Becta lists 16 VARs for IT Infrastucture Services Framework supply
Channel players go to top of the class with education agency's certification
Sixteen VARs have received a stamp of approval from the British Educational Communications and Technology Agency (Becta) for the supply of IT infrastructure services to schools and colleges across the UK.
Following a six-month evaluation period, which included on-site audits, Becta last week revealed the VARs that had made it onto the three-year IT Infrastructure Services Framework list.
Greg Allport, corporate and media relations manager at Becta, told CRN: “Although a lot of schools are starting to use IT, for many it is a new concept and can cause costly problems, so having the right support is crucial. The 16 suppliers we have selected had to meet strict criteria, which should give schools peace of mind when selecting a supplier.”
VAR Northgate Information Systems, one of the 16 approved suppliers, said the status will help it with its aggressive growth plans.
“Although we still have to go out and win the work ourselves, the Becta approval will hopefully enable us to sell to any educational institution across the UK,” said Stuart Gunning, client director at Northgate.
Gerard Toplass, divisional director for software and services at reseller Azzurri Communications, said: “We are delighted that Azzurri has been granted this certification. This official recognition serves to demonstrate our commitment to the sector. We believe we can make a difference to the lives of teachers and students in the UK.”
Rafi Razzak, chairman at Centerprise International, said: “It [the certification] is a testament to our engineering service and our education team. It fits with our plans to grow our managed services business.”
The 16 VARs awarded Becta framework supplier status are:
Azzurri Communications, Centerprise International, Computer Systems in Education, Egton Medical Information Systems, Ergo Computing, European Electronique, Gaia Technologies, HBS Business Services Group, Linetex Computers, Northgate Information Solutions, Ramesys, Research Machines, Serco, Stone Computers, VT Four S, XMA
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