Norfolk County Council selects HP

HP Enterprise Services Ltd is working with Norfolk County Council (NCC) in a groundbreaking new initiative to boost the local economy, solve social problems and safeguard vulnerable people while saving costs.

HP Enterprise Services and NCC will create a cloud-based information hub to transform the delivery of integrated public services in Norfolk, driving efficiencies through smart use of technology and multi-agency collaboration. By utilizing the economic and social value of the big data held by NCC and its partner agencies, the new information hub will help NCC create a local knowledge economy, improve education standards and attract further investment to the county.

NCC is responsible for education, social services, highways, fire and rescue services, libraries, waste disposal, consumer services and planning for a population of almost 900,000.

“Our vision is to deliver world-class integrated public services that stimulate and support a sustainable knowledge economy in Norfolk,” said Tom Baker, chief information officer, Norfolk County Council. “HP will contribute to the economic, social and environmental sustainability of the County by enabling multiple agencies to effectively participate in joint service delivery. The creation of a platform for more joined-up collaboration between NCC and other partners will make it possible to get a single view. In addition, HP will enable us to make cost savings of about 20 percent.”

Working with partners including Microsoft, Vodafone and 50 small-medium enterprises (SMEs), HP will provide a desktop, data center and collaboration infrastructure to enable better ways of working across Norfolk. Bringing together disparate data from multiple agencies will enable NCC to make evidence-based decisions, reduce costly duplication and meet rising demands for services.

Based on HP Autonomy IDOL, HP RM, HP Vertica Analytics Platform, Visionware and Microsoft Windows® 8.1 and Office365 software, NCC’s new information hub will be integrated through HP Enterprise Services Information Management and Analytics Advisory services. HP will manage the virtualization and migration of NCC’s data center services to the cloud.

Communications partner Vodafone will enable secure data center connectivity combined with 4G to enable multiple agencies to securely access services. Vodafone's Better Ways of Working engagement from its in house consultancy practice will support the Council’s new work styles.
As part of Microsoft’s CityNext program, which enables cities and regions to harness a new era of innovation, NCC will transform public services by focusing on technology that puts peoples’ needs first.

“Norfolk has a forward-thinking County Council and the region is tackling some of the most complex big data challenges in areas such as climate change and food science,” said Stuart Bladen, vice president and general manager, UK Public Sector, HP Enterprise Services. “This initiative with Norfolk is unique in local government in the UK—it will provide a new style of public service that enables multiple agencies to effectively participate in joint service delivery.”

Helping to create sustainable jobs in the county, the new information hub will be developed by graduates from the University of East Anglia along with HP and NCC staff through a number of internships and placements supported by HP. An innovation program will see projects such as one-on-one computing for schoolchildren, 10,000 volunteering hours to support community projects, and the creation of a degree in Information and Management Analytics to provide a future workforce with skills in this emerging area. In addition, local SMEs, schools and communities will be supported and encouraged to create apps that bring together useful data to support the local economy.

“Economic growth is at the top of the County Council’s priorities, and this ground-breaking initiative will ensure that we are best placed to do that,” said George Nobbs, NCC Leader. “The financial challenges facing the public sector mean it is essential that we collaborate with our partners across the county to better plan and deliver public services for Norfolk. New learning courses for our young people, access to the latest equipment for our school children, new apprenticeships and practical help for businesses add up to a formidable package of investment in our county. Raising the attainment of our children and bringing public services together are absolute key measures of success.”