61 suppliers get nod for Network Services Framework

Successor to PSN Services and PSN Connectivity frameworks finally goes live after 12 months

The government's long-awaited Network Services Framework has finally gone live – with 61 suppliers – nearly a year after the prior information notice (PIN) was issued.

Replacing the incumbent PSN Services and PSN Connectivity frameworks, the Network Services Framework is designed to provide the public sector with an approved route for procuring connectivity solutions.

News of its arrival was confirmed by Innopsis, an industry association that worked with Crown Commercial Service (CCS) with a view to making the framework SME friendly.

Having suffered multiple delays, the framework goes live almost 12 months after the original PIN notice was issued on 31 July.

Its 10 Lots cover WAN, LAN, telephony, inbound voice, IPT, mobile, paging, video, audioconferencing and unified comms, respectively.

Innopsis hailed the SME-friendly make-up of the 61 winners, claiming four times as many SMEs made the grade than the incumbent PSNC and PSNS frameworks.

Ian Fishwick, commercial director at Innopsis, said: "Early on in the process, it was clear CCS was committed to ensuring a greater degree of SME participation in the framework and the team has worked closely with Innopsis to structure the framework as such."