Press release
Leicester City Council invests in high-speed
network to improve staff working conditions and public
service
- New network provides higher speeds, greater flexibility and
greater resilience
- New network facilitates secure remote working for staff
- Council expects return on investment in four years
10th May 2007. ntl:Telewest Business, the
supplier of communications services to the public and private
sectors, today announced that it has successfully implemented high
speed network connecting Leicester City Council’s headquarters to
its 150 satellite offices across the city. The Ethernet-based
virtual private network (VPN) provided by ntl:Telewest Business
will strengthen the Council’s business continuity capabilities,
facilitate home working for staff and provide a better level of
service to the community.
Leicester City Council, made up of 54
councillors and more than 15,000 staff, is responsible for
providing a wide range of public services to Leicester’s 280,000
inhabitants. The Council’s four departments deal with
specific areas of service delivery: adult and housing, young
people’s services, regeneration and culture and resources.
With an ever increasing number of services and a large council
workforce catering for the citizens of the East Midlands’ biggest
city, the Council’s existing network proved insufficient for its
growing needs. Following a thorough tender process, a
decision was made to replace the old leased line network with
ntl:Telewest Business’ Ethernet VPN solution.
The new installation provides numerous
benefits for both Leicester City Council employees and the
community they serve. Staff located in offices across
Leicester can now benefit from access to a high speed secure
network, enabling them to work more efficiently and
effectively. In addition, Council employees have the
capability to work remotely, safe in the knowledge that the network
is completely secure and work can continue as usual, albeit
off-site.
In terms of disaster recovery, the new
implementation includes two physically separate fibre paths linked
to the main sites, guaranteeing the fastest possible up-time should
a line be inadvertently damaged.
“With 15,000 staff and a large number of
sites, it is critical that our network has total resilience as our
community rely on us to provide vital services,” said Peter Kay,
Infrastructure Manager, Leicester City Council. “Our old 2Mbp
connection could not provide us with the speed and business
continuity capabilities we require and ntl:Telewest Business
offered us the best solution at the best price. The revenue
cost of our new 10Mbp network is significantly cheaper, meaning
public money can be put to better use, and within four years we
expect our investment to be paid back.” He continued:
“ntl:Telewest Business has improved the way in which our staff work
and ensured that our network is future-proof, capable of growing
with the Council.”
Christopher Small, Director for Public
Sector, ntl:Telewest Business said: “Leicester City Council
provides the perfect example of the benefits of high speed
connectivity. Council workers now have faster access to vital
information and the community can rest assured that, in the event
of a disaster, the Council’s services will be up and running as
quickly as possible.”
About Leicester City Council
Leicester City Council is a unitary authority
serving the citizens, communities and businesses of Leicester, the
biggest city in the East Midlands.
With 54 councillors and over fifteen thousand staff, the city
council is responsible for delivering services to a diverse range
of customers across Leicester.
More details are available at www.leicester.gov.uk
About ntl:Telewest Business
ntl:Telewest Business, part of the UK’s second
largest fixed-line telecommunications company, is a leading
communications provider to businesses, public sector organisations
and service providers in the UK. It delivers a complete portfolio
of voice, data and internet solutions nation-wide.
ntl:Telewest Business sales and support
teams are located across the UK, in close proximity to our
customers, as part of a commitment to deliver superior customer
service.
ntl:Telewest Business delivers services over
the Group’s £13bn investment in its state-of-the-art
infrastructure giving business customers access to the largest
alternative network in the UK.
ntl:Telewest Business is trusted to provide
critical communications to high profile customers
including: Heathrow's Terminal 5, Birmingham City Council,
Cambridge County Council and Next.
For further information go to http://www.ntltelewestbusiness.co.uk/
Tara Flanagan, PR
Executive
ntl:Telewest
Business
T: 01256
753101
E: tara.flanagan2@virginmedia.co.uk
Lucy Wimmer, Press Office
Rainier PR
T: 020 7494 6587
E: lwimmer@rainierpr.co.uk