Barclays Bank has shelved plans for an estimated £100 million-a-year IT outsourcing deal with IBM.
The deal for the bank's infrastructure support, codenamed 'Project Tapestry', would initially have involved the transfer of approximately 1000 staff from its 'Enable' IT division to IBM, according to a union newsletter obtained by computer trade publisher VNU.
"The possible outsourcing to IBM has been shelved - if not indefinitely, then at least until 2004," the document states.
A Barclays Bank spokesperson says the plans were revisited after the internal IT team outperformed expectations in 2002.
Barclays Bank is not averse to outsourcing, having struck major deals with Getronics, Xansa, and Liberata in recent years.
A deal with EDS for desktop services that would entail the transfer of approximately 100 IT staff is believed to be still on the table.