Houses of Parliament to get state-of-the-art data network

£3m network to include unified communications capabilities

Parliamentary ICT, the authority acting on behalf of the House of Commons and the House of Lords, is looking for a partner to provide a managed service solution for the design, supply, installation and support of a new wired and wireless data network.

An online OJEU tender states that the network will provide data and voice services for members, staff and visitors of both Houses of Parliament.

It is likely that over the life of the four-year contract, which will commence in September 2012, the value will exceed £3m.

The contract is split into two lots, the first of which covers the following:

• Data switch replacement (approximately 12,000 ports)
• Telephony system replacement (approximately 6,000 ports)
• Network access control
• Unified communications
• Internet access
• Convergence of other parliamentary networks

The second lot, which may either be provided by the same vendor or a different vendor, is for the provision of a managed wireless data network, which has to include guest access.

The tender reads: "The new network infrastructure must be resilient and have sufficient capacity to carry additional network traffic at a later date."

Parliament hopes that this contract will help it achieve its aim of connecting members and the public to information and services they need "anywhere, at any time and from any device", while also reducing the cost of ICT.

The chosen supplier will also be expected to deliver value for money, plus the capacity for flexibility.