London Borough of Hounslow
Logicalis delivers IP Telephony excellence to underpin development of e-Government services
The Client
The London Borough of Hounslow is home to many leading global and national businesses in the west of London and stretches from Chiswick on the banks of the Thames in the east, to Bedfont under the shadow of Heathrow Airport in the west.
Home to more than 210,000 people the modern Borough of Hounslow comprises twelve communities with individual identities, characteristics and histories.
Working in partnership with the local community, voluntary agencies and the private sector to maximise social and economic development, Hounslow has 2,400 employees working together to improve the quality of life and opportunities of its residents.
The Challenge
Hounslow prides itself upon delivering responsive and effective services to the public. As part of this agenda, it recognises the importance of ICT in increasing the effectiveness of front line service delivery and the commercial benefits of implementing and utilising a secure ICT architecture to underpin development of its e-Government services.
As part of their modernisation strategy, Hounslow had invested in a Borough-wide IP data infrastructure, having recognised the long-term productivity and financial benefits of doing so. Its success meant Hounslow turned their attention towards refreshing the existing TDM PBX telephony solution, which was delivered as a managed service, and proved complex and costly to maintain.
Gerard Gough, ICT Contracts Manager, for Hounslow, headed up the proposal; "Telephony is the ultimate application and this was reiterated by our customers, 80 per cent of whom prefer using the phone to access Council information and services. To support these findings we needed a flexible system that would support bolt-on applications and allow us to add/remove extensions on-demand."
With the contract due for renewal, Hounslow put out a tender for the installation, supply and design of an IP Telephony (IPT) solution. As part of this a number of objectives were specified, including:
- A core IPT network with the capacity, scalability and agility to handle increasing demands placed on the Council as a result of e-government initiatives
- Simplicity of adds, moves and changes, and better value for money on maintenance expenditure
The Solution
Prior to tendering, Hounslow piloted a 300-seat Cisco Call Manager solution in branch offices, separate to the existing managed telephony service. This enabled them to further identify their objectives and envision the anticipated benefits from rolling out such technology.
Logicalis Network Solutions (LNS) were invited to submit a proposal based on a requirement for a more scalable configuration and, following a series of consultations, were appointed as the preferred supplier.
Gough explains, "Logicalis' pedigree in delivering IP Telephony to organisations across Europe combined with a financially attractive proposal offered us value, stability and a safe pair of hands to guide us through the transition to IP."
In early 2005, LNS began the migration of Hounslow's voice infrastructure to a Cisco-based architecture. Connecting 15 of Hounslow's previously disparate council buildings, Hounslow, in partnership with LNS, has migrated more than 2000 users over to IPT to date. The system in place, however, is capable of supporting a further 3000 users (fully resilient) and can be expanded to a total of 10,000 users, future-proofing the Council's investment.
Throughout the migration, a key concern for Hounslow was business continuity - disruption to the network would render the council's telephony system inoperable for residents and businesses that rely on the day-to-day support of Council services.
In addition, two on-site consultants from LNS provided daily support; troubleshooting potential areas of concern and transferring knowledge to Hounslow's IT department.
The Outcome
Over 3000 users across 30 sites now have access to IPT and, according to Gough, the migration to IP has enhanced voice traffic already.
"Because Cisco's IP handsets are similar to today's mobile phones, our employees found it really easy to make the transition. It's so much easier to access functions such as the Council directory, and as a result we're seeing more sophisticated phone usage than previously."
The Council now has the option of building upon their new IPT solution with multi-media services, such as video conferencing, IP contact centre solutions, and unified messaging. Each offers significant productivity and management benefits for the Council and service improvements for the public.
Adds Gough, "As a result of this upgrade, we've been able to significantly reduce operational expenditure and anticipate a return on investment within three years. The savings we make can then be reinvested into public-facing services."
The Future
Having adopted IP as a long-term strategy, Gough has already identified a number of ways the Council can improve its customer services; "During the tender process, we stipulated our desire to have video functionality. Over the coming years we hope to introduce features like IP CCTV and public video phones for residents who are hard-of-hearing."
Adding, "Initiatives such as these will enable us to target trouble hotspots, increase security on the streets, and ensure all citizens can contact the Council wherever and however they like. Having an IP infrastructure will help improve the quality of life across the Borough."
