Thus’s network solution will connect key locations on the Council’s corporate infrastructure and significantly enhance its capacity to facilitate the smooth and efficient operation of voice and data requirements across the 50 site network. In addition, a separate contract has also been agreed to equip the Council’s remote fieldworkers with mobile broadband capability.
The contract will see Thus continue to deliver an Ethernet network solution carrying voice and data traffic across the Council’s corporate locations and key public service delivery points. The upgraded communication network will benefit from substantially increased capacity and will improve delivery of the Council’s central corporate office systems while increasing the productivity of the mobile workforce.
Lancashire is one of the largest Shire Counties in England and, as such, encompasses a wide and diverse spectrum of rural and urban geography. Industrial areas such as Preston and Burnley contrast sharply with the Ribble Valley. Such diversity is reflected in the communication infrastructure required by the Council and THUS’s solution addresses these needs with a range of flexible tools for remote working based on a solid next-generation network.
Increased network capacity will enable the growing number of remote workers, that need to access and share information quickly and securely be it databases, reports, email or other methods, to benefit from equivalent levels and speeds of access to their office based co-workers. The mobile broadband data devices and connectivity will improve efficiency for field engineers and work crews providing them with the ability to manage the location and repair of faults more effectively.
Dave Dickens, Assistant Director of ICT, at Lancashire County Council said, “The contracts we have signed with Thus give us a corporate network that will not only improve delivery of our internal systems, but also create a platform to meet the needs of an effective remote workforce. Thus listened to what we wanted and delivered a 21st century communications infrastructure that fits the needs of the Council, benefits our workforce and, most importantly, will improve the quality of services we deliver to the people of Lancashire”.
Phil Male, Chief Operating Officer at Thus plc, said: “Increasingly, workers and employers are seeing the benefits of remote working. For a council covering rural locations, remote working technology enables a level of service that is equivalent to that expected in urban locations while at the same time improving efficiency and productivity of staff. Thus continues to demonstrate that it offers clients a quality of service and a commitment to genuinely working with them on a personal level that delivers added value. We look forward to further developing our relationship with Lancashire County Council.”