Dell, HP and Lenovo included on government's hardware supplier framework

Dell, HP, Lenovo and Fujitsu are among 17 suppliers that have been selected by the Government Procurement Service (GPS) for its IT Hardware and Solution framework.

The government said by creating a single source of established suppliers, public sector departments would be able to generate cost savings of around £6.5m while ensuring a level of standardisation in product use.

The framework will cover the most commonly purchased hardware used by government, such as desktops, laptops, tablets, servers, printers and other peripherals.

The government said the framework should also lead to greater transparency in purchasing decisions and, through the use of an online auction system, drive down procurement costs by 22 per cent.

The framework will run for two years, but could be extended for up to four if it proves successful. The managing director of the GPS, David Shields, said he was confident a dedicated supplier framework would prove worthwhile.

"This is another step in the delivery of the government's ICT strategy. We're pleased to have [developed] this framework to ensure the benefits of standardisation, aggregation and price transparency are shared across the whole of the UK public sector," he said.

Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude added that the framework underlined the coalition government's efforts to improve its use and purchase of IT systems and services.

"The award of this framework is great news for the taxpayer. It's another example of how procurement reforms are driving down the costs of government purchasing, opening up the marketplace to suppliers of all sizes, and making a competitive range of innovative products available."

The full list of suppliers are detailed below:

1. Academia
2. Akhter
3. Centerprise International
4. Computacenter
5. Dell
6. Ergo Computing
7. Fujitsu Services
8. HP 
9. Insight Direct 
10. Kelway International
11. Lenovo Technology
12. Misco UK
13. Softcat
14. Specialist Computer Centre
15. Stone Computers
16. Viglen
17. XMA