Public Sector
Government sets up £4.8bn IT hardware framework
Possible conflict with G-Cloud programme?
By Anh Nguyen | Computerworld UK | Published 11:28, 06 February 12
The Government Procurement Service has announced its plans to create a £4.8 billion framework contract for IT hardware and solutions.
The framework is intended for use across government, including central government, local government, UK public sector bodies and NHS bodies.
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Under the two-year contract, the government expects to sign up suppliers to provide a range of hardware and solutions, including desktop devices, laptop devices, tablet devices, printer devices, server and storage hardware and services and other ICT related equipment.
The contract may raise some questions about whether government bodies will be pulled in two different directions, however, when the £60 million G-Cloud programme is taken into account.
Last week, the Cabinet Office sent out notices of intent to award contracts under the G-Cloud programme to successful bidders.
The framework, for Infrastructure-as-a-Service, Platform-as-a-Service, Software-as-a-Service and specialist cloud services had attracted more than 600 suppliers. Around a third of these may have been successful in their bids, according to Guardian Government Computing.
