Softcat to supply IT hardware and services to the NHS

NOE CPC (North of England NHS Commercial Procurement Collaborative) and NHS Shared Business Services has selected Softcat, along with a small number of other suppliers, to supply IT hardware and services including financing and support options to the NHS and other institutions in the UK public sector via the 'LINK-IT Hardware and Services' framework contract.

Softcat who worked closely with Lenovo within their tender response were awarded all seven of the lots it competed for, allowing the reseller to supply: desktops, laptops, tablets and slate devices, specialist healthcare related IT hardware, clinical monitors and medical displays, and IT hardware deployment services.

Additionally, Softcat was one of only three suppliers awarded the prestigious 'IT Hardware One-Stop Shop' lot – allowing the reseller to supply a greater selection of IT hardware and services across multiple lots.

The contract is set to run for two years. NOE CPC and NHS SBS has reserved the right to extend the contract for a further two years (in one year increments).

Andy Bruen, Softcat's public sector frameworks manager, said, "This is a real accomplishment for Softcat and our trusted partners. It was a hard-fought tendering process where keen pricing, innovation and a 'genuine value-add approach' were key to both the successful suppliers and the NHS."

Jamie Burke, Softcat's public sector director, added, "Inclusion on this framework is recognition of the hard work and investment Softcat has made in the healthcare sector over the last three years. It's no longer enough for a supplier to simply ship a competitively priced piece of hardware from A to B on a next-day basis. IT departments are adopting new, flexible ways of working and embracing initiatives like BYOD (bring your own device), which creates new issues such as device support, management and security. Softcat's unrivalled experience of complementary technologies allows clients to make informed decisions that maximise budgets and deliver 'real world' efficiencies, whilst not losing any of the control needed within a healthcare environment."

Softcat is one of Microsoft's fastest-growing public sector large account resellers. Softcat recently won the acclaimed Reseller of the Year award at last year's CRN Channel Awards, for a record breaking third year in a row, and at last year's UK IT Industry Awards won the 'Large Supplier or Major VAR of the year' Award. Other recent awards in 2012 include the Cisco Commercial Partner of the Year, HP's Gold Partner of the Year, HP Storage Partner of the Year, HP PSG Partner of the Year, Lenovo Growth Partner 2012, Mimecast Partner of the Year (for the fourth year in a row), Symantec Commercial Partner of the Year, Websense EMEA Triton Partner of the Year, and Sophos Mid-Market Reseller of the Year.