Strand 5 - Create an integrated digital infrastructure with systems that all talk to each other

As we move our services online to enable residents and staff to better access our systems and their data in a 24/7 digital world, we must give them the best tools, reliable platforms and systems that talk to each other.

We will need to ensure our internal and external network communications infrastructure is kept up to date and able to deliver robust and fast services for all of our residents and partners. This will also mean working with other public and private sector organisations to help influence the decisions and the infrastructure that is installed across the borough. This will help ensure the residents and businesses of Ashford can obtain the fastest broadband services possible to help them access our services.

Develop a clear vision and design for all of the council’s IT systems, to consolidate them to a set of specialist systems built on shared components and platforms, integrated through APIs, and using cloud services (Software as a Service & Platform as a Service) where possible.

What we will do

• Make our systems accessible to staff wherever they need to access them.
• Develop a clear vision and design for all of the council’s IT systems.
• Continue cloud migration of services to either private or public cloud services.
• Centralise ordering processing and management of new software to Corporate IT Service.
• Develop a process for identifying and implementing integration and interoperability opportunities for new and existing systems.
• Develop a full picture of the carbon footprint of our technology estate.
• Review all major back-office and legacy systems to highlight suitability.