SOUTH SOMERSET DC EMBRACE IP

South Somerset District Council, One of the UK’s largest district councils embraces Philips IP technology.

Considered by many as pioneers in local government South Somerset District Council (SSDC) was one of the first councils in the UK to deploy Internet Protocol (IP) technology from Philips Business Communications to help create an open, accessible and service-oriented organisation.

Long before the concept of e-Government was officially defined, SSDC committed itself to deploying technology open to future emerging information & communications technology (ICT) developments, as an integral part of its drive to improve the quality of service it delivers to the public. The council has long recognised the importance of the voice and data systems and networks on which it relies and, when it was told that its ageing telephony system was no longer going to be supported by the supplier, fully appreciated the wider implications.

SSDC had recognised that deploying IP technology would enable it to bring together its voice and data networks, and gain a more cost effective and flexible platform on which it could expand the traditional and online services it offered to the public. At the time however, IP was still considered untried technology and such a move carried inherent risks.

Tony Reese, Technical Support Manager at the council said, “We couldn’t afford to be without a sophisticated and reliable communications system, and we were not prepared to become constrained by older technology. We wanted to deploy IP, yet that meant implementing unproven technology within a 12 month time-frame that was unrealistic even for a traditional system. We seemed to be in a catch 22 situation.”

SSDC were clear with the requirements of the solution. The solution must give them the sophisticated features of the existing system, as well as the new IP technology. SSDC were keen to purchase a solution from a provider that could demonstrate experience across both voice and data.

Following the selection process, Philips Business Communications (PBC) was chosen to provide the solution required. PBC was seen as a company with a proven reputation, and demonstrated its capability and stability across voice and data networking and integration.

PBC had four months with which to deploy its solution. It installed the IP-enabled SOPHO iS3000 Communications Server at the councils Yeovil headquarters, and then integrated this platform with similar SOPHO Communications servers at each of the councils five main subsidiary offices. The Philips Integrated Virtual Private Networking (IVPN) application, coupled with Philips IP gateways, were included to provide the vital connectivity across the Councils wide area network.

“You don’t attempt a mission critical implementation and expect it to be entirely plain sailing, “ said Reese, “But with Philips’ commitment we went live with this complex solution on time, to an uncompromising deadline and within budget – and it’s not often you can claim that.”

Since the solution went live SSDC has already seen substantial cost savings in its call and operating costs. Also, with its previously expensive wide area links replaced by IP connectivity the Council has been able to shed its ageing multiplex routers and at the same time double the bandwidth available for data via IP.

More recently SSDC has been working on migrating other areas of its organisation to the Philips IP network and deploying more recent developments from Philips to their users. The Octagon Theatre is now equipped with a SOPHO iS3030 system, complete with Digitally Enhanced Cordless Telephony (DECT), providing full cordless coverage throughout. Plans are in hand for providing telephony to the Goldenstones Sports Centre, as virtual extensions from the Octagon Centre.

IP terminals and MyOffice@net, a web-based personal communications management portal, have been deployed as trials on very small rural sites. Further plans are now in place to deploy these, where the public and SSDC would benefit from a communications connection to the councils network, in small and desk-sharing environments.

As a key part of its eGovernment strategy, Somerset is also undergoing county-wide deployment of a project called Somerset Direct, a virtual contact centre linking the County and Districts. Re-branded as “Customers First” within the South Somerset, it puts SSDC in a good position for further exploitation of its IP telephony investment.

Mr Reese concluded, “The design and functionality of the Philips IP solution provides us with a leading edge, flexible ICT platform that can support our most critical services. It’s a platform we feel we can build upon to deliver the customer-focused, joined-up local government we have long seen as our vision.”