Mobile Telephony and Data

The landscape of Housing & Care 21's mobile phone contract is going to change dramatically over the next 12 months, meaning that this new contract will have a potentially three-fold purpose.

The first element of the contract will be for the provision of mobile telephony to a nationwide estate in excess of 700 devices. All of the devices require the ability to make and receive calls as well as sending and receiving text messages. This is achieved on a zero line rental, pence-per-minute tariff with our incumbent. In addition to this, 45% of the estate receives a monthly allowance of mobile data to be used for browsing, emailing and tethering to laptops. However, as part of any new agreement, it is anticipated that a data provision will be required by every device on the mobile estate.

The second element of this contract is the mass provision of data-only connections. As part of HC21's increased desire to streamline its business and enhance the ways in which their staff works, a sizeable amount of investment has been provided to redevelop its Core Housing and Finance systems. The result of this will be the roll out of 600 tablets for Court/Scheme Managers to perform many of their daily tasks through a series of forms currently being developed by HC21's system provider. All tablets will be expected to connect to the Wi-Fi at their intended scheme, with the forms having the capability to work in offline mode if the manager is out of the signal range of their router. However, to ensure that consistent coverage is achieved at all times, including down time on Wi-Fi connections, each tablet will have a data SIM card installed in the event that connectivity fails at any site.

The third element concerns another area related to data only connections. As part of another company-wide initiative, HC21 are looking to remove the traditional, analogue warden call systems for their residents and replace it with a new digital solution. A central server will run in each scheme, with RJ45 network cables connecting it to each resident's flat. Additional hardware will be connected to the central server allowing a data enabled SIM card to be implemented. This will provide support and backup for the solution in case of issues with the overall network.

The objective of this tender is to appoint a supplier capable of providing a comprehensive mobile telephony service along with the necessary data only capabilities to support HC21 on each of the projects above once they enter their Business as Usual (BAU) phase. The supplier should be proactive in providing support for the core business requirements of HC21, but should also look to provide innovative solutions and collaborate with HC21 in its continued drive in using technology to develop its business.

Additional information: The tender can be accessed through the Delta eSourcing website https://www.delta-esourcing.com/

The access code for this specific tender is 897963S5A6