UK operator Virgin Media O2 Business has signed a deal with the Crown Commercial Service (CCS), the UK government’s procurement and trading fund, to supply discounted technologies to government bodies and public organisations. The pair have a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to afford public sector entities discounted access to the operator’s business products. The target is to “overcome legacy tech barriers” and “accelerate digital collaboration”.

The three-year agreement, which includes a two-year extension option, focuses on “enhanced connectivity to… simplify processes, automate systems, and drive greater digital fluency”. Virgin Media O2 Business will provide fixed and mobile telephony and internet services, plus equipment, devices, and professional services. The Crown Commercial Service helped save the public sector £3.8 billion in 2022/23 on common goods and services, it said.

A statement said: “By engaging with the telco, and leveraging the procurement frameworks from CCS, customers can access a suite of telecoms services, including software-defined network functions crucial for digital transformation. This will allow every eligible public sector organisation, from central government to local authorities and arm’s length bodies, to overcome barriers to connecting communities through a swifter and easier process.”

The Crown Commercial Service talked about simpler procurement, “attractive discounts”, and “social value benefits” for public sector customers. It claimed a new discounting model that will “reward increased engagement by aligning with government playbooks on procurement”. It stated: “This means it will be simpler and more cost-effective for public sector organisations to purchase, process, and manage telecoms services.”

The “social value benefits” are geared around bridging the UK digital divide, mostly. Virgin Media O2 has a “programme of activities that demonstrate to buyers how the organisation can ‘Do Good with Digital’”, the statement went on. This includes its support for the Community through Connectivity initiative to support 2.5 million households facing digital exclusion across the UK, in partnership with Good Things Foundation.

Martin McFadyen, director of public sector business at Virgin Media O2, said: “[This] will help accelerate digital transformation and offer innovative discounting for UK government bodies and public organisations… There is a key role for Virgin Media O2 Business in supporting the public sector to get the most from telecoms technology… This partnership will also boost efforts to tackle digital literacy, helping people tapthe benefits of connectivity.”

Philip Orumwense, chief technology procurement officer at the Crown Commercial Service said: “The ability to communicate to colleagues and citizens and access and share data quickly and securely has never been more important. This MoU uses the buying power of CCS to deliver cost effective and soundly procured connectivity solutions. There will be additional benefits through increased social value and learning and development opportunities.”