BENEFITS TO FOLLOW IT CONTRACT EXTENSION
News Release
Fujitsu
- Fujitsu awarded 18 month continuation of IT services
- Partnership agreement will now continue until 2016
- Move will help enhance services at a lower cost
The Highlands of Scotland is set to benefit from new jobs after The Highland Council agreed to continue its IT partnership with Fujitsu for another 18 months.
The award means the contract, which has seen the computer network in every school and local authority office across the region upgraded, will now run until October 2016.
Fujitsu says the agreement provides stability to explore with the council how new technology can further enhance services at a lower cost, while protecting existing jobs and even bringing additional posts to the area with other clients.
By linking with its operation in Edinburgh, Fujitsu will be able to increase the council’s ability to use IT advances to better connect communities and individuals to services.
Councillor Dave Fallows, Chairman of the Council’s Finance Housing and Resources Committee, said: “We are pleased to have negotiated an outcome which will deliver £1.2 million of savings to the council over the 18-month period.
“We look forward now to exploring with Fujitsu how to realise further service developments, innovations and partnership opportunities over that period.”
Dave McCann, Fujitsu’s Client Executive (Scotland), added: “We are delighted to be continuing this important contract which has enhanced The Highland Council’s IT network with world class, state-of-the-art devices across a variety of different working environments.
“The systems are stable, consistent and performing well on all fronts, providing an enhanced, more reliable system, more efficient working practices and improved operations and services. We are now working with the council to bring further benefits by using the latest technology to make services more accessible and efficient.
To date, the partnership with Fujitsu has installed more than 8,000 computer devices at 670 sites from classrooms to social workers’ desks; from over 600 pieces of kit installed in both Millburn and Dingwall academies, the region’s two largest schools, to single PCs in remote school sites.
In a separate project the council and Fujitsu have carried out with High Life Highland, the region’s 61 community and school libraries have also been fitted out with 130 better, faster, more user-friendly computers. The thousands of people who use the public access computers now have access to new internet and software packages which allow video and photo editing as well as the ability to download from the library e-book and e-audio book sites.
There have also been indirect benefits. A spin-off from The Highland Council IT upgrade programme is Fujitsu’s Community Benefits Programme (CBP). Over £300,000 has been committed to have up to 3,500 pieces of disused equipment refurbished by specialist social enterprise ReBoot and distributed to local groups.
Notes to editors
Fujitsu is the world’s third largest IT service provider, employing more than 161,000 people in over 100 countries with an annual group turnover of $47 billion. In Scotland the company now employs some 500 staff, serving 2,500 sites across the country. The Highland workforce in Beechwood Business Park in Inverness and service desk at Alness Point Business Park makes up around a fifth of the Scottish total.
For further information contact
John Ross
Lucid PR
01463 724593;07730 099167
johnross@lucidmessages.com
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