News

BT signs £15 million deal to deliver data centre facilities to the public sector

December 1st 2015

BT has signed a major deal with the Department of Finance and Personnel to provide them with two new shared service data centre facilities. The facilities will house much of the IT services, not only for the Northern Ireland Civil Service but also the wider public sector.

BT will manage the centres operations including continuity while the public sector will continue to manage the IT systems within them.
The contract, valued at £15m over 10 years, was secured following a tender process. 

Peter Russell, General Manager, BT Business in Northern Ireland said: “We are delighted to have been successful in the recent public sector data centre procurement.  To have been trusted by the department to host all of their data for the next 10-16 years is a true testament to our local team’s professionalism and capability.

“This contract strengthens our long established partnership with our public sector colleagues and BT in Northern Ireland has committed to invest £4million over the coming months to ensure that the new facility will be in place to support the Stormont House Agreement’s ambition for public sector wide shared services and to provide those enhanced services at significantly reduced costs.”

Finance Minister Arlene Foster said: “The new data centres will offer a much more efficient IT system for the public sector. Replacing a wide range of smaller, less efficient facilities, the centres will produce significant savings on running costs, for example my own department, which provides shared services to the wider NICS, expects to save in the region of £0.5 million each year”.

“The new data facilities will also offer high levels of security and operational stability, providing a strong and secure foundation for the IT systems used by Northern Ireland citizens engaging with the public sector.”

Anchor tenants for the new centres will include IT Assist, Business Services Organisation and Translink. The Centres are scheduled to be in operation by Autumn 2016.