Home computing scheme delivers full return on investment for Companies House

Companies House has launched a new home computing initiative for staff with help from Computacenter.

The cost-neutral scheme, which has been let under the Office of Government Commerce’s Catalist framework, has already been taken up by more than 100 employees and will help improve IT skills across the organisation.

Steve Pitt, Head of Procurement for Companies House, commented: “The scheme, not only enables us to reduce the cost of home computing for our staff but also provide employees and their families with state-of-the-art technology. The investment required to implement and administer the scheme is offset against salary sacrifice arrangements and reduced national insurance contributions, which means we can provide the computers at zero cost to the organisation.”

Companies House, which is the DTI agency responsible for the incorporation and dissolution of companies, is one of the first organisations to sign up to Computacenter’s Home Computing Initiative. The scheme supports organisations at every stage of home computing from technology sourcing and staff communication to installation and ongoing user support.

Ed Kenny, Computacenter’s Corporate Hardware Director, commented: “Home computing schemes provide a range of benefits both for employees and companies, but can be very complex for companies to implement themselves. Tax, national insurance, payroll, plus industry and financial legislation all need to be taken into account, which requires a broad set of management skills as well as actual IT expertise.”

The complexity associated with home computing initiatives was a key driver behind Companies House’s decision to work with an external provider. “Providing a home computing scheme is an ongoing commitment, which requires both user support and hardware maintenance,” comments Steve. “Attempting to deliver these services in-house would have been very difficult, and would have negated the scheme’s financial benefits.”

Under the Companies House scheme, staff can choose from six different HP desktop and laptop packages. These packages mirror the same hardware and software that is currently used in the Companies House desktop environment, and can be supplemented with additional technology, such as digital cameras and printers. The computers, which include standard Microsoft Office software, are leased to employees for a three-year period, at the end of which they can then buy the equipment out-right for a minimal fee.

“By outsourcing home computing to an external provider, organisations can ensure they maximise the benefits and uptake of the scheme while minimising any associated risks or costs,” commented Ed.

The government introduced the home computing initiative to help increase key IT skills, which according to DTI research, are now needed for 90 per cent of all jobs.