Council extends IT contract

The Highland Council has agreed to extend the current contract it holds with IT services provider, Fujitsu Services, until June 2009.

The Council entered into a 10-year partnership agreement with Fujitsu Services in 1998 when it outsourced all of its ICT provision (with the exception of schools curriculum).

The extension to the contract was agreed by councillors to allow the Council extra time to fully scope out its needs in the wake of reorganisation and new political structures and also understand any national agendas which could affect the council’s procurement.

A procurement team has been appointed by the Council to pave the way for the new contract which, for the first time, will include all of the ICT requirements for Education Culture and Sport.

Councillor Carolyn Wilson, Chairman of the Resources Committee, said: “ICT and its effective and efficient use underpins all of the Services we deliver to the public and the internal services which the Council needs to run its back office systems.  The importance of ICT in delivering modern and integrated services to citizens is continually growing and many of the Scottish Government’s future programmes are driving Council across Scotland to depend on accurate and cost-effective ICT systems.

“Our aim in the reprocurement process will be to ensure the best possible ICT systems are in place so we can deliver effective services across the Highlands.”