory, chief executive of Atos UK and Ireland, said he was "delighted" to be working with Aegon and looked forward "to bringing together our mix of people and digital technologies to modernise the end-to-end customer experience for our new client."
The deal will see Atos managing "all aspects of the customer journey" from initial underwriting through to claims management for its individual protection products, life assurance, critical illness, disability and income protection.
Stephen Crosbie, protection director at Aegon, said: “I’m really excited to have Atos on board as we plan a digital transformation programme to improve our competitive edge.
"There’s a real buzz being created about the innovations we’ll be introducing to enhance our customer service.”
The deal follows Aegon's purchase of platform provider Cofunds in August for £140m.
It also followed the life company's decision to exit the annuity market, selling its entire annuity book to Legal & General and Rothesay Life earlier this year.
james.fernyhough@ft.com
