County council to ‘save millions’ on new web deal

File photo dated 06/07/11 of a laptop as many laptop buying companies are offering below market value for old computers, according to a new Which? computing investigation. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Issue date: Thursday January 5, 2012. Researchers at the consumer watchdog obtained quotes for a number of machines from various online companies and found that those wanting to get a good price for their old computers can recoup up to five times as much by selling them privately. See PA story CONSUMER Laptops. Photo credit should read: Dave Thompson/PA Wire
GENERIC COMPUTER — File photo dated 06/07/11 of a laptop as many laptop buying companies are offering below market value for old computers, according to a new Which? computing investigation. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Issue date: Thursday January 5, 2012. Researchers at the consumer watchdog obtained quotes for a number of machines from various online companies and found that those wanting to get a good price for their old computers can recoup up to five times as much by selling them privately. See PA story CONSUMER Laptops. Photo credit should read: Dave Thompson/PA Wire GENERIC COMPUTER

The collaboration will see the council improve its wide area network (WAN), achieving savings of around £4 million over the contract lifetime.

Council workers will now be able to work more easily with other government agencies, as they link up to the emCloud Public Services Network (PSN).

Through this network, council employees will be able to work collaboratively across more than 500  sites.

Schools across the county are also set to gain from the new technology.

Those signed up to the new service will have access to improved security systems, including URL filtering and a more sophisticated firewall which will strengthen existing measures to protect students from inappropriate content.

Ivor Nicholson, from Nottinghamshire County Council said: “Faced with a three year, £77m budget shortfall we’re looking at every opportunity to do things differently to drive out savings and improve services for local taxpayers.

“Investing in new technologies will allow us to deliver more efficient ways of working and much  better collaboration between organisations in the region.

“The adaptability of the network represents a big step in digital innovation for the East Midlands.

“We’re excited to see the benefits the improved PSN network will bring to the county’s residents.”