Siemens to take over BBC IT unit

FRANKFURT: German engineering conglomerate Siemens has won an outsourcing contract from the BBC worth 2.7 billion euros ($3.3 billion), under which it will acquire the broadcaster's IT unit, the companies said.

The BBC said in a statement the two-part deal covering both a 10-year contract and the acquisition of BBC Technology was the first of its kind in the media industry.

Siemens Business Services said it would take on some 1,400 employees of BBC Technology as part of the deal.