NHS Digital has taken a major step towards the impending implementation of the new Health and Social Care Network (HSCN), set for March 2017, with the appointment of managed services provider Redcentric as its peering exchange provider for a three-year contract.
Developed out of the Public Services Network (PSN), HSCN is set to go live imminently following the final termination of the BT-held N3 data and voice networking contracts. It promises a wide choice of suppliers, more flexibility and cost-effectiveness for users across the NHS.
As the single-supplier network will be shifting to a disaggregated supplier model, the carrier neutral peering exchange will be vital to act as a so-called “super-switch”, connecting the multiple community network service providers (CN-SPs) selling HSCN services to NHS users and interconnecting their networks to form a single, logical network.
Dermot Ryan, HSCN programme director at NHS Digital, said the award of the contract came at the end of a very competitive procurement process to stand up a critical component of the HSCN infrastructure.
“The contract is a significant step forward in establishing an HSCN marketplace of assured network services.
