Rentokil Initial adopts Google Apps in a landmark deal

12 Oct 2009

• Largest deployment of Google Apps™ Premier Edition to replace multiple email systems with a standard global email solution
• Additional capabilities and features such as powerful calendar, integrated chat, automatic email translation service, and greater use of video communications
• Global roll out to up to 35,000 colleagues by end of 2010
• Significant reduction in IT spend

Rentokil Initial plc, the global support services company, today announces a landmark agreement with Google to deploy Google Apps™ Premier Edition across its international workforce in over 50 countries. The new platform will provide a single web-based communication and collaboration suite to replace the Group’s existing 180 email domains and 40 mail systems across its six operating divisions. The move is part of the company’s five year turnaround plan to enhance capability and introduce operational excellence.

As well as providing email access to the 20,000 regular PC users across Rentokil Initial, the company plans to extend access to a further 15,000 ‘on the road’ service colleagues, who do not currently have a company email address. The agreement will provide all colleagues with access to their company email account from any internet connected device. The mobile workforce is likely to use their PDA devices, home computers or shared PC within the local branch.

The deployment of Google Apps will also see a number of other benefits for Rentokil Initial employees including:

• Google integrated chat and video features to support training & improve productivity
• Powerful personal and shared calendars
• Consolidation and standardisation of a single mail system and address book
• Improved collaboration within and between divisions and functions
• Automatic email translation and real-time translation in Google Talk

Bryan Kinsella, Chief Information Officer of Rentokil Initial, explains, “By deploying Google Apps™, we can overcome a wide range of technical and communication issues, and enhance our ability to deliver operational excellence throughout the organisation. Importantly, the frustrations of not having access to a single company-wide email address database will disappear and the translation difficulties faced by those colleagues wanting to collaborate with others around the world will be lessened.

“Through easing the burden on the IT department, facilitating knowledge sharing and collaboration, we are confident that our use of Google Apps will be of huge benefit to our colleagues, customers and other stakeholders.

“This is an important milestone in the implementation of our groupware strategy at Rentokil Initial in addition to the other key projects we are undertaking to upgrade our key business applications, infrastructure and global networks.”

Adrian Joseph, Managing Director, Google Enterprises EMEA, said, "The international scope of Rentokil Initial's business, with operations in so many different locations, presents a need for a homogeneous environment which unifies workforce, encourages collaboration and allows for a high level of flexibility and mobility. We are thrilled that Rentokil Initial is adopting Google Apps and, as we continue to innovate and regularly introduce new features, we believe they will continue to discover additional benefits of moving to this new way of working."

The decision to implement Google Apps globally across Rentokil Initial’s divisions was taken after a successful 100-day pilot at Rentokil Initial’s Ambius division involving 800 users in global locations, which demonstrated the system’s suitability for the Group as a whole.