Media giant launched £709m claim for problems with customer call centre contract

EDS's defence counsel attacked BSkyB's £709m damages claim as "absurd and extravagant" in the High Court in London yesterday.

The broadcaster is alleging EDS made a "deliberate, cynical and dishonest" pitch for a £48m call centre customer service system contract signed in 2000, and terminated in March 2002.

When the case opened last week, a spokesman for EDS told Computing: "EDS will refute BSkyB's allegations during the course of the trial and we will vigorously defend our position."