BT awarded £50million civil service contract

THE Department of Finance has awarded a £50million contract to BT.

It will supply telecommunication services to all public sector bodies in Northern Ireland throughout a nineyear contract, which could grow to £400million, the company said.

BT added it will deliver network and unified communication services across eleven Government departments and other public sector bodies.

BT’S Paul Murnaghan said the contract will see the firm deliver a commercially innovative framework to meet the developing needs of public sector users and citizens.

He added it will connect public sector employees, the public and services in ways that haven’t been possible before. Mr Murnaghan said: “We are committed to ensuring best value for money, providing the opportunity for all local communication providers to deliver their services.”

Paul Wickens, CEO of enterprise shared services at the Civil Service, said the advanced network solution will allow staff to provide top-grade services. He added: “It offers high levels of security and operational stability, providing strong foundations for the new IT system for citizens.”

The contract underpins Northern Ireland’s Programme for Government and the first core network services will be available for use by next summer.