Issue - meetings

Re-tender of the Councils Corporate Internet and Wide Area Network Connectivity Provision

 

 

Meeting: 06/01/2022 - Cabinet (Item 88)

88 Re-tender of the Councils Corporate Internet and Wide Area Network Connectivity Provision pdf icon PDF 110 KB

Report of the Executive Director of Corporate Resources and Customer Services.

Minutes:

The Cabinet considered the report of the Executive Director of Corporate Resources and Customer Services that detailed the background to the Council’s current Corporate Internet and Wide Area Network connectivity contract, providing details of the current set up and also the proposed changes to the delivery model.  The report also detailed the associated procurement route required to make this change.

 

Decision Made:     

 

That:

 

(1)           the Executive Director of Corporate Resources and Customer Services be authorised to conduct a procurement exercise for a new corporate internet and wide area network provision for a period of 5 years (with the option to extend for a further 2 years); and

 

(2)           the Executive Director of Corporate Resources and Customer Services, in consultation with the Cabinet Member - Regulatory, Compliance and Corporate Services, be granted delegated authority to award a Contract resulting from the procurement exercise and any extension to the contract.

 

Reasons for the Decisions:

 

To ensure that there is both a continued and suitable ICT core connectivity  service in place to ensure that the Council has the means to provide internet connectivity, network connectivity, and secure remote access and also to take the opportunity to modernise and make improvements to the network in line with new technologies available and revised operating models.

 

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:

 

To continue with the current wide area network service supplied by Virgin Media however the Council would be acting outside Contract Procedure Rules and Public Contract Regulations due to the current contract ending in March 2023.  In addition, this would not allow the Council to take advantage of new opportunities and upgraded technologies now available in the marketplace such as the proposed, SD-WAN (Software Defined Wide Area Network).