Enhancing IT experience in North Lanarkshire

Published:   10th Dec 2007, 11:59

We have been working with North Lanarkshire Council to upgrade its public access computer network. As part of the initial pilot project, visitors to Motherwell Library and Orbiston Neighbourhood Centre will soon be benefiting from the upgraded infrastructure. Visitors can use the computers to learn how to surf the net, send emails, brush up on their word processing skills or take an eLearning course.

The improvements mean the computers will offer more programmes, work faster and have working USB ports so users will be able to download information from memory sticks and even plug in their MP3 players to upload music or videos. It is hoped that the upgrade will then be rolled out across North Lanarkshire Council's public access network of more than 400 computers, in around 25 libraries and 22 community learning and development suites.

We worked with our partner Altiris - a US software company listed on the NASDAQ stock market - to design and build a new infrastructure to improve the management and deployment of Windows XP. This allows the new system to be managed centrally from the Council's headquarters in Motherwell. Altiris made the process of migrating from the previous, outdated version of Windows NT to Windows XP seamless, allowing users of the computers to benefit from the latest Microsoft technologies.

tycom, which has offices throughout Scotland, manages this project from its Glasgow base on St Vincent Street. Duncan Cameron, Operations Manager, said: "The Council's IT department faced many day to day challenges managing the previous system. Now with Altiris, they can deliver centralised administration offering the public a faster more efficient service.

Due to the fast paced and ever changing nature of IT, it was felt that a system refresh was required in order to meet the requirements of the public. The new system offers a greater user experience by offering the latest software features.".

As a Microsoft Gold Partner, tycom, with Altiris, have designed an accessible new system using the latest technology, which will enhance the public experience for everyone who uses the computers.

"We are delighted to be the Council’s preferred public infrastructure partner." Charlie Bennett, North Lanarkshire Council's Information Services Manager, said: "We are very pleased to be working with tycom to improve the customer experience for North Lanarkshire residents using the computer suites in our public libraries and community learning and development centres. We are nearing the end of a dedicated in-house testing period and we can clearly see the benefits and the potential for our users. The software improvements will help us deliver on our commitment to service and people first, which is at the heart of all that we do, and I am pleased that tycom can help us do this.".

We currently supports more than 300 businesses throughout Scotland and internationally and was listed in the Deloitte top 50 last year. Altiris was also named the fastest growing software company on the 2006 Forbes "25 Fastest-Growing Technology Companies" list. Duncan Cameron added: "We have been operating in the IT sector for 30 years and over the past five years we have experienced accelerated growth because of a strong number of contract wins in sectors such as law, oil and gas and construction as well as the public sector. The opening of our offices in Glasgow and Dunfermline has allowed us to expand further in the central belt and, coupled with our strong position in the North-east, gives us a solid platform for future growth.".

In addition to bespoke software designed for an individual organisation, we offer the probity® range, which includes financial accounting, construction, plant hire, oil and gas and payroll applications as already mentioned; as well as Bureau Payroll; prosperity® CRM software, for accurate record keeping on all sales activity and prospecting of new customers; and e:competence ENERGY, a pioneering new system for storing and verifying offshore workers' evidence of competence, developed with the Scottish Qualifications Authority. We also deliver hardware solutions, technical support and project management, as well as an experienced team of Microsoft certified systems engineers, on hand to provide free advice, consultancy and support to maximise the effectiveness of each client's IT strategy.