Logicalis is getting in on the ground floor in a collaborative project with Nottingham Trent University, which will see the integrator be involved in the planning of a £70m regeneration.

The university is renovating two buildings. Logicalis, along with vendors Cisco and HP, will consult with architects and university chiefs on how technology can best be used.

Although the integrator has a long-standing working relationship with the university, there are no professional agreements in place.

Chris Gabriel, marketing and solutions director at Logicalis, said: “There is no commercial agreement and they will go through the standard tender process.
“We would like to gain knowledge and experience, so we are putting a bit of money and risk into this.”

Gabriel revealed that Logicalis would be keen to undertake similar projects in the higher education space as well as in finance and retail.

“The demand for what IT delivers is changing. It is important the channel understands that, in two or three years’ time, if we are just there delivering technology, we will not be in the game. Given our focus on the higher education market this is a very valuable project for us,” he said.

David Swayne, director of information systems for the university, said: “We cannot enhance research, teaching and learning without considered investment in technology. By engaging with Logicalis in this way we benefit from early investment in knowledge, planning and resource.”