PITO awards data transmission framework to Cable & Wireless

The Police Information Technology Organisation (PITO) has awarded the Framework Arrangement for the new Police National Network (PNN3) to Cable & Wireless following a competitive tender process.

Cable & Wireless was the supplier for the previous PNN2 Framework Arrangement. The estimated value of the Framework Arrangement is £75 million over five years.

The PNN3 Framework Arrangement means that Cable & Wireless is the provider of managed voice, data, video, Internet and hosting services to all police forces in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, as well as more than 100 organisations in the wider criminal justice community. These services enable the secure transmission of data between police forces, criminal justice and police-related agencies.

Due to its importance to the police service, the PNN has been designated by the Home Office to be part of the UK National Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Critical Infrastructure. The primary aim of the PNN is to provide appropriate services to all UK police forces.

The principal benefit of PNN3 is that it ensures a common communications platform capable of meeting the information exchange requirements of the police service for the next five years – with the option to extend for a further two years. In addition, it ensures that all forces and agencies are working to the same robust levels of security so that police data is not compromised. PNN3 also provides significant cost savings through economies of scale.

Ian Readhead, Deputy Chief Constable of Hampshire Constabulary and ACPO lead for the PNN project, said: “PNN3 plays a pivotal role in the drive toward a more modern police service. It facilitates greater communication between forces and secure access to centralised data. This is a key recommendation of the Bichard Inquiry and allows us to deliver an effective, collaborative and integrated national, regional and local information-sharing and intelligence capability. PITO has done a brilliant job in scoping the project and ensuring that the needs of the police community have been met.”

Alan Stanmore, Commercial Director at PITO, said: “The PNN3 Framework Arrangement has been pre-negotiated by PITO and is subject to regular reviews and benchmarking to ensure competitive prices and a full range of services will be maintained. Key issues – including service levels, pricing, terms and conditions and security accreditation – have already been resolved by PITO, so the Framework Arrangement delivers value for money and quality without the delay and expense of another localised procurement exercise. It is responsive to the growing communication requirement of the police service and allows for advance budgeting and costing to support force development effectively.”

Martin Goodman, Director of Systems Integrators and Government at Cable & Wireless, said: “The Framework Arrangement is future-proof in that it accounts for technological refreshes and enhancements required for innovations so we can ensure smooth transmissions over the Framework Arrangement lifespan.”

Migration from PNN2 to PNN3 is scheduled for completion by October 2007.