JANET, the UK’s education and research network, which connects all further and higher education establishments, has awarded a place on its national framework for data transmission to Virgin Media Business. The arrangement, which runs until 2014, confirms that Virgin Media Business has been approved to sell telecommunications services to all education establishments and local education authorities (LEAs) across the UK.
JANET is a government funded computer network dedicated to education and research. It serves over 18 million end users and connects all UK universities, further education colleges, research councils, state schools, specialist colleges and adult and community learning providers to each other and to the wider Internet.
Universities use JANET for day-to-day activities but also for cutting-edge research projects. For example, JANET delivers 10 petabytes of data every year from CERN, the European Organisation for Nuclear Research, to physics departments across the UK. CERN is perhaps best known for its Large Hadron Collider project, the world’s largest and highest-energy particle accelerator which aims to trace the beginnings of the universe.
The framework makes it easier for UK education bodies to cut down on time and save money, by purchasing services including leased circuits, dark fibre, and wide area Ethernet via the one agreement. For the last ten years, Virgin Media Business has provided connectivity services to JANET users. During this time educational establishments across the UK have benefited from high speed connectivity.
Tim Kidd at JANET commented, “The framework agreement followed a rigorous assessment of suppliers who are capable of providing cutting-edge connectivity services. The agreements between JANET and the approved suppliers will make it much easier for organisations to save time and ensure a competitive price. This is particularly important given the budgetary pressure schools and universities are currently under.”
Lee Hull, Director of Public Sector for Virgin Media Business added, “This agreement highlights the importance of fibre optic networks in delivering the high bandwidth the UK education sector requires, particularly in terms of collaborating on exciting research projects and delivering interactive learning.”
Virgin Media Business is heavily involved in public sector framework agreements and was recently awarded a national framework by Procurement Scotland and The Welsh Assembly Government’s Value Wales as a supplier on a key public sector framework.
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About Virgin Media Business
Virgin Media Business is the UK’s only telco with a nationwide fibre optic Next Generation Network. Launched in February 2010, the company aims to bring the Virgin philosophy to the business telecoms market. Providing innovative, high quality solutions built on brilliant customer service.
Virgin Media Business is the largest business-to-business brand in the Virgin group. With a strong product portfolio that includes its market leading Ethernet services. It uses its network asset in order to create bespoke tailored telecoms solutions for its customers. Employees are located at 40 offices across the UK, allowing Virgin Media Business to be closer to its customers in every sense.
Previously known as ntl:Telewest Business, organisations working with Virgin Media Business include London City Airport, Arqiva, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Partnership and South West Water.
About Virgin Media
With almost 10 million customers, Virgin Media is the UK's first quad-play provider of broadband, TV, phone and mobile.
The company is one of the largest residential broadband providers in the UK, using a unique fibre optic cable network to deliver next generation ultrafast internet access of up to 50Mb to just over half of all homes. Combined with a high speed ADSL service and mobile broadband products, Virgin Media is able to offer broadband internet access to virtually the entire country.
Virgin Media has the UK’s most advanced TV on demand service and is the only TV platform to carry BBC iPlayer. It is the second largest provider of pay TV, was the first to launch a high definition TV service and offers a high-specification, HD-ready V+ personal video recorder.
The company operates the most popular virtual mobile network in the UK which, when launched, was the world’s first such mobile phone service. It is also one of the largest fixed-line home phone providers in the country.
Virgin Media also owns Virgin Media Television (VMtv) which runs seven entertainment channels, including Virgin1, LIVING, Bravo and Challenge. VMtv is a 50 per cent joint partner with BBC Worldwide in UKTV, which consists of ten channels including Dave, G.O.L.D., Watch and Alibi.
With operations based entirely in the UK, Virgin Media Inc. is listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market (VMED) and the London Stock Exchange (VMED).
For more information, go to http://www.virginmedia.com/
