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2004

THUS Wins Contract Renewal for Advanced Network

THUS Plc today announced that the London Metropolitan Network (LMN) is to renew and extend its contact with THUS for the capital's academic data network. Connections to Further Education Colleges will be significantly upgraded and new connections are being provided to adult and community learning providers. This will allow community education services to work closely with other educational institutions in London, including universities and further education colleges.

Connection to LMN will see community education providers join JANET, the national academic network managed by UKERNA. This will dramatically increase access to education and research networks and resources, improving facilities for teaching and learning. THUS was initially chosen for a three year contract to provide the London Metropolitan Network in 2000 and LMN has now renewed the contract. By the end of the renewed term, the contract will have doubled in value in support of LMN's strategic development.

The LMN currently provides more than 100 higher education and further education institutions with high bandwidth connectivity to JANET and the Internet, connecting more than one million students, teachers and researchers across London. LMN will deliver high-speed data connections to the Higher and Further education sector and also to community learning centres more cost effectively than the commercial broadband services many of these centres currently use. For some centres this will be the first time they have had access to the Internet. Currently in half of the UK's Local Education Authorities, less than 50% of adult education and community learning sites have Internet access.

Commenting on the news, LMN executive director Mick Kahn said, "The London Metropolitan Network has already made an enormous impact on higher and further education, with a million users across the capital. London is home to a wide range of educational institutions, providing services to a varied group of students. We believe that LMN can improve the experience of all of London's students, teachers and researchers. The additional bandwidth for the Further Education Colleges will enable them to continue developing their portfolio of e-learning opportunities. LMN and JANET bring together a virtual community of 16 million users engaged in education from all over the world and it is important that community learning is part of the mix."

Kahn continued, "When deciding how to progress with the expansion of the network THUS was the logical choice. It has provided an impeccable service over the past three years, with excellent network reliability based on a high quality network infrastructure that delivers the flexibility to meet our changing needs. THUS has proved that it offers high quality service coupled with excellent value for money."

Phil Male, Chief Operating Officer, THUS plc, said, "Providing increased bandwidth and connectivity for the London Metropolitan Network will help the students and teachers to achieve more through easy access to learning and research resources. This development really brings the Further Education Colleges into the fold of London's academic institutions, enabling them to share ideas as well as facilities with well-funded centres of academic excellence. We have a strong track record in working closely with LMN, UKERNA and the wider academic sector and bring with us extensive experience as well as advanced IP-based technology that helps us deliver a fast, scalable and cost effective service."

In addition to connecting the new institutions, THUS has provided additional connections to more than 20 institutions for added resilience. THUS's network will also enable LMN to launch an on-line off-site data back-up service later this year and develop other collaborative.