IT Infrastructure Service

Unilever PLC
Unilever NV
19 April 2000

UNILEVER ENHANCES ITS GLOBAL IT INFRASTRUCTURE SERVICE

Unilever today announced plans to consolidate its European IT infrastructure
service into a new single Infrastructure Management Centre based in Port
Sunlight, UK. The move will create a world-class IT infrastructure across all
Unilever's European businesses which will support business growth and ensure
rapid rollout of new applications and technology. The programme will give
Unilever a significant advantage by allowing it to rapidly exploit e-business
opportunities across the company.
 
Since 1997 Unilever has been consolidating its global IT services from more
than 300 separate locations to single Infrastructure Management Centres
serving North America, South America and East Asia Pacific. This project will
put together a number of smaller Infrastructure Management Centres in Europe
creating a single centre that will achieve a step change improvement of IT
services and also reduce costs.
 
It is estimated that annual savings of approximately e36 million will be
achieved following the investment of e65 million.

Rudy Markham, Unilever's Strategy and Technology Director, said: 'The
creation of a single, first-class IT infrastructure centre for Europe is a
further step in the implementation of the strategy which we announced in our
Path to Growth earlier this year. This investment will enable the further
simplification of our business processes and allows us to get maximum value
shared IT services and e-business opportunities.
 
'The IMC will provide services at the lowest possible cost and will allow us
to rapidly implement new technologies across the entire region.'
 
The project will see the integration of IT infrastructure services currently
provided from centres throughout Europe in a new IMC at Port Sunlight.

Unilever intends completing the consolidation of European IT infrastructure
services within three years. The plans are subject to full consultation with
employee representatives throughout Europe and Government.