British Telecom has teamed up with four construction firms to offer a facilities management package for large private clients.
The service, called Outsmart, will rely on the construction and facilities management experience of Alfred McAlpine's subsidiary Stiell Facilities, Balfour Beatty's subsidiary Haden 好色先生TV Management and an alliance between Turner & Townsend and Interiors Services Group.

BT will supply its expertise in the servicing and maintaining of IT networks, and will provide clients with a single point of contact.

The telecoms company hopes to wins customers in the financial services and retail sectors, as they have large property portfolios and sophisticated information, communication and technology requirements.

The service, which has been set up by Alba Management Consultants, is intending to apply some of the principles of PFI to private sector projects.

Alba says Outsmart will lower costs and improve service to clients because the single-point-of-contact system means that there is no division of responsibility.

The consultant will market the service by trying to persuade clients that it will apply the best parts of the PFI to the corporate marketplace.

Companies will be able to enjoy fruits of PFI that the public sector has enjoyed for some years

Ed Smyth, Alba Management Consultants

Ed Smyth, managing director of Alba, said: "Companies will now be able to enjoy the fruits of the PFI that their public sector counterparts have enjoyed for some years."

Oliver Whitehead, chief executive of Alfred McAlpine, said responsibility Outsmart would offer an integrated FM service, so that clients with a wide range of needs and branches around the country could get all their services in one place.

He said: "Outsmart will simplify the procurement process, give companies the benefits of closer collaboration and provide a single point of contact for infrastructure issues."

Alba has recently overseen the creation of a joint venture between Abbey National and Stiell Facilities.