KCOM Group on cloud nine
Communications provider given the seal of approval by Government to supply cloud based services
28 May 2013: KCOM Group has recently been given the seal of approval by the Government Procurement Service to provide cloud based services to the public sector.
The G-Cloud, a Cabinet Office initiative designed to encourage the adoption of cloud services across the whole of the public sector, recently released its third framework outlining a list of approved suppliers, including Kcom and Smart421, two of the Group’s brands. They have been successful in three areas including Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Software as a Service (SaaS) and Specialist Cloud Services.
Bill Halbert, Executive Chairman of KCOM Group, says: “The Group is in a very unique position; we have the network capability, flexible cloud solutions and systems integration skills to help organisations incorporate cloud successfully into their existing IT strategies.”
Kcom works already with public service organisations to help them with their journey to the cloud; earlier this year it was selected by The LINK to deliver voice, collaboration and contact centre services over cloud to public sector organisations in Sussex. Smart421 has been an Amazon Web Services (AWS) partner since 2011 and has designed and delivered a number of cloud based solutions to large enterprise organisations.
“The concerns that organisations had about cloud are now moving swiftly behind us. The government is encouraging public services to use cloud to create new ways for their customers to access services. Cloud drives innovation; what the government is doing gives public services the ability to embrace new technology faster than before, without the usual expense and time constraints of traditional procurement processes.”
“The public sector is under increasing pressure to save money whilst delivering IT programmes that will help organisations keep up with the demands of technology.” continues Bill. “CIOs are experiencing huge challenges such as having to refresh ageing infrastructures and adopt technology to create a much more flexible and agile workforce. This usually comes at a very high cost. Cloud is a cost effective way to address both challenges, whilst giving them the opportunity to be innovative, as well as use IT to drive change within their organisation.”
“Employees are becoming more collaborative, mobile and dynamic, breaking down previously established boundaries. In order to provide the best customer service, as well as create a flexible and dynamic working environment organisations are being requested increasingly to give them more choices about when, where and how they interact. With pressure to keep costs to a minimum and focus on core activities, outsourcing both expertise and functionality to the cloud is now essential.” he concludes.
Kcom uses its cloud based solution, Workplaces, to deliver a range of applications and services to support innovation, improve customer service strategies and enable business collaboration.
About Kcom
Kcom, part of the KCOM Group PLC, provides communication services for multi-site enterprise and public sector organisations across the UK, and has a well-established reseller channel. As an independent provider of these services, supported by its BT Wholesale partnership, Kcom is able to offer advanced network capability and related added value services, coupled with a flexible approach to delivering a different class of service to its customers.
Its customers include Domino’s, Morrisons, British Airways, North Wales Police, Specsavers, City of London, Phones4u, Rosslyn Analytics, Hermes, Windsor Telecom and Diva Telecoms.
About Smart421
Smart421 delivers high-end consultancy, integration and service management of business-critical systems for large enterprises operating in regulated markets. Its customers include Aviva, Telefónica UK Ltd (O2), Virgin Atlantic Airways, Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC), Xchanging and Haven Power.
Smart421 has been on the G-Cloud Framework since it was launched in early 2012. Smart421 has been in partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS) since 2011 and is an AWS Advanced Consulting Partner and an AWS Direct Connect Partner. Among its recent engagements, Smart421 has been architecting and delivering cloud solutions for major enterprises including a UK power utility, a UK mobile telco and a UK retail bank.
