• IP Infrastructure enables 22,000 staff to work anytime, anywhere
• Flexible working to result in reduction in Council property and buildings
• Implementation goes live 2nd April 2007

Fife Council, Scotland's third largest local authority, has appointed communications integrator Affiniti to overhaul and manage its entire voice and data network in a £20 million* deal over the next five years.   The Council's wholly owned new network goes live on 2nd April 2007. It will streamline internal communications and improve efficiency within all 17 Fife Council Services, resulting in enhanced service delivery to the public.

Employing 22,000 staff members and spanning 500 sites, the Council needed to improve the working environment and provide flexibility. The new converged communications infrastructure will provide instant benefits such as the ability for employees to hot-desk. It is also future-proofed so that Fife Council can integrate new technologies, such as collaborative working, remote working and video services.

Switching to IP also makes huge financial sense for Fife Council. With the benefits being split into reduced costs, improved productivity, and improved customer services. The initial cost reductions will result from decreased phonecall charges combined with reduced property costs, enabled via the consolidation of some office sites.  However over time this will be eclipsed by the productivity benefits which will be brought about by the introduction of new methods of communication.

Previously, Fife's communications infrastructure was based on BT's Featurenet service.  Staff had no voicemail and a standard line rental for each of its 10,000+ phones pushed costs through the roof. Appointed through the Catalist framework, Affiniti will install and manage a Cisco-based IP system, which will give total control
and ownership to the Council. Benefits include: no expensive individual line rental, implementation of a voicemail system, unified messaging, plus flexible and remote working options. 

On the new IP network each council employee will now have a single contact number that will remain static throughout their entire employment period - whether working from home or moving between departments. Unified messaging will improve clarity of messages and ensure messages are delivered in the most effective, individually selected manner - on a phone, PC or PDA. The 350,000 citizens of Fife can be safe in the knowledge they are being listened to and their enquiries will be dealt with in a professional manner during the switchover period.

George Robertson, Infrastructure Services Manager, Fife Council, said: "This is a massive undertaking for the Council but we will be in constant communication with our employees and customers throughout the countdown to switchover time.  The new phone system, which will be in place for the next five years, will enable us to help deal with customer queries even more efficiently. It also offers us a great deal more flexibility both in the way our employees work and how the citizens of Fife can contact us.  This is one of a range of projects that all have the effect of putting the customer first and improving the customer experience."�

Gary Young, Managing Director of Affiniti, said: "With a convergent strategy, the Council will benefit from the future proofed solution that IP enables.  This will give Fife long term control over its communications while allowing it to take advantage of new technologies as they develop."

Affiniti has a dedicated account management team for public sector installations in Scotland.  Other public sector customers include: Glasgow Housing Association, University of Dundee, Perth College and Glasgow Caledonian University.

*Affiniti will partner with Cisco and PC World Business to complete the installation.

Affiniti, the communications integrator, specialises in designing, implementing and managing intelligent communications solutions for private and public sector organisations.

Some of its customers include: Experian, Carphone Warehouse, British Airways, Ford, Admiral Insurance, Edinburgh Telford College , Royal Liverpool & Broadgreen Hospital , Cheshire Police, Citigroup, Lloyds TSB.

Affiniti is part of the KCOM Group.

KCOM Group PLC provides a range of integrated IT and communications services to businesses, and internet and telecommunications services to selected consumer markets, within the UK .

The Group's portfolio of businesses works with both leading private enterprise customers and public sector organisations. Through its Affiniti, Smart421 and JAM IP brands, the Group delivers solutions covering unified communications, contact centre solutions, data management, applications integration and managed services.

The KCOM Group also includes a regionally-focused business, Kingston Communications, which supports small to medium-sized businesses. Through its KC and Eclipse brands, the business offers a wide range of internet-based and telecommunications services. The regional business also provides telephony and internet services to targeted consumers through its KC, Eclipse and Karoo brands.

The Group is listed on the London Stock Exchange and employs over 2,700 people across the UK .

Jenny Roberts
Nelson Bostock Communications
020 7792 7440
E: jenny.roberts@nelsonbostock.com

Emma Turner
Nelson Bostock Communications
020 7792 7440
E: emma.turner@nelsonbostock.com