Lambeth invests £7 million in converged voice and data network

The London Borough of Lambeth plans to invest £7 million in convergence technology to enable flexible working and enhance citizen-centric services.

The borough has called on BT to build and manage the new voice and data network, which forms a key part of the council's 'New Ways of Working' strategy and will increase organisational efficiency and drive increased customer satisfaction as well as reduced costs.

Once complete, the new network will link more than 300 council offices together and provide a foundation that the council can build on in the future, such as extending customer contact centre services or harnessing the power of wireless technology.

"This is an exciting advance for us and we look forward to the benefits that will be achieved from what will be one of the most advanced network and telephony projects in local government," said Eric Bohl, Lambeth's executive director of strategy and corporate services.

"It is an important step in our drive towards improving services in Lambeth."

The initial contract with BT is for three years, with the option of renewing it for a further two years if required.

The fruits of the contract will help the council navigate many of the modernization challenges that it, and many of its counterparts, currently face, according to Clive Ansell, BT's group strategy and BT London board director.

"Councils such as Lambeth face challenging efficiency targets and at the same time are looking to deliver better services to their local community," he said.

"We have seen the role that better networked IT can play in achieving these objectives and this network roll-out will be a vital step in delivering the council's vision to serve the citizens of Lambeth."

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