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IT agreement promises to cut costs |
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A shared services agreement designed to help in the procurement of IT and communications services by fire and rescue authorities, has been announced by Firebuy, the Ministry of Defence and BT. The agreement allows Firebuy to use the purchasing power of the Defence Fixed Telecommunications Service (DFTS) in order to facilitate the purchase of a range of services at a reduced cost. These include secure managed fixed line telephony, managed mobile services, video and audio conferencing and flexible/home working support. Also included in the package is around the clock support for any services purchased through Firebuy. During the development of the agreement, a survey of ten fire and rescue authorities was conducted by BT in order to calculate potential savings.
According to figures released, this found that via the agreement, around £400,000 could be saved on fixed telephony alone. Colin Francis of Firebuy said of the agreement: “Until now, procurement within the Fire and Rescue Service has been fragmented, and FRAs have not had the opportunity to combine their purchasing requirements. A more strategic approach to procurement will support better long-term financial planning for the sector, and by partnering with the DFTS Agreement delivered by BT, FRAs will ulitimately save money for reinvestment in frontline services.” Chief Executive of the Defence Communication Services Agency, Rear Admiral Rees Ward, said: “There are great operational synergies between the UK Fire and Rescue Service and the MOD. Communications are critical in an environment where every second counts and, through DFTS, the MOD and BT have created a framework that delivers the level of support required by the Fire Service and other government departments.”
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