Insurance group Aviva has signed an extension of a contract with supplier Cable & Wireless for the provision of communications.

The six-year deal, worth up to £300m, aims to improve the group’s communication with its customers and generate “significant cost savings” without reducing its networking facilities.

Under the new contract, Cable & Wireless will cover 72 separate services including IP telephony and contact centre services, data, local and wide area networks, as well as managed BlackBerry services and advanced speech recognition technology across Aviva sites in the UK.

“It is important to our market success that we are able to respond to business and customer needs promptly and reliably," said Norwich Union Insurance chief executive Igal Mayer.

“This contract represents a significant commitment on both sides to ensure cost-effective service against the backdrop of a highly competitive marketplace. "

Currently, Cable & Wireless manages Aviva’s communications infrastructure and support across the business network, including its UK operations and some 6,000 call centre seats in India.

Aviva is dropping brand names including Norwich Union, in a move to consolidate its business under a single Aviva name.