01 September 2006 | Rebecca Ellinor

IT hardware products will be available to the public sector at discounts of up to 45 per cent following a deal between the government and suppliers.

The Office of Government Commerce and its trading arm OGCbuying.solutions worked together on the initiative called "great deals" and conducted a competition for desktop and laptop PCs and screens. Pre-qualified suppliers were asked to give prices against a common set of specifications. The OGC said this resulted in very competitive pricing with savings of over 45 per cent per unit.

Hugh Barrett, chief executive of OGCbuying.solutions, said high specification, quality laptops are available at around £430 and desktops at around £280. "This is a significant breakthrough for public-sector customers and will save them time and money in the purchasing process," he said.

The OGCbuying.solutions Catalist framework for IT goods and hardware is the commercial vehicle for the initiative. Products will supplied by 17 companies listed on the framework deal.

SMsep2006