Stone leads channel firms on £30m education framework

Viglen, XMA, Joskos, Centerprise and Acamedia among 12 others winning a place on Staffordshire education project

A handful of familiar channel faces dominate a £30m-plus framework for the education sector across Staffordshire covering a comprehensive range of IT.

A recently published contract-award notice reveals that a total of 13 VARs and services firms have won a place on the framework for the Entrust project, which aims to deliver a range of IT, human resources and finance services across Staffordshire.

Stone, Joskos, RM, Centerprise, XMA, Viglen, Simple Technology, Highlander Computer Solutions, Academia, Stoneleigh Centre, Networks Centre, Jigsaw and Impero Solutions all feature on the IT portion of the project, which is worth about £30m.

The tender was split into 15 Lots for a range of IT equipment comprising servers, storage, ICT spares, workstations, mobile devices, iOS devices, Microsoft software, network infrastructure components, managed wireless, cabling, data cabinets, peripherals, support, curriculum software and network management software.

Stone led the way, featuring on 11 of the Lots, with Joskos, Viglen and Centerprise closely following, popping up on nine.

Channel player XMA and services firm Stoneleigh Consultancy both won places on four of the Lots, with the rest of those on the framework appearing on one or two of the sections.