Waterstons wins six-figure deal with School

Dec 11 2008 by Iain Laing, The Journal

TECHNOLOGY consultancy Waterstons has landed a six-figure deal to boost Durham Business School’s IT infrastructure.

The Durham company beat three rivals to win the deal, which will see it supply outsourced IT services for the next two years.

The deal, which follows a decade-long partnership between the School and the consultants, means Waterstons will supply a full-time IT manager as well as access to its business and technology specialists.

Durham Business School’s chief information officer Colin Ashurst said: “[The contract] gives us access to a wide range of resources that we couldn’t possibly match in-house.

“Waterstons has an impressive track record and have worked with us over the years to make real changes, providing us with energy and vision and opening our eyes to how technology can help us achieve our strategic goals.

“Waterstons will work closely with Durham Business School to identify new projects in line with the School’s business strategy, as well as continuing work on exciting initiatives such as the Durham Experience programme” that aims to make learning at the School more flexible and interesting through various IT-based initiatives.

Web conferencing technology has been used to connect tutors and other academics with groups of students located around the globe.

This has enabled distance learners to attend online tutorials and interact with their tutors as they receive feedback on their work as if they were in Durham. Waterstons’ Ben Leighton will work onsite as Durham Business School’s IT manager and will be responsible for driving its future IT strategy.

He said: “The Durham Experience plays an important role in helping the School progress towards their objective of becoming one of the top business schools in Europe.

“The aim here is to break down geographical boundaries and make the whole learning experience more personable and accessible, no matter where in the world a student is located.”