Logicalis grabs £5.5m council contract

Tom Kelly: It is important that all parties are accountable to achieving targets

Integrator Logicalis has bagged a multi-million converged voice and data managed services contract with Leicestershire County Council.

Under the terms of the deal, worth £5.5m over five years, Logicalis will provide LAN, WAN and voice over IP (VoIP) services to the council’s 300 sites and over 6,000 online users, as part of its overhaul of its customer services.

Andy Roberts, head of IT at Leicestershire Council Council, said: “In working closely with Logicalis we have put in place the foundations for the long-term evolution of our IT strategy, and to help us achieve central government targets for greater efficiency.

“Rationalising previously distinct suppliers and services, for example, will allow us to reduce management complexity and drive down operational costs. These savings are integral to the council meeting its efficiency targets,” he added. “Fundamentally, Logicalis’ role is to ensure our network has the flexibility to adapt. However, we are keen to take every opportunity for greater innovation in IT service delivery. Logicalis will play a significant part in ensuring that this is achieved.”

The development of the contract will be measured by a ‘risk and reward’ SLA agreement, which puts the onus on all parties to work together to identify and apply new applications of processes that result in significant financial or operational performance improvements.

Tom Kelly, managing director of Logicalis UK, said: “Evolving the network is essential to improving service delivery and maintaining efficiency gains, but it is important that all parties are accountable to the process of achieving these targets. Our risk and reward relationship actively encourages collaboration, due-diligence and assures Leicestershire County Council of innovation underpinned by continued best value.

“Increasingly, the public sector is turning to managed services to deliver financial and resource predictability for their core IT services, enabling internal staff to focus on delivering strategic improvements desired by local citizens. Managed services also offer tremendous potential for innovation, and it is important that this is exploited and promoted in the public sector, “ he added.