Under the terms of the memorandum, data center operations, server and database management, and application hosting for Unilever's operations in the Americas, Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Turkey would be outsourced to HP if an agreement is reached. The companies hope to reach a definitive agreement in the first half of this year.

"In this space, HP has demonstrated a distinctive collaborative approach combined with a clear expertise in the delivery of global services," said Neil Cameron, chief information officer, Unilever. "This potential agreement would be a natural extension of our current relationship. The intention between both parties is to leverage HP's scale, expertise and industry leadership to ensure Unilever has access to world-class technology at substantially lower costs."

"We would be delighted to work with Unilever, a world-class company, and free it to focus on its core strengths," said Pablo Sanchez-Lozano, senior vice president, HP Services. "With our highly experienced services professionals and global capabilities, we propose to deliver a more simplified and flexible IT infrastructure that would deliver true business value and effectiveness, a better return on IT and reduced operational costs" - HP.