Charity Commission upgrades IT infrastructure in partnership with Computacenter

The Charity Commission is rolling out a new network and desktop infrastructure to help support growing demand and future services.

The deployments are being carried out as part of the Commission’s managed service contract with Computacenter, who is also helping to implement the new technology.

The roll-out of Microsoft Windows and Office XP to the Commission’s 600 users has already started, and is part of a wider project to upgrade the systems currently being used by the organisation.

Kevin Chown, IS Controller at the Charity Commission, commented: “We need IT systems that enable us to provide both our internal and external customers with a stable service and a consistent level of quality. The new network and desktop environments will help us to cope with the growing demand for our services, and our future objectives.”

The Charity Commission works with more than 188,000 charities in England and Wales, ensuring they are properly regulated and providing advice on a range of issues, such as efficiency and modernisation.

The new network infrastructure goes live in early 2004, and will provide the Commission with IP Telephony functionality and enhanced call management systems. “By modernising our communications infrastructure, we will be able to improve both our bandwidth and performance,” added Chown.

Computacenter will be helping to ensure the continuous availability of the network and other IT systems by providing the Commission with first and second line support via a dedicated Service Desk. “The Service Desk is the most visible element of an organisation’s IT department, and it is essential that we provide a consistent and reliable service. The partnership with Computacenter provides us with a cost-effective and flexible way of topping up our resources and skills across a range of IT projects and service areas,” commented Chown.

The five-year contract, which started in April 2003, is estimated to be worth around a total of £6million. Colin Brown, Director of Computacenter’s Government Sector commented: “As the role of technology increases, public sector IT departments are coming under pressure to provide a growing range of technical skills and resources. Fulfilling the increased demand for IT services from just internal resources is not a cost-effective option for many public sector organisations. By partnering with trusted external service providers, government organisations are able to supplement their existing IT resources and expertise in a way that meets their individual needs.”

About Computacenter
Computacenter is Europe’s leading independent provider of IT infrastructure services. To help our customers maximise the value of IT to their businesses, we offer services at every stage of infrastructure investment.
We can advise customers on their IT strategy, implement the most appropriate technology from a wide range of leading vendors and manage elements of their technology infrastructures on their behalf. At every stage we help them minimise the cost and maximise the business value of their IT expenditure.
Our corporate and government clients are served by a network of branch offices across the UK, Germany, France, Austria, Luxembourg and Belgium and, through our international partners, at locations throughout Europe, Asia Pacific and North America

For more information, contact:
Tessa Freeman
PR Manager, Computacenter
01707 631514

Helen Guyatt
DLP Communications
01580 201000