BT wins £40.2 million worth of voice and data contracts with Norfolk council and schools

BT today announced that it has signed two contracts, worth a combined value of £40.2 million, to provide voice and data services to Norfolk County Council, as well as a managed internet service to more than 450 schools in Norfolk.

As part of a £32.9 million five-year deal with Norfolk County Council, networked IT services provider BT Global Services will provide a new core voice and IP telephony service, bringing unified communications to 20,000 workers at more than 1,000 sites, including council offices, schools and libraries throughout the county. Some 5,000 council employees will also benefit from new, secure MobileXpress flexible working technologies being introduced by BT to enable staff to work from different offices, on the road and from home.

Having beaten 13 other telecommunications operators to preferred supplier status, BT will also provide systems for the council’s multimedia contact centre and install new Nortel voice and data switches to help lower the council’s telephony and data costs. Upgraded data networks will also help support the growing demands of the council’s key applications, particularly email and enterprise resource planning.

“Norfolk County Council is delivering more and more services to citizens over the internet and via other multimedia channels,” said Tony Williams, Norfolk County Council Cabinet Member for Corporate and Commercial Services “By upgrading our voice, data and contact centre technologies, BT is helping us strengthen our ability to provide services via the Web and to support our staff to work in more flexible ways, helping us to provide effective and efficient services for Norfolk people.”

BT has also won a £7.3 million deal to supply and manage the Norfolk Schools Internet Exchange, a highly secure learning environment to more than 450 schools in the county.
The five year contract will see BT provide school children, teachers and educational organisations in Norfolk with an internet platform, in which greater collaboration and multimedia learning can take place.

John Stokoe, managing director, Public Sector BT Global Services UK, said: “BT is delighted to be providing Norfolk County Council and its schools with this service, at a time when IT and online services are becoming increasingly important in helping students excel in a virtual learning environment.”

The Norfolk Schools Internet Exchange gives school children and teachers access to web browsing, email, videoconferencing and online learning tools via a secure portal.

The highly resilient and secure Internet exchange will also provide head teachers, school governors and other communities of interest with capacity management reporting, as well as analysis of how school children and utilising the online learning facilities and working with other students.

BT will also work with technology supplier Blue Coat Systems to ensure that school children do not have access to inappropriate material on the internet. Web detection and traffic monitoring systems will help protect children while using the internet and messaging systems.