30.08.07
Key IT contracts awarded
As part of an overall review into Network Rail's IT services, two areas of the business have been outsourced to IT specialist organisations. The review aimed to improve service delivery across the company and to Network Rail's customers, moving towards a world class information management service. The contract for enterprise operations has been awarded to Computer Sciences Corporation (NYSE: CSC) and that for distributed computing to Specialist Computer Centres (SCC).
Both contracts are for an initial period of 5 years with the potential to extend beyond this. The new contracts will bring more resilient and faster services in keeping with the main aim of the review; to increase service capability.
Enterprise operations include data centre hosting, Oracle DBA and Middleware support and associated security related services. The transfer to CSC will take place over 6 months between October '07 and March '08 and include £4m investment in the infrastructure.
Director of IM at Network Rail Catherine Doran said: "We are eager to exploit CSC's capabilities and look forward to a lasting relationship based on trust, mutual strategic understanding and sound operational delivery of services to our customers.
"We have always been clear that our preferred supplier in this area must engage in our development and change programme as well as keep the critical systems running."
From 1 October 2007 Specialist Computer Centres will service Network Rail's distributed computing and maintain the network of desktops across the UK. This will include support of end user desktop hardware, office moves and changes, local delivery of projects and asset handovers.
"We recognise that quality IT delivery has to be reliable and seamless for our customers from the Data Centre to the desktop" continued Doran, "In selecting SCC, we will be working as one like minded team with drive and commitment to achieve our shared objectives & goals."
In both areas of service the current IT staff with their vital knowledge of the business will be maintained on transfer. The new outsourcing arrangements will be fundamental to Network Rail's IT strategy and providing models of best practice to the rest of the industry.
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