The Softcat News Team
Softcat announces its inclusion on the 4-year Cloud Solutions framework (NHS SBS), that aims to simplify cloud migration for the UK public sector. The national framework created by NHS Shared Business Services (SBS) will deliver a four-lot agreement that will provide public sector authorities with access to support and services for cloud-based solutions.
Framework Lot Detail:
Lot 1 Solution Design and Consultancy
Lot 2 IaaS, PaaS and SaaS
Lot 3 Cloud Support Services
Lot 4 End-to-end Cloud Solution
The brand-new cloud procurement framework is now live. Softcat, already a trusted technologies provider to many healthcare, government, education and local authority customers, secured all four lots on this framework following a stringent competition process.
Softcat’s contract manager, Andy Bruen commented, “Softcat are delighted to have been awarded supplier status on this new Cloud Solutions framework. We believe customers will benefit from a simpler and more informed route to market for their cloud requirements.”
“It’s fantastic to be selected as a supplier across all 4 Lots of the framework; offering our customers a one-stop-shop for all of their Cloud requirements. From exploring cloud adoption with our Cloud technologists, right through to the provision of our sophisticated Cloud Intelligence service; designed to allow customers to directly control their consumption of cloud services.”
NHS trusts, local and central government departments, charities and housing associations will now benefit from a simplified, streamlined process that provides the public sector with improved outcomes with regards to the cloud services they require.
Phil Davies, Procurement Director at NHS SBS, said: “In what is an incredibly crowded and complex market our aim was to significantly simplify the procurement process for the NHS and wider public sector.
“To ensure framework users have access to the very best cloud services at the most competitive price, we carried out a rigorous tender process and limited the number of suppliers on the framework to the 10 or 20 most outstanding in each Lot. The result is a specialist pool of 24 leading suppliers, which provide the greatest expertise and value-for-money to the public sector.
“The framework is structured in a way that includes a full range of cloud support services. It means that regardless of where a public body is on its journey into the cloud, or how straightforward or complex its requirements, purchasing the right support is simple, cost-effective and OJEU-compliant.”
The NHS SBS framework aligns with Softcat’s initiative of helping customers with digital transformation. Softcat’s Cloud Intelligence Service provides customers with a clear insight into cost, usage, security and governance, that enables best practice management of cloud resources. With the combination of resilient cloud visibility and expert recommendations, Softcat’s Cloud Intelligence Service puts the power back in the hands of the customer. It allows customers to create a cost-effective and optimised public cloud experience.
Industry awards, such as the Dell ‘Transformational Partner of the Year 2019’ and the ‘2018 VMware Partner Innovation Award for EMEA Solutions’, reinforce the cloud capabilities that Softcat possess. In addition, recent nomination for the ‘CRN Public Sector reseller of the Year’ further demonstrates Softcat’s expert understanding of the public sector, offering a key benefit for customers utilising the new framework.