The Crown Commercial Service (CCS) has extended the migration period for public sector users to move away from the Government Convergence Framework (GCF) platform.
It said it is has taken the step to ensure service continuity while it procures replacement services through a new framework over the next 12 months, with plans to make the platform available until September 2020.
This follows the ending of the official core service, using a Vodafone system to support working through the Public Services Network (PSN), at the end of March.
The new services for procurement by CCS include DNS, eMail Relay to support .gsi and gsx addresses, and migration support. It also plans to contact public bodies using the platform to help with their migrations.
The move derives from the Government’s policy to disaggregate complex IT contracts such as that for the GCF into component items, with the aim providing cost savings, contractual flexibility and improved security.
Continuation
CCS said organisations using core services will continue to receive them, and be billed, unless they indicated that they wish to discontinue them. These include email relay and filtering, domain name server and peer-to-peer for access between the PSN and other government networks.
Services that are likely to depend on these include Tell Us Once, Blue Badge Improvement Services, Individual Electoral Registration, housing benefit and adult social care financial assessments.
CCS added that for non-core services, any users that have not already recontracted them should do so.
Image by Steve Johnson, CC BY 2.0 through flickr
