City of York Council invests £7m in digital transformation
Council buildings and schools across the UK city will benefit from improved digital connectivity, including more flexible wifi and more network security tools.
Council buildings and schools across York are to benefit from a digital transformation contract that the city council anticipates will enable new working models.
The City of York Council has extended its contract with North, employing it to provide a fully managed service to 27 local authority schools in addition to the council’s corporate estate.
Heart of operations
The £7m contract will put flexible working, safety, security, and connectivity at the heart of operations, according to the council. It will also be the second 10-year managed service contract North has secured with the City of York Council.
The digital transformation services within the project will oversee installation of a range of security measures across the network, new digital tools to allow both internal and external threats to be monitored, and faster and more flexible wifi to support a blended working environment, North reports.
The project places security the heart of the council’s operations, both within corporate workplaces and in educational establishments, to ensure a safe environment following an increased use of online services and flexible working policies during the pandemic.
“Digital services have become the essential foundation to deliver enhanced public services across local government with a blended-online approach now commonly adapted in workplaces”
“Our digital infrastructure has transformed multiple council services, improving efficiency, effectiveness and informed decision making. It helped us to very quickly adapt to the pandemic, allowing us to continue working in a secure way, as we supported residents and businesses whilst having to work from home,” said councillor Nigel Ayre, executive member for finance and performance at City of York Council.
“York’s connectivity is helping to attract investment and jobs to the city, is supporting the city’s recovery from the pandemic and helping us to address 21st century city challenges with innovative smart technology. This has seen us use technology to help us tackle challenges in a wide range of areas transport, social care and make the city an even better place to live and work.”
He added: “This long-term investment will help to further improve council services and we look forward to continuing our innovative work with North in the months and years ahead.”
“Digital services have become the essential foundation to deliver enhanced public services across local government with a blended-online approach now commonly adapted in workplaces. Therefore, to ensure businesses are able to operate effectively these structures must be kept up-to-date and secure,” said Mark Lowe, business development director at North.
“North will ensure the most advanced infrastructure is established across the City of York’s estate and local schools, facilitating a hybrid working approach that fits the needs of the council for years to come, while enhancing the education environment for pupils.”
North has offices operating in Wales, North Shields, Birmingham, Glasgow, London, Camberley, Southampton and Basingstoke.
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