Flemish government awards ICT framework contract to HP and Belgacom
The Flemish government has awarded a seven-year ICT services framework contract to HB-plus, a partnership between HP Belgium and Belgacom. Through the contract, network, workplace and data-center services and projects are offered according to an "IT as a service" business model. The elements include Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS) and workplace management as a service (WPaaS), all provided from a virtual private cloud solution. After a transition period running to the end of January 2015, the contract will run for seven years, and is worth between 400 and 500 million euro. The contract also allows the Flemish government to offer ICT services to local and provincial administrations in the Flemish Region. Luc Chauvin, ICT manager with the Flemish government, said: "A cost reduction in the order of 20% has been announced for comparable services. Over the full contract term of seven years, this means a significant lowering of costs if the usage volume stays the same. This reduction can be achieved by adopting a decisive approach towards maximal standardization and automation. The running theme of the new service is "Everything as a Service", also popularly known as the Cloud model. In doing so, the Flemish government is taking an important step forward and promoting this new technological model on a large scale among the administrations."
Pictured: The Flemish Parliament building in Brussels by SPQRobin/Wikimedia Commons
HP: www.hp.com
Belgacom: www.belgacom.com
Cambridgeshire Fire & Rescue picks Symphony Bluelight for gazetteer management
Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service has selected the Symphony Bluelight gazetteer management system from Aligned Assets to manage the organisation's Ordnance Survey's AddressBase Premium data. Cambridgeshire has been using the precursor to AddressBase Premium, the NLPG, for five years. With the phasing out of the NLPG and a desire to integrate AddressBase Premium into their control room setting using, they sought a new supplier. Symphony Bluelight is a range of gazetteer products designed for use in the emergency services. It compromises modules to create, manage and enhance address data, synchronise other systems using the UPRN (unique property reference number), and integrate AddressBase Premium into frontline and back office systems. Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service also host a managed service for Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Authority and the Symphony Bluelight system will allow them to hold the two address datasets separately, but manage them through a single interface.
Aligned Assets Symphony Bluelight: www.aligned-assets.co.uk/bluelight
Dorset Fire and Rescue to use PageOne's Trio Lone Worker Device
Dorset Fire and Rescue Service has selected the Trio lone worker device from PageOne Communications to help ensure the safety of its field-based staff, the company has announced. Implementing the Trio device is helping DFRS protect staff working alone who may potentially be at risk. "We have approximately 14,500 fire hydrants spread throughout the county and it is the responsibility of our lone worker Fire Hydrant Technicians to carry out inspections, test and repair defective hydrants which can often be positioned in remote or hazardous locations," says Ian Crabb of DFRS. "With tilt and motion sensors to detect a potential man-down scenario, as well as a periodic welfare check-in feature and SOS alarm; the Trio device provides us with a sophisticated solution to address health and safety concerns and provide peace of mind to our staff. The Trio also operates as a two-way pager so can be used for our normal messaging and alerting." The service has recently extended use of the lone worker device to its community safety team, and plans to extend use to other units including the commercial safety team.
PageOne Trio Lone Worker Device: www.pageone.co.uk/services/connect/trio-lone-worker-device
Salix Homes deploys Smartvoice Viewpoint to capture resident feedback
Social housing provider Salix Homes is deploying SmartVoice ViewPoint, a customer feedback solution from Sinclair Voicenet, to gain a greater understanding of satisfaction levels and enhance service delivery to residents in more than 8,500 properties across central Salford. The system is being deployed on a per survey basis, without any capital outlay. SmartVoice ViewPoint will enable Salix Homes to conduct IVR (Interactive Voice Response) surveys immediately after calls while they are still fresh in the minds of residents. It will help to increase first call fix rates and reduce the number of unnecessary repeat service visits. Automatic alerts to managers will be generated by SMS or email if results fall outside acceptable limits, enabling instant action to be taken. "SmartVoice ViewPoint will enable our customer insight team to automate the whole survey process and deliver significant cost savings by allowing us to redeploy staff to other productive activities, " said Pam Roberts, customer relationship manager at Salix Homes. "The system will provide us with an efficient and effective way to manage the full customer journey from initial point of contact to resolution, giving residents a greater opportunity to provide feedback regarding the service they have received." Replacing the manual, paper-based survey methodologies currently used by Salix Homes, SmartVoice ViewPoint will allow up to 3,500 surveys to be automatically carried out each month by telephone, internet or SMS messaging.
Sinclair Voicenet: www.sinclairvoicenet.co.uk
