The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has signed an £18m contract with telecommunications company Global Crossing to provide a managed telephony service in more than 100 sites across England and Wales, including its headquarters in London, as well as York and Birmingham.

Under the agreement, the CPS will migrate to the Global Crossing government voice network which includes features such as home working, hot-desking, online directory services and voicemail for all extensions. The new system will support CPS staff wherever they are conducting casework or providing 24 hour advice.

Global Crossing will also provide remote videoconferencing facilities to support the CPS' 'No Witness, No Justice' project.

"This fully-managed telephony service is integral to the realisation of the CPS information systems' strategy," said Claire Hamon, director of business information systems at the organisation. She claimed that it will deliver increased efficiencies for the CPS, which has been put under pressure to reduce costs following a report in March by the National Audit Office, which found that over £55m a year of taxpayers' money is being spent on wasted magistrates' court hearings.