Schools network wins accolade

A project to provide broadband access to 2,600 schools, colleges and libraries picks up CRN/Syscap award for November.

A project to provide a metropolitan area network delivering broadband access to 2,600 schools, colleges, libraries and other facilities across 33 London Education Authorities (LEAs) has won the CRN/Syscap Approved Technology Innovator of the Month award for November.

Farnborough-based Equinox Converged Solutions won the £50m contract to develop the network thanks to its innovative approach in enabling the LEAs to keep costs down while maximising the resources available.

Brian Durrant, chief executive of the London Grid for Learning (LGfL), the organisation that provides integrated IT facilities for the LEAs, said Equinox's approach was completely different from other proposals.

"The quality of the solution and the company's creativity in taking our original design and improving on it was impressive, as was the fact that it was an affordable solution," he said.

The LGfL's original design would have required costly broadband feeds to each LEA.

Angus Merelie, chief executive of Equinox, said: "Winning the award was fantastic recognition for the hard work put in by us and the LGfL for a ground-breaking network. It has allowed us to demonstrate to the public sector what we can achieve."

The November award is the ninth and last of this year's Innovator of the Month awards. All the winners now go forward for one of two annual awards - one for a public-sector project, one for private-sector work - to be presented at the Channel Awards on 20 November.

The Innovator awards are backed by CRN and its sister title Computing, and are sponsored by leasing and rental company Syscap.

For more information about the Innovator of the Month award and the Channel Awards contact Helen Boydell on (020) 7316 9000 or email [email protected].