Telenet Business becomes the Flemish Government’s preferred supplier for fixed connectivity and cloud PBX
Telenet Business, which is part of Telenet and specializes in business telecom and ICT solutions, has once again managed to procure two major government contracts following Schoolnet and Belnet. The new framework agreements, amounting to a total maximum value of almost 43 million euro (over the entire term of maximum 7 years), will give the Flemish Government, local governments and many organizations linked to the Flemish Government the opportunity to procure fixed telephone and data communication services via Telenet. Telenet also continues to provide a virtual PBX solution.
Telenet Business emerged as the strongest candidate during the RFP procedure for the two framework agreements from the Flemish Government. The new contracts took effect at the end of August. They will give both customers subject to the current framework agreement (approximately 250 organizations based at more than 1000 different locations) and new subscribers the opportunity to procure fixed telephone and data services at a favorable price.
Gigabit connectivity and services
Telenet operates a ‘gigabit network’ of reliable and cost-effective high bandwidth data connections. The intention is to connect the various Flemish Government departments to this network and additionally provide services specifically tailored to the requirements of the Flemish Government. This is one of the main reasons why the contract was awarded to Telenet.
“We want to help government departments in their quest to be ready for the future, which means that they will require exponentially more bandwidth going forward. Our priority is to provide a full-service solution to our customers by offering them a reliable service based on a universal services portal. For instance, we continually monitor connectivity to enable us to be proactive and take swift action in the event of problems. Customers also have a single contact point if questions or other issues arise. We also focus specifically on security and provide extremely powerful security services.” Geert Degezelle, Chief Commercial Officer B2B
Cloud PBX
The second framework agreement was also awarded to Telenet Business. It comprises the so-called cloud PBX or virtual telephony system. Despite the fact that Telenet will continue to support older systems such as ISDN lines or fax and modem communications, the main focus will be on future-oriented virtual PBX with cloud solutions. The main advantage of this is that Telenet can manage them remotely in order to guarantee the best possible service.
“Because of the personal contact aspect, telephone communications remain an extremely important communication channel for many organizations. A virtual PBX is an efficient system comprising various telephone applications such as speed dialing or call queuing services. Telenet is able to manage the entire PBX remotely by moving these systems away from company premises and onto the cloud, thus ensuring seamless internal and external communications.” Geert Degezelle, Chief Commercial Officer B2B
Earlier this year Telenet Business was also awarded, among others, the ‘Belnet’ framework agreement, which covers WAN connectivity between all government departments that are connected to Belnet. Belnet is the national research and education network that supplies specific IT services and connectivity to federal (FODs/PODs (Federal Public Services/Federal Public Planning Services)) and local authorities, universities, colleges and research institutions. This 5-year framework agreement, which has a maximum value of 73 million euro, will over time potentially connect 1200 physical locations housing federal government departments to each other and to the Belnet network. In May 2023 Telenet Business also activated the new ‘Schoolnet’ framework agreement that will enable every school in Flanders to seamlessly transfer to the fiber network at attractive rates. The expansion of this Schoolnet contract represents a new stage in the digitization of schools in Flanders.
