Digital public services platform reaches "major milestone"
The announcement of the successful IT services suppliers for the Public Services Network marks a milestone in government's ICT strategy.
The announcement of the successful suppliers for the provision of IT services for the Public Services Network (PSN) demonstrates a major milestone in the government’s ICT Strategy, Francis Maude, Minister for the Cabinet Office, said today.
The PSN will provide a single logical network and marketplace for public sector communications, bringing suppliers and customers together to substantially reduce costs. It will be the platform for public service providers to operate, share and deliver services across traditional departmental and regional boundaries, in more cost-effective and innovative ways.
PSN-compliant services and systems are already in use in local and central government and the programme produced confirmed savings of £64.2 million in 2011 to 2012.
Minister for the Cabinet Office Francis Maude said:
The goal of the government’s ICT Strategy is to ensure we can deliver smarter, more cost-effective, modern public services. With the award of the PSN Services Framework, following the PSN Connectivity Framework in April, we have passed a major milestone by establishing a competitive ICT marketplace at the heart of the public sector.
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.
Twenty-nine suppliers have been named on the new framework being established by Government Procurement Service (GPS). They offer services ranging from CCTV and physical security monitoring, to video- and teleconferencing systems, call/contact centre services, mobile services (Voice, SMS, Data), messaging services and secure gateways.
PSN Programme Director Craig Eblett said:
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. 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.
Notes to editors
- The successful PSN Services suppliers are:
- 2e2 UK Ltd
- Airwave Solutions
- Azzurri Communications Ltd
- British Telecommunications plc
- Cable & Wireless Worldwide
- Capita Business Services Ltd
- Cassidian UK
- CSC Computer Sciences Ltd
- Computacenter (UK) Ltd
- Daisy Communications Ltd
- Easynet Global Services
- Everything Everywhere Ltd
- Freedom Communications (UK) Ltd
- Fujitsu
- Global Crossing (Level 3)
- Icom Holdings Ltd
- KCOM Group plc
- Logicalis UK Ltd
- NextiraOne UK Ltd
- PageOne Communications Ltd
- Phoenix IT Group Ltd
- Siemens Communications
- Specialist Computer Centre
- Telefonica UK Ltd
- telent Technology Services Ltd
- Thales UK Ltd
- Uniworld Communications Ltd
- Virgin Media Business Ltd
- Vodafone Ltd
2. The Public Services Network (PSN) will substantially reduce the cost of communication services across UK government and enable new, joined-up and shared public services. PSN is creating one logical network, based on industry standards, and a more open and competitive ICT marketplace at the heart of the UK public sector. Market participation in the procurement process has been strong.
3. Two national PSN frameworks have been established by (GPS) for connectivity and additional services. They will provide a simple and cost-effective way for the public sector to obtain and industry to supply PSN-assured services that will not only offer best value and commercial transparency but provide standardised services across the public sector, enabling more flexibility in the way government buys and shares telecommunications services.
4. The government’s Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Strategy set out how the government ICT landscape would change over the current spending review period, and included 30 actions that form the foundation activities for achieving the Strategy’s core objectives of reducing waste and project failure, and stimulating economic growth; creating a common ICT infrastructure; using ICT to enable and deliver change and strengthening governance.
5. Successful implementation of the ICT strategy across central government is projected to contribute to £1.4 billion of savings within the SR10 period with £460 million savings in-year in 2014 to 2015. The majority of projected in-year savings will be delivered through the creation and exploitation of a common ICT infrastructure. Additional ICT savings will be realised through improvements to suppliers and project management. Read the report One Year On: Implementing the Government ICT Strategy.