Stone Celebrates 20 Years Servicing the Uk Public Sector
31 October 2011
Stone today announces its 20th year of providing the UK public sector and education market with ICT and audio-visual solutions and support.
With accumulated revenues of £630m over the 20 years, Stone has custom built, configured and shipped over 800,000 Stone-branded PCs into the UK public sector and education market. Furthermore, its recent move to a 100,000 sq. ft. premises, home to a dedicated Environment Agency-approved Authorised Treatment Centre for recycling IT hardware, is testament to its ongoing commitment to a "cradle to grave" approach - in which Stone manages the entire lifecycle of its hardware, sending 0% to landfill.
Stone's customers include public sector organisations such as Coventry City Council, Cardiff & Vale University Health Board and all levels of education, for instance, University of Nottingham, Wren's Nest Primary School and the Government's first UTC (University Technical College) JCB Academy.
Stone has an ever-evolving portfolio of innovative solutions for schools and colleges which includes its 'Encore' and '@ccessability' schemes. Based upon refurbished PCs which include genuine Microsoft Operating System licences, Stone's 'Encore' programme is designed to help educational institutions, provide their pupils with access to technology without the significant financial investment which is typically required for new systems. Over the last twelve months, 26,000 of Stone's units have been recovered and refurbished for a 'second life' in the supply chain. Those that cannot be refurbished are broken down to their raw materials and redistributed back into the supply chain.
Stone's @ccessability initiative provides schools with a bespoke vendor package to deliver 1:1 ICT access to their pupils without having to rely on central government funding. Offering mobile ICT devices on this basis allows pupils from every financial background to work both at school and at home. Working on an e-learning foundation compliant parental contribution basis, the scheme is scalable to meet the varying demands of educational institutions - including those of independent schools.
One of Stone's primary differentiators within the public sector and education ICT markets is the customer service and dedicated support that accompanies its high quality hardware. In 2010, a survey was conducted to assess the performance of Stone's sales team, site support engineers and the quality of its products. Of the 400 respondents, 94% considered product design, build quality and price to be good or better and another 94% answered good, very good or excellent for helpfulness, reflecting a high quality service. This year Michael Battle was appointed Director of Services - a role created to ensure that maintenance of high standards of customer care receives the degree of attention required.
James Bird, CEO of Stone Group, comments, "Given these times of austerity and the level of cuts to public spending in recent months, it is a remarkable achievement for a business that is entirely focused on public sector and education to reach 20 years of trading. This has been possible by remaining dedicated to providing our customers with the best value and service, from the initial manufacturing of our products to the ongoing services and support. Our clients repeatedly emphasise the value they place on our after sales and warranty services and how it is these services that ensure the efficient running of their business. It is our intention to continue to uphold the high standards we have set over the last twenty years."
One of Stone's key achievements for 2011 includes being appointed as a listed supplier on the IT Recycling Framework Agreement from the NHS Shared Business Services Commercial Procurement Solutions (SBS CPS). By fulfilling the appropriate criteria, such as price competitiveness, robustness of process, financial stability, high levels of information security and demonstrable customer satisfaction, Stone is included within the framework as a listed supplier and therefore is granted access to NHS Trusts across the UK. Stone was also successful in being re-appointed as a listed supplier on the Desktop Hardware & Peripherals Framework Agreement from the Crescent Purchasing Consortium (CPC). Winning framework agreements such as these positions Stone as a trusted supplier and increases access to potential new customers.
Since first being established in 1991, Stone has forged strategic close working relationships with leading vendors, including Intel, Microsoft and Apple. Not only is Stone's Intel's number one partner in Europe, it is also the only Apple Solutions Expert in Education (ASEE) to employ a full-time, in-house Apple Distinguished Educator (ADE), ensuring the successful delivery of Apple hardware and consultancy services into schools. Appointing an individual into such a position within the company reinforces Stone's commitment to offering its Apple customers a complete aftercare and service solution
In addition, 2011 has seen Stone Group establish partnerships with Lenovo, a 'tier-one' technology company, and Huawei Symantec, a worldwide provider of network security and storage solutions. The exclusive agreement with Huawei Symantec has broadened Stone's product portfolio, offering the education market with an innovative proposition by providing Stone branded servers with an optional storage solution, available for entry to enterprise-level environments. Stone's new status as Lenovo's preferred supplier to the UK education market, will see the UK manufacturer harness its production and software configuration facilities to offer the complete Lenovo product range combined with Stone's bespoke configuration and service-wrap; including five year next-day onsite warranty and secure recycling of redundant hardware free of charge.
Bird concludes, "Our well-established relationships with clients and partners over the last twenty years have resulted in an admirable track record in delivering excellence to the UK public sector and education market. Partnerships are specifically chosen to develop the Stone portfolio and ensure that we are meeting market needs. The schemes set up in schools and the exclusive partnerships made are a testament to our longevity in this business and a clear indication of our intention to continue growing and developing our expertise."
