BT has agreed to become one of the key providers for the Public Sector Network (PSN) programme after signing a Deed of Undertaking (DoU) with the Cabinet Office.
The telecoms giant confirmed yesterday it was to be a provider for the core network running the "network of networks" for the public sector.
The deal will see BT Wholesale become a key supplier of Government Conveyance Network (GCN) services which will interconnect with PSN Direct Network Service Providers (DNSPs), which in turn supply Government departments and local authorities.
"Today's signature of the DoU underlines BT's commitment to the PSN, providing a full range of services including the GCN," said Neil Rogers, president of BT Global Services for government and health.
"Drawing on our experience of co-designing PSN we can help public sector organisations achieve both cost and service improvements as well as help them transition to PSN compliance. The PSN also creates a new and competitive market for shared cloud services on top of the network, something which presents a real opportunity for BT given our expertise in networked IT services."
The PSN forms part of a Government attempt to reduce IT spending and make systems more agile.
Earlier this year, Minister for the Cabinet Office, Francis Maude, outlined plans to get rid of waste and duplication in Government IT, whilst steering away from big projects.
In particular, the Government is hoping to stay clear of any IT initiatives over 100 million.
The administration has come under heavy fire in the past for wasting time and money on failed IT projects.
-
Cleo attack victim list grows as Hertz confirms customer data stolenNews Hertz has confirmed it suffered a data breach as a result of the Cleo zero-day vulnerability in late 2024, with the car rental giant warning that customer data was stolen.
-
Lateral moves in tech: Why leaders should support employee mobilityIn-depth Encouraging staff to switch roles can have long-term benefits for skills in the tech sector
-
Starmer bets big on AI to unlock public sector savingsNews AI adoption could be a major boon for the UK and save taxpayers billions, according to prime minister Keir Starmer.
-
UK government targets ‘startup’ mindset in AI funding overhaulNews Public sector AI funding will be overhauled in the UK in a bid to simplify processes and push more projects into development.
-
Optimise CX and accelerate business growth through your voice networkwhitepaper Protecting the human experience in a digital world
-
UK government signs up Anthropic to improve public servicesNews The UK government has signed a memorandum of understanding with Anthropic to explore how the company's Claude AI assistant could be used to improve access to public services.
-
The UK’s AI ambitions face one major hurdle – finding enough home-grown talentNews Research shows UK enterprises are struggling to fill AI roles, raising concerns over the country's ability to meet expectations in the global AI race.
-
US government urged to overhaul outdated technologyNews A review from the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) has found legacy technology and outdated IT systems are negatively impacting efficiency.
-
Government urged to improve tech procurement practicesNews The National Audit Office highlighted wasted money and a lack of progress on major digital transformation programmes
-
Government says new data bill will free up millions of hours of public sector timeNews The UK government is proposing new data laws it says could free up millions of hours of police and NHS time every year and boost the UK economy by £10 billion.
