Helping healthcare organisations optimise infrastructure, control costs, and prepare for the next decade of transformation.
For many NHS organisations, ACI has been the backbone of their data centre strategy: powerful, proven, and built for the demands of healthcare.
But now, five, potentially ten, years in, you’ve already made the investment. You know it works. The question is — how do you make it work effectively, for longer?
The NHS challenge: Getting more from what you’ve already got
For one of our NHS partners, ACI has become a critical component of their daily operations. It’s deeply embedded in their infrastructure, underpinning everything from clinical systems to internal data flows. It’s robust, it’s reliable, and after half a decade of service, it’s still going strong.
But healthcare doesn’t stand still. This organisation has ambitions to move toward a hybrid environment, making some services cloud-accessible while keeping others secure and on-prem. The challenge? Limited budgets, resource constraints, and gaps in cloud-native expertise.
That’s where we’re supporting in helping them get maximum value from their existing ACI infrastructure, while preparing for what’s next.
Why the right support makes a difference
Cloud isn’t a magic bullet, and it certainly isn’t cheap. Any shift in technology brings more than just a new set of servers. There’s the capital expenditure (CapEx) tied to hardware. But the operational expenditure (OpEx) is often the real kicker: new skills, unfamiliar platforms, new supplier relationships, and the need for specialist consultancy to make it all work together.
We’re helping this Trust tackle it all, without blowing the budget:
A phased approach to hardware refresh: Rather than rip and replace, we’re helping them scope a phased upgrade. This approach allows us to refresh parts of the critical infrastructure at the right time, not all at once, avoiding unnecessary spending and service disruption to patients.
Streamlining SmartNet, one renewal date: We’ve aligned their SmartNet support into a single 3-year co-termed agreement. That means one renewal date, simplified budgeting, and better operational efficiency – all critical for NHS teams already stretched thin.
Smarter licensing with an Enterprise Agreement (EA): With a new 3-year EA, aligned to the same renewal date as the SmartNet, they’re gaining licensing flexibility and saving around 60% on average compared to traditional licensing models. Substantial savings that can be spent on more innovative initiatives.
Full coverage with our ACI managed service
To ensure continuity and peace of mind, we’ve wrapped everything into a 3-year ACI Managed Service. From day one, they’re fully supported — no gaps, no surprises — right through to the completion of their hybrid cloud rollout.
We’ve worked alongside this NHS organisation since 2020, supporting their ACI journey from the very beginning. Now, we’re evolving the platform together, aligning it with their forward-focusing cloud adoption strategy and ensuring they continue to get the most value from their ACI investment.
Beyond ACI: Bringing it all together
The benefits don’t stop with ACI. Because we specialise in both data centre and enterprise networking, we’re able to take a holistic view of the entire infrastructure, identifying opportunities to consolidate platforms, optimise performance, and reduce costs across the board.
In healthcare, and especially within the NHS, where budgets are tight and resources are stretched, every saving counts. By unlocking efficiencies at every layer, we’re helping NHS organisations and Trusts reinvest in other critical digital objectives, ones that continue to improve patient care and operational resilience.
Whether it’s streamlining licensing, expert consultancy, or flexible managed services, we’re helping ensure our healthcare clients don’t spend more than they need to, while still achieving their strategic goals.
In summary, ACI still delivers – with the right strategy
If you’re already running ACI, you’re in a strong position. It’s a trusted, battle-tested technology within NHS environments, and it’s more relevant than ever.
As the NHS looks ahead to the next decade, with a focus on five transformative technologies — data, AI, genomics, wearables, and robotics — the way you evolve your ACI platform to support these innovations is critical. It’s not just about infrastructure; it’s about enabling progress.
We’re working with all our ACI healthcare clients to unlock greater value from their existing ACI investment, minimise unnecessary spend, and build a future-ready platform that supports their ambitions and beyond. By strengthening the core infrastructure today, they’re laying the essential foundations for the NHS 10-year plan, enabling the seamless adoption of next-gen technologies in a secure, scalable, and sustainable way.
If you’re looking to do the same, we’re ready to support you on that journey. Talk to our ACI consultants today.