Published date: 20 January 2022
Closed early engagement
Contract summary
Industry
Networks - 32400000
Telecommunications equipment and supplies - 32500000
Location of contract
East of England
Procurement reference
CO0014 Networking and Communications
Published date
20 January 2022
Closing date
31 January 2022
Contract is suitable for SMEs?
Yes
Contract is suitable for VCSEs?
No
Description
This notice seeks to provide an update to the market regarding Essex County Council's (ECC's) direction of travel for its future Networking and Voice solutions.
In July 2020, following publication of Prior Information Notice ref: 2020/S 121-298041, ECC undertook early market engagement with a broad range of Networking and Communications suppliers to explore innovation, horizon scanning and service delivery models across the market.
In March 2021, following publication of Prior Information Notice reference: 2021/S 000-001471, ECC undertook further market engagement with five Networking suppliers through workshop sessions to explore in more depth: Network technologies; Technology products; Circuit provision and; Deployment. The learning from these sessions has highlighted to ECC the importance of trialling network technologies at an early stage and, therefore, ECC has identified three vendors' SD-WAN technologies it wishes to pilot: Cisco, Palo Alto and Silver Peak. Identification of these solutions for pilot is based on best-fit considerations and existing technology investments, as identified through market engagement.
Pilots will be delivered in partnership with ECC's current managed service provider, DUCL (Daisy Updata Communications Limited) early in 2022. ECC anticipates that the SD-WAN pilots will lead to identification of a preferred product, which ECC would then implement as part of a network transformation project either through its managed service contract with the existing provider or following a competitive tender exercise.
Regarding Voice, ECC recently commissioned discovery work to inform its Contact Centre requirements. Final outputs are due end of January 2022, following which ECC anticipates that it will engage with the market. ECC continues to undertake in-house discovery work in respect its future Mobile requirements. Also, ECC has recently transitioned its Unified Comms solution from Skype for Business to Microsoft Teams, through its incumbent supplier.
About the buyer
Contact name
Mark Glenister
Address
COUNTY HALL,MARKET ROAD
CHELMSFORD
CM11QH
England
Telephone
03330136379
Website
Share this notice
Closing date: 31 January 2022
All content is available under the
