Unisys to Provide IT Service For Hershey’s Operations In Brazil

Unisys Corp has landed a deal with Hershey to provide IT services for the chocolate maker’s operations in Brazil, the South American country where the technology firm has its most extensive operation in Latin America.

Hershey is getting set to explore the Brazilian market all on its own following the expiry of its distribution partnership with Bauducco. The chocolate market is certainly booming in Brazil, because it posted US$3 billion in sales last year, according to Euromonitor International. The same report expects it to grow at an annual rate of 6 percent, reaching US$4 billion by 2019.

Under the 60-month contract, Unisys will support several of Hershey’s operations in Brazil, including the company’s plant in São Roque (São Paulo State), its distribution center in Guarulhos and its corporate office in São Paulo.

Furthermore, the Blue Bell, Pennsylvania-based company will provide end-user service for all the employees of the chocolate maker in Brazil, in addition to managing servers and data centers. It will also provide field services and shoulder the responsibilities of recovering data in the event of any environmental disaster.

“We know that effective management of the IT infrastructure is critical for our growth strategy,” stated Fernando Rocha, Hershey CIO for Latin America. “We need to be able to anticipate service issues and quickly implement solutions and improvements that increase operational efficiency, productivity and return on investment.”

For operating datacenters, Unisys can use the infrastructure of Ascenty, its main partner in Brazil.

Hershey is planning to triple its size in the country by 2020 and is introducing new products to the Brazilian market. In February, it launched the Brookside, a line that combines semisweet chocolate with fruits like pomegranate and blueberry. Then it created a version of its Reese’s chocolate in wafer format.

Unisys has employed about 4,000 people across Latin America, with nearly  half of its staff based in Brazil. From Germany’s HenKel to Colombia’s Interconexion Electrica and several Brazilian banks, Unisys has a wide-ranging set of clients in Latin America.

“We are committed to delivering innovative solutions that support Hershey and its people as the company pursues its aggressive growth strategy throughout Brazil and Latin America,” said Helcio Beninatto, vice president and general manager, Enterprise Solutions, Unisys Latin America.