IT hardware products will be available to the whole of the public sector at discounts of up to 45 per cent from now because of an agreement struck between the government and suppliers.
The Office of Government Commerce and its trading arm OGCbuying.solutions worked together on the initiative called 'Great Deals' and conducted a competition for desktop and laptop PCs and screens. Pre-qualified suppliers were asked to give prices against a common set of specifications. This resulted in very competitive pricing with savings of over 45 per cent per unit being identified.
Hugh Barrett Chief Executive of OGCbuying.solutions said: "This is a fantastic deal for the public sector. The specifications are designed to handle current propriety software packages and subsequent releases. With high specification, quality laptops available at around £430 and desktops at around £280, this is a significant breakthrough for public sector customers and will save them time and money in the purchasing process."
Richard Abbott, Director of OGC's Procurement Workstream, said: "The launch of these Great Deals represents a key step in OGC's work to support departments and the public sector in meeting their efficiency targets, with the ultimate aim of releasing funds for front line services."
The OGCbuying.solutions Catalist framework for IT Goods and Hardware acts as the commercial vehicle for the initiative and the products will supplied by the 17 companies on the framework.
The Great Deals initiative will be refreshed on a quarterly basis ensuring that public sector customers continue to benefit from the most competitive products and pricing available in the rapidly evolving IT hardware market.
Great Deals will be available via the OGCbuying.solutions website, www.ogcbuyingsolutions.gov.uk
