Member Article

Jobs created as Gateshead IT outfit secure £750k North East schools contract

Gateshead-based IT firm Advantex Network Solutions Ltd has secured a £750k contract to supply North East schools, fending off stiff competition.

The contract is expected to boost Advantex’s turnover by 20% and will lead to four IT engineer jobs - adding to the firm’s 40-strong workforce.

The contract covers work at Oxclose Community Academy, Red House Academy, Farringdon Academy, Sunderland PRU, New Penshaw Academy, Plains Farm Academy and Ryhope Infants School andDurham 6th Form College as well as existing sites including ongoing support and projects for Green Lane in Middlesbrough, Holy Trinity in South Shields and Parkhead Primary in Gateshead.

The new work will see the company providing wireless, Internet, servers, SIMS, telecommunications, CCTV and infrastructure support services over the next three years to provide improved computer and online services for staff and students while benefiting from expert technical advice and support.

A key feature of the programme will be the provision of services to enable the schools to increasingly take-on responsibility for the ownership and provision of classroom and office technology, technical support and internet and email services.

The move will give the schools and academies greater autonomy, enabling them to directly improve their ICT provision in line with the latest technological devices such as tablet PCs and the latest touch screen technology for delivering teaching.

Director Stephen O’Connell said: “These and other schools are seeing the value of using us as a single source supplier of IT managed services.

“We will be continuing to look to secure more education work on the back of this success and our experience in the sector, expanding the scope of our comprehensive IT and infrastructure work even further.

“For too long schools and academies have suffered from bad advice and little investment and have yet been paying high costs for that poor service; we want to see that trend change which can only benefit the children.”

Advantex and its education consultants will be assisting in this to ensure that the students will be prepared for future working environments.

Advantex is already targeting further growth in the education sector, eyeing other local Schools and Academies that will benefit from its services and expertise.

David Haw, deputy headteacher at Oxclose Community Academy said: “We are delighted with the advice and expertise Advantex will be providing.

“They have huge experience in the education sector and will be delivering one of the most advanced IT, infrastructure and managed services programmes on Wearside.

“The move will give us more independence and freedom when it comes to our IT provision, providing peace-of-mind and added value during tough economic times in the public sector.”

Advantex was established in 2002 and achieved the prestigious ISO9001/2000 industry quality mark within its first year of trading and holds the IOS9001/2008 mark. It is an accredited Microsoft, Cisco and Mitel partner, providing a single source package which combines to deliver flexibility, added value and cost saving benefits.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Tom Keighley .