05 February 2019

Commercial director Chris Wade says TNP’s public sector experience shows that better network performance is often achieved by using the client’s existing infrastructure.

Public sector network specialist TNP (The Networking People) has been awarded a place on a new network advice Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) established by the Scottish government. The system aims to give organisations, including local authorities, health trusts, universities and colleges, and easier access to a full range of technical network advice.

The DPS is said to build on the success of the Network Enablement Services Framework originally created by the Scottish government in 2014 to maximise efficiency and collaboration by embedding sustainable procurement for public sector network services.

The new electronic process is designed to further streamline procurement of advice for organisations seeking to develop, enhance and secure their network infrastructure. TNP commercial director Chris Wade says: “Existing public sector network configurations often don’t provide the flexible and resilient infrastructure they need, so we can provide expert advice and guidance to ensure that improvements are cost effective and fit for purpose.”

Wade claims TNP has extensive experience within the public sector across the UK and is familiar with Scotland’s specific requirements having worked on a number of projects including creating networks in the Highlands and Islands (see News, May 2014 issue).

Contracts will be awarded via call-offs issued through the DPS by Scottish public sector organisations inviting tenders for inscope services. These may include: advice in relation to network security, integration or upgrades; IoT integration; audit and analysis of network services; infrastructure project management; and migration of existing services implementation.

It can also encompass added value elements such as network monitoring, health checks and security services, along with network support for staff moves.