JT will provide hosting, network, and infrastructure support for the States of Guernsey, after the island’s government axed a £200m, ten-year contract with Agilisys half-way through, as previously reported.
The States’ deal with JT, as part of a new multi-vendor strategy, is worth up to around £20m over a four-year period.
Announcements about further agreements are expected in the coming weeks, said the States.
JT's hosting and networks provision will help the States connect to devices, access the internet and store data safely, we are told. JT, which has had a Guernsey presence for 23 years, is already providing these services as a subcontractor via Agilisys, but the States will now contract with JT directly.
The new contract will add infrastructure provision and will see JT build and maintain the technology that allows the States to operate its IT systems “effectively and securely”. For example, it will be responsible for installing and maintaining physical devices like servers, routers, and switches, that are needed to make essential services work.
The initial contract is for a minimum of two years, with an option to extend for a further two years. The budget for the provision of this part of the States' IT provision is about £4.8m per year.
Gé Drossaert, States chief digital and information officer, said: "Our move to a new multi-vendor model for the delivery of IT services is now taking shape and this agreement with JT represents a good blend of continuity - given it already provides services as a subcontractor currently - and further development with the addition of IT infrastructure support.”
He added: “I'm pleased we've been able to achieve the support we need for this part of our IT delivery via another Channel Islands company, which keeps this spend on island, given it will be JT's Guernsey arm that takes on the majority of the work.”
Last week, we reported that the States awarded a £750,000 staff IT support contract to local island firm C5 Alliance. While the initial contract is for two years, there is an option to extend it for a further two years.
The Agilisys contract termination will take effect by midnight on 31 July, 2025 “at the latest”, said Guernsey.
Meanwhile, Agilisys has now publicly criticised the island’s decision to axe its contract, after previously keeping quiet about the decision. In an open letter, Cheryl Bennett, managing partner of Agilisys Guernsey, said: “The recent criticism directed at Agilisys is unjustified. It does not reflect the quality of our work, the integrity of our team, or the reality of the services we have delivered. We firmly reject the basis on which our contract was terminated and the assertions made about our performance.
“We are taking steps to ensure that the relevant facts are fully established and clearly understood. Our focus is on fairness, transparency, and recognising the dedication of the many individuals, many of them local, who have delivered vital services with professionalism and pride.”
She added: “One of the most serious claims relating to perceived provision of services by Agilisys concerns IT outages in late 2022 and early 2023. Independent reviews, including those by PwC and the Scrutiny Management Committee [of the States], have clearly concluded that these incidents arose from infrastructure failures, including issues with air conditioning, uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems, and backup generators. These legacy elements are managed by the States of Guernsey themselves.”
