Kent County Council adopts Siemens unified comms platform

The system will enable the council to provide VoIP and unified comms to public bodies across Kent

Kent County Council has bought a unified communications system from Siemens following a six-month competitive tender process as part of its Invest to Save programme.

The council, which paid £3.3m for the technology, has purchased the OpenScape Unified Communications Server, which will underpin a converged IP telephony and unified communications system.

The technology will support the council's working practices, which include flexible working, and its green agenda, by allowing staff to reduce their travel requirements.

The council hopes that eventually the system can be developed by Siemens to enable it to provide hosted voice and UC services to public sector organisations across Kent.

Lisa Beck, head of ICT operations, Kent County Council, said: "The recent government spending review means the UK public sector must deliver efficiencies, and the use of new technology will be critical to realising savings while continuing to deliver excellent services to the Kent citizen."