The Cabinet Office today announced the 29 companies that will offer services over the government’s public sector network (PSN).
The framework, which is set to cost between 500m and 3bn over the next two years, aims to provide a central hub from which public sector organisations can seek their communication services, cutting down on duplication or unnecessary costs from the current ad hoc procurement processes in place.
Big names such as Vodafone, Computacenter and Telefonica have been added to the list, which includes the 12 suppliers named in March responsible for the connectivity side of the PSN – including Virgin Media Business, Cable & Wireless Worldwide, BT and KCom.
“The PSN Services Framework, together with the PSN Connectivity Framework, provides the public sector with the preferred route to market for all PSN networks and telecommunications spend,” said PSN programme director Craig Eblett.
The full list of confirmed PSN suppliers 2e2 UK Airwave Azzurri Communications BT Cable & Wireless Worldwide Capita Cassidian UK CSC Computacenter Daisy Communications Easynet Global Services Everything Everywhere Freedom Communications Fujitsu Global Crossing (Level 3) Icom KCom Logicalis NextiraOne PageOne Communications Phoenix IT Group Siemens Communications Specialist Computer Centre Telefónica Telent Technology Services Thales UK Uniworld Communications Virgin Media Business Vodafone
“A fair and open PSN marketplace is now in place, and there is strong demand from public sector organisations to access it. I’d like to congratulate all the successful suppliers and wish them well as they compete for work under the framework.”
The PSN forms part of the government’s latest ICT strategy, announced back in March 2011, which the Cabinet Office has claimed is already saving money. In May this year, it claimed 159m had already been saved due to spending controls, and 64.2m had been saved on communications by having a common framework.
Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude also predicted another 150m would be saved in the coming year as more common infrastructure gets put into place.
“The PSN will drive savings and efficiencies by removing duplicate network connections, providing simpler procurement and greater competition, and allowing public sector employees to work in more flexible, user-focused ways,” he added today.
