EDS has announced a $142 million contract with the UK Government`s National Health Service (NHS) Information Authority for development and delivery of a full-service directory and e-mail service for the 1.2 million-member NHS staff.
The national directory and e-mail service will give all NHS staff a personal mailbox with direct access to e-mail from the workplace, while travelling and from home. It will also provide users access to an electronic directory containing contact details for the entire NHS staff, as well as an electronic calendar to keep appointments and reminders, including the facility to run group calendars.
"This agreement is a critical element in the NHS Information Authority`s work to develop an efficient infrastructure for the NHS, and it meets the Department of Health target to give all NHS staff access to e-mail by March next year," said Carrie Armitage, the NHS Information Authority`s Head of Access to Information. "This programme is crucial to delivering a modern and dependable health service, as outlined in the NHS Plan."
Implementation underway
The service will be introduced to staff at Early Adopter sites, commencing September 2002. These sites are the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Trust in Woolwich, London; the Wednesbury and West Bromwich Primary Care Trust (PCT); and the Oldbury and Smethwick PCT and Rowley Regis & Tipton PCT.
During future phases, the system will be further enhanced with additional services including, instant messaging, Internet access, and remote access via mobile phones and personal digital assistants (PDAs).
"By developing a universal e-mail system for the NHS, EDS is helping to build the foundations on which the National Health Service can achieve improved performance and delivery of high quality patient care. This will speed-up communications and help modernise the Health Service," said Bill Thomas, President, EDS UK, Ireland, Middle East and Africa. Services will run across the NHS network, NHSnet, and the Internet using a secure connection and will deliver the increased efficiencies possible through the use of today`s information and communications technologies.
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