Digital Health and Care Wales updates licensing agreement with Microsoft

Digital Health and Care Wales (DHCW) has updated the licensing agreement for the use of Microsoft products in the country’s health service.

It has agreed on a contract for a framework agreement, valued at £450 million, with Microsoft solutions partner Trustmarque. No duration has been stated.

The award notice says the company will be required to provide licensing solutions in line with the Public Sector Digital Transformation Agreement that has been agreed with the Crown Commercial Service, or any subsequent Microsoft public sector agreement that is favourable to the authorities taking part.

It involves services including the provision of a licence monitoring platform, advice on changing the licence mix, optimisation of the arrangements to reduce costs, and working with DHCW on software asset management policies – although not the direct management.

Trustmarque has already been supplying Microsoft tools for the Welsh health service under a 2019 deal with DHCW’s successor organisation the NHS Wales Informatics Service.

DHCW also hosts a Microsoft 365 centre of excellence.