Members of Stafford Borough Council agreed on Tuesday (7 May) to put £198,904 towards updating its IT infrastructure.
A report stated that the council’s current IT system, which is over 17 years old, regularly experiences network failures that disrupt workflow and service delivery.
All of the switches used in the current system need to be updated, given that the lifespan of a switch is between 5 and 10 years.
The report also suggested that the “growing use of cloud-based solutions” and the “demand on the network since the pandemic” are why this large sum of money will be taken out of council reserves and spent on IT equipment.
Rob Kennedy, the deputy council leader, presented the report. He stated that IT was a “vital part of the workings of the borough”.
In addition to announcing this immediate upgrade, the council also suggested that it will aim to update its systems more regularly in future.
The report suggests that the council will undergo a widescale IT upgrade at least once every 10 years.
Stafford Council joins many councils and government entities across the UK that are switching to cloud-based IT solutions.
The pandemic has seen an increased demand for cloud-based services from councils across the UK. Online interaction is now in demand, which can be more easily delivered by switching to cloud computing.
The cloud also ensures that services can be delivered quicker with increased cost-effectiveness.
Experienced writer and journalist James McKean leads the daily editorial output at StaffsLive. To contact him, email news@staffslive.co.uk
