Northumbria Police awards £2.1m network deal to Updata

Updata Infrastructure, part of Capita IT Enterprise Services, has been awarded a five year contract for the provision of a managed wide area network (WAN) service by Northumbria Police.

The contract, which will run until 2021, will see Updata deliver improved network connectivity and faster access to key applications for police staff across Northumbria.

Northumbria Police is one of the largest forces in the country, serving a population of 1.5 million people and covering an area of more than 2,000 square miles in the North East of England.

The £2.1 million contract with Updata, said the force, will reduce the annual telecommunications bill and result in additional bandwidth and faster network speeds to police buildings, improving internet access for more than 5,000 staff.

“This contract with Updata supports our commitment to reduce operational costs and provide better network services and ICT facilities across the force,” said Ian Woodward, director of ICT at Northumbria Police.

“We look forward to working with Updata over the next five years to improve our network, better utilise our budget and continue to deliver a high standard of policing across Northumbria.”

Bruce Strang, managing director at Updata, said: “This contract with Northumbria Police is our first major contract in north east England. Our ability to deliver secure network services, specifically designed to meet the strict information assurance requirements of UK public sector organisations, ensures sensitive public data is as safe as possible.”

@AntonySavvas