Bytes, Softcat and Insight among VARs picked for software framework

Framework sees suppliers in Lots for Microsoft, security, and commercial off-the-shelf software

Eight IT suppliers, including Bytes, Softcat and Insight, have been provisionally selected for a public sector software framework, CRN understands.

Kent Commercial Services (KCS), the division of Kent County Council running the Supply of Software Products and Associated Services framework, sent intention-to-award notices to the suppliers last week (full list below), at which point a 10-day standstill period began.

The standstill period ended at 5pm on Monday and CRN understands that there have been no changes to the supplier list, however KCS said that it is unable to formally confirm the supplier roster until all suppliers have returned their contracts.

The framework is divided into three Lots: Lot 1 for Microsoft products; Lot 2 for security; and Lot 3 for commercial off-the-shelf software.

Lots 1 and 3 have seven suppliers and Lot 2 has eight suppliers, with the majority provisionally appearing on all three Lots.

Bytes Software Services is one of those suppliers on all three Lots and Chris Swani, divisional director of public sector at Bytes, explained that the framework is a replacement for the Pro5 framework.

"We did put quite a bit of business through that [Pro5] framework - it was especially popular with local government and quite a few NHS organisations as well, [so] anything outside central government," he said.

"We find that when we're speaking to customers about it they like the look of it for a number of reasons.

"Firstly there aren't as many resellers on it, which means they don't have to keep relationships with 20-odd resellers like on CCS [Crown Commercial Services] frameworks, but there is also a direct award facility so they can do their own benchmarking if they want to, but if they find a reseller they trust they can do a direct award."

Jamie Burke, sales director for hte public sector at Softcat, said he was delighted the reseller made the cut.

"This will allow Softcat to continue working closely with those clients who previously used the Pro5 framework," he said. "Thanks to the hard work of our frameworks team Softcat are now represented on almost 30 public sector frameworks, which means we can accommodate each client's exact procurement needs as opposed to trying to push them down one particular route based on our own framework representation."

The framework is being run Kent County Council on behalf of the Central Buying Consortium (CBC), which comprises eight county councils from around the country.

The full value of the framework has not been disclosed, but the CBC procures around £750m of goods and services for the public sector a year.

Full details of the suppliers set to be on each Lot, as CRN understands it, can be found below:

Lot 1 (Microsoft)
Bytes Software Services
Comparex
Softcat
Phoenix Software
Insight Direct UK
Civica Services
SBL

Lot 2 (Security)
Bytes Software Services
Softcat
Comparex
Phoenix Software
Civica Services
Agilisys
Insight Direct UK
SBL

Lot 3 (Commercial off-the-shelf software)
Bytes Software Services
Phoenix Software
Comparex
Softcat
Civica Services
Insight Direct UK
SBL