RM plc, the UK’s leading supplier of information and communications technology (ICT) and services to education, has today signed a £30 million contract to provide a managed ICT learning and teaching environment for all of South Lanarkshire Council’s learning establishments. RM announced its appointment as preferred bidder for the contract in February 2003, final contract negotiations were completed during June, and delivery of the contract will commence immediately.
RM has provided ICT products and services to South Lanarkshire’s learning establishments for the past four and a half years. This new seven-year contract was awarded to RM after a rigorous competitive tendering exercise.
RM will be responsible for delivering and managing a unified network, along with providing computer systems and learning software, for primary and special needs schools, secondary schools, libraries and other learning centres. The network will be built on RM’s market leading Community Connect 3 product family, and support and management will be provided from the Group’s Bellshill office.
Commenting on the contract, Councillor Mary Smith, Chair of the South Lanarkshire Council Education Committee said:
“RM has been a highly effective partner of the Council over a number of years in providing first class ICT facilities for use by young people who attend our schools and learning centres. In developing our learning and teaching ICT infrastructure, it was important to understand what other options were available to us. RM offered the best mix of technical expertise and education understanding, combined with a proven ability to deliver to the Council’s very high standards.”
Tim Pearson, CEO of RM, added:
“It’s excellent news that RM has been chosen to deliver the next stage of South Lanarkshire Council’s strategic plan for putting ICT at the heart of learning and teaching. We’ve built up a very good working relationship with the Council over the last four and a half years, and this contract provides the opportunity to take that relationship further.” | 
