Fujitsu and European Electronique unite for big server framework

Japanese behemoth picks Oxfordshire public sector specialist as core partner for NSSA deal

European Electronique and Fujitsu have teamed up for the National Server and Storage Agreement (NSSA) and are confident of gaining some big wins through the £50m-plus per year three-year framework.

The NSSA, which is predominantly used by further education institutions, was renewed for 36 months in November, with Fujitsu being chosen as a server supplier of choice, alongside IBM, Dell, HP and Viglen. The Japanese giant has now picked its fulfilment partners, with European Electronique lining up alongside Q Associates, as well as volume specialist Misco and high-performance computing outfit OCF.

Michael Keegan, executive director of Fujitsu's technology product group, said: "We had to choose a number of top-class resellers; we were particularly attracted by [European Electronique's] very strong focus on the education sector. There are lots of bids already going on [through the framework] and we have a very big pipeline together."

Yolanta Gill, chief executive of the Oxfordshire-based VAR, claimed that technology is one area in which universities are still willing to invest, in spite of increased budgetary constraints.

"The number of [university] candidates has fallen eight per cent, so everyone is looking to spend their money wisely as there is less funding across higher education [as a whole]," she said. "But [because of the decline in candidate numbers], universities need to be very attractive, and technology is one of those things that can be a differentiator. ICT is one area where there is still money to spend."

Fujitsu has made no secret of late of its desire to play on its stability to lure partners unsettled by any uncertainty around other hardware giants HP and Dell. Keegan claimed he hoped to cement committed partnerships with more resellers of European Electronique's ilk.

"Our share of the UK server market has gone from one per cent to well over four per cent [in the last year]," said Keegan. "That market share growth has come at the expense of HP."