7.11.2014

S Group – IT Outsourcing Agreements with Tieto, CGI Finland and Fujitsu Finland

Related services

We advised SOK, the central firm of the Finnish retail cooperative S Group, when it put out to tender the provision of IT infrastructure services for the entire S Group. Our assignment also involved the transition to a more flexible operating model with multiple service providers. SOK’s new contract partners are Tieto Finland Oy and CGI Finland Ltd, which provide capacity and data center services, and Fujitsu Finland Oy, which provides end user services. They are taking over services previously provided by Capgemini Finland Oy. The new outsourcing agreements are among the most extensive IT outsourcing arrangements carried out in Finland in 2014.

Our firm assisted SOK from the request for proposals to the execution of the agreements. We drafted the terms and conditions of purchase that formed part of the request, rated the proposals based on comments to the terms and negotiated and prepared the agreements with the selected IT suppliers.

The S Group is a Finnish network of companies in the retail and services trades. It consists of the central firm SOK (Suomen Osuuskauppojen Keskuskunta) with its subsidiaries, 20 regional cooperatives and eight local cooperatives. The co-op members own the cooperatives, which in turn own SOK. The S Group provides services in the trades of grocery and consumer goods, service station stores and fuel, tourism and hospitality, automobile and auto accessories as well as in the agricultural trade. In addition, the group offers banking services through its S-Bank subsidiary.

Latest references

LähiTapiola and OP Henkivakuutus – Successful representation of insurance companies in Supreme Administrative Court health data processing cases

We successfully represented insurance companies LähiTapiola and OP Henkivakuutus in two cases concerning an important point of principle: the right of insurance companies to process health data as part of the insurance application process. The Supreme Administrative Court handed down twin decisions ( one published as precedent ) addressing the matter in light of contrary DPA decisions. Under the Finnish Data Protection Act, insurance companies may, to simplify, process health data concerning “insured persons” (vakuutettu, försäkrad) to determine liability under the insurance. This rule constitutes an exception to Article 9 GDPR. At issue was whether the term “insured person” also covers people in the process of obtaining insurance coverage or only people who are already covered. In more practical terms: can an insurance company rely on the rule when considering whether/how to grant the insurance in the first place? The SAC answered in the affirmative and thus upheld the traditional industry approach over the DPA’s contrary view. The SAC noted that the Data Protection Act did not define the term “insured person” and thus looked at insurance legislation for guidance. As argued by the insurance companies, that legislation also uses the term in the context of describing the insured person’s pre-contractual informational obligations. Thus, and in view of the underlying purpose of the rule at issue, the SAC found that an “insured person” could be someone in the process of obtaining coverage, not just a person already covered. The outcome clarifies the scope of the local rule at the insurance application stage for the Finnish insurance industry.

SuperOffice – Acquisition of Lyyti

We acted as Finnish counsel to SuperOffice AS, backed by Axcel, in its acquisition of Lyyti Oy from Finnish private equity firm Vaaka Partners and other sellers. Lyyti is a leading event management software company for physical, digital and hybrid events with a strong customer base in Finland, Sweden and France. SuperOffice is a leading provider of customer relationship management (CRM) software for small and medium-sized businesses across Northern Europe. Axcel is a Nordic private equity firm with a focus on technology, business services and industrials, healthcare, and consumer sectors.

Lantmännen – Acquisition of Leipurin from Aspo

We advised Lantmännen ek för in its contemplated acquisition of Leipurin from Aspo Plc. Lantmännen is an agricultural cooperative and Northern Europe’s leader in agriculture, machinery, bioenergy and food products. Lantmännen is owned by 17,000 Swedish farmers and has 12,000 employees in over 20 countries. Leipurin is a leading Nordic supplier of bakery ingredients, equipment, and expert services to professional bakeries, confectioneries, and food manufacturers. The company operates across Finland, Sweden, and the Baltic countries with subsidiaries located in the aforementioned countries, providing comprehensive solutions to the baking industry. The closing of the transaction remains subject to regulatory approvals.

Oomi – Expansion into mobile telecommunications

We assisted Oomi Oy in its expansion into the mobile telecommunications market with the launch of Oomi Mobiili, a new MVNO brand. Our work covered the preceding due diligence process as well as structuring and negotiating key partner agreements, laying a solid foundation for Oomi’s entry into the new market. Oomi Mobiili will operate as a virtual mobile network operator, offering customers the option to purchase a mobile subscription together with their electricity contract. The phased launch is set to begin in autumn 2025, with nationwide availability targeted for early 2026.

Search from the site.