A cost-effective desktop refresh programme from Computacenter has helped Northumberland County Council scoop a prestigious national award.
The council was named IT Department of the Year in the Computing Awards for Excellence 2006 after judges heard how the council had increased staff morale, improved IT performance levels and reduced its desktop procurement costs by more than 60 per cent.
One of the key success factors for achieving these savings was the council’s decision to out-task the refresh programme for its 3,500 desktops and laptops to Computacenter. Under the three-year contract, Computacenter is responsible for sourcing, configuring and installing the new workstations as well as disposing of the legacy hardware in compliance with environmental legislation.
Peter Gallon, head of IT for Northumberland County Council, commented: “In the space of four years, the council has gone from having one of the highest costs for desktop acquisition to one of the lowest. Working with Computacenter has enabled us to decrease the total cost of ownership for our desktop estate, which means we are able to focus our IT investment and resources on more strategic activities.” In addition, Computacenter Services provides the local authority with ongoing desktop support services.
Computing’s annual awards recognise the best in IT across the public and private sectors. To win the coveted title of IT Department of the Year, the council had to beat off competition from five other high-profile nominees.
“Computacenter has played a key role in assisting with lT service improvements and has helped to enhance the efficiency of both our desktop and datacentre infrastructure,” said Gallon.
The council has also been singled out by the Society of Information Technology Management (SOCITM). Last year, it recognised Northumberland County Council’s Computer Services Division as an Indicator of Good Practice in nine specific areas of business and services, which included IT hardware acquisition costs.
