Telecommunications and the Public Sector

8/7/2019 Telecommunications and the Public Sector

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Telecommunicationsand the Public Sector

A guide to how telecommunication providers

can help meet key public sector goals
http://www.opaltelecom.co.uk/


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Contents

Introduction 3

Efficiency, convergence and value for money 4

Going green 6

Improving the public face of the public sector 8

Secure from the start 10Next-generation Nomads 12

Bringing it all together 14

About Opal 15

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2

Click to jump to each section


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Introduction


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As a recent appointee of the OGC Catalist program, Opal Telecom

relishes the challenge of helping public sector organisations meet the

increased demands placed upon them as part of the governments

plan for transforming service delivery. It believes that, by investing in

new infrastructures, it can provide the technologies to enhance

services and reduce operating costs today, while at the same time

helping public sector bodies meet environmental targets laid down by

policy makers.

And its capable of doing this using applications and technology that

are tried and tested in the private sector and easy to administer.

Opal believes its imperative that any and every department challenges

its telecoms provider to deliver the best.

Telecommunications is vital to the ongoing evolution of the

public sector. A properly constructed communications strategy

encompassing data and voice and mobile, developed in

consultation with experienced partners can help meet key

objectives laid down by Central Government.

Converged data and voice networks provide cost efficiency and

facilitate collaboration; hosted solutions can deliver enterprise

grade call management to customer facing departments; secure

IP communications can enable flexible working patterns and

deliver sensitive information to those in the field when they need it.

3

Introduction

Efficiency, convergence and value for money

Going green

Improving the public face of the public sector

Secure from the start

Next-generation Nomads

Bringing it all together

About Opal


4/15


As the economic forecasts get bleaker and general elections

loom, the public sector is under greater pressure than ever to

prove itself efficient and cost effective and accountable for its

actions. IT and communications is the fastest growing area of

government spend and according to a recent Kable report,

many managers see it as a cost burden rather than an enabler.

A modern telecoms provider, though, can deliver significant

cost savings and increase efficiency.

In a speech to the CBI last year, OGC Chief Executive John

Oughton urged those in public service procurement to see value

for money as a guiding principle. In a fast changing area like

telecoms, though, its hard to keep up with where that value lies.

The regulator, Ofcom, has made huge progress in making themarket more competitive. Many of the best value deals on call

charges and line rental can be found on the newer, converged

networks that operate completely outside of BTs domain.

Its not just about saving money, though, the technology behind

an all IP network directly benefits department processes too.


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4

Unlike legacy telecommunications, a modern telecoms provider

carries both data and voice as packets of data using the

standard IP protocols. Many people still cringe when they hear

the term Voice over IP (VoIP), associating calls placed over the

internet with terrible sound quality and intermittent signal loss

yet the truth is that on a truly modern network that offers Quality

of Service (QoS) guarantees, youll be unable to tell the

difference between an traditional call and one placed via IP.

Even with a legacy PBX on site, the very least an all-IP network

can deliver is free calls between various departments.

Combining an IP-PBX with a flexible, IP trunked network will

unlock advanced features like intelligent routing for mobile

workers at no extra cost.

This convergence of voice and data can also bring greater

efficiencies through new applications which make use of

merged voice and data traffic. Under the banner of unified

communications (UC), working in groups with people outside of

your direct department is made much easier.

With UC, documents can be securely shared and conference

calls started at a single click from the same interface as your

email address book. It also enables instant messaging from the

same dashboard, an efficient way of dealing with minor issues

without having to make a phone call or instigate a meeting.

Introduction


Going green





About Opal


5/15

With all these benefits comes greater provisioning flexibility

too. On a truly converged, IP network, physical lines are a

thing of the past. Instead, data bandwidth can be dynamically

reassigned for voice, and allocations increased without a long

lead time or the need for engineer access. There are no

expensive lock-ins to legacy systems like Featurenet or

Centrex either.

Put simply, you can increase the number of lines going into an

office for busy periods, for a low cost, on short contracts This

means extra lines can be made available specifically when

usage spikes: for example at Universities around clearing time,

or the late Spring/Early Summer period for the Passport Office.


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Efficiency, convergence and value for money 5

Introduction


Going green





About Opal

Choose a provider that:

G Has invested in its own IP network and can offer significantly

reduced call and data costs

G Provides hosted services to eliminate the need for expensive

capital expenditure and maintenance costs

G Can dynamically manage bandwidth requests, without long

contracts for lines which are rarely used

G Offers solutions that ensure your calls are routed to the right

resource quickly and effectively

ICT isnt a burden or a race to keep up with the latest technology

available. A good telecoms provider will deliver a solution that

streamlines processes, facilitates collaboration and cuts costs,

helping the public sector to deliver on important targets.


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For example: according to research from Sun Microsystems and Mitel,

an office workers desktop including PC, handset and monitor will draw

around 150W of electricity. Replace this with a thin client terminal and

a low power VoIP phone, and you can reduce the power consumption

by a factor of 10 or more. Thats an enormous potential saving.

The same principles apply to everyday telecoms. A hosted telephony

service can deliver all the features youd expect from a high end PBX,

but without the need to install hardware on-site. Calls are simply re-

routed to any landline or IP connection and administered quickly and

easily through a web interface.

Hosted solutions can also integrate with other server based technology

that you may be running like Microsofts Office Communications

Server. This gives users and switchboard operators enormous powerto take control of how they want their calls handled from a familiar

control suite that only takes minutes to master.

Combining this with a voice-ready, secure IP network from a next-

generation network provider right to employees front doors can create

an opportunity for tackling another carbon culprit: the daily commute.

Using technology thats been tried and tested in the private sector, the

same virtual switchboard applications can re-route calls for home

workers at no additional cost, while providing an intuitive and complete

dashboard for accessing all the information they need to do their jobs

and stay in touch with team members via easy to use telephone and

video conferencing.

Environmental auditing is a vital part of new government

procurement policies. Thanks to the historic legacies of poor

planning and server sprawl, its reckoned that polluting

emissions from the ICT sector will overtake aviation later this

year. New communication technologies, though, can be a

powerful tool in the fight to lower energy consumption and

reduce carbon footprints, often in ways you may not have

thought of.

Cutting electricity usage at a time of increasing energy costs

doesnt just make good financial sense, its good for the

environment too. Until recently, though, power efficiency was

rarely considered as part of a design goal in the development of

new IT equipment and technologies: energy hungry server-

farms, PBXs and bloated desktop PCs are just some of the

legacies were left with from the IT explosion of the last 15

years. On top of their own energy costs, they need physical

space and cooling to match, with running costs that can be

equal to the total capital investment every year. The good news

is that replacing end of life equipment with carefully selected

new machines can have an enormous impact on overall energy

usage, and go a long way towards meeting government targets

of reducing emissions by 50% over the next decade. Multi-core

processors have opened the doors to a new era of virtualisation, in

which one server can do the work of up to 50 for the same cost.


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Going green 6

Introduction


Going green





About Opal


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In the same vein, replacing business travel with hosted

conferencing and data sharing solutions is sound environmental

practice, and reduces travel budgets too. Voice-ready

broadband guarantees call quality while hosted solutions make

setting up meetings as easy as clicking the mouse.

An experienced telecomms provider will be able to advise of

other opportunities to meet environmental commitments without

simply paying lip service to the green debate. Theyll be able to

demonstrate innovations like web provisioning and paperless

billing which reduce waste, while at the same time integrate with

your systems for streamlining administration.


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Going green 7

Introduction


Going green





About Opal

Choose a provider that:

G Offers hosted services - reducing the amount of on-site equipment

lowers energy costs

G Can provide a secure and reliable home working solution

G Will advise on the best hardware to use for minimising

carbon impact

G Promotes paperlessbilling solutions to cut down on the use of paper

G Can host IT applications on their network, further reducing server

requirements in departmental buildings

By increasing efficiency and enabling new ways of working, the role of

telecoms is absolutely vital in helping the Public Sector in meeting

environmental objectives.


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Keeping things accountable

As recent headlines have shown, getting the right call solution

for a public body isnt quite as straight forward as it seems.

Non-geographical numbers - like 0870 and 0844 are useful for

centralising services and dealing with large call volumes, but

theyve due to the perceived higher cost, theyve also been a

sensitive subject in the Public Sector.

In the health sector especially, patients have been angered that

an 0870 call to their GP can be more expensive than a standard

local call rate.

In response, a new prefix 03 is being designated for non-

geographical services that are guaranteed to cost no more than

a local call whatever your normal tariff. Many operators now

include 03 numbers with some of their call bundles and

packages so calling one may even be free. Public sector bodies

are being urged to adopt the new numbers and absorb the cost

of running them themselves.

A key factor to look for in a potential telecomms partner is their

track record in the private sector: do they have dedicated

account managers, who can help guide future strategy and flag

up issues like this before they arise? If the answers yes then

theyll be more likely to provide the kind of value for money and

deliver the service that the public sector requires.

Streamlining public facing services with the help of modern

telecoms systems is an important part of making the public

sector more efficient and accessible. Automated call handling

and IP telephony can deliver powerful network-based

applications, bringing the power of an enterprise grade

switchboard to offices large and small.

No-one likes to be held in a call queue, or be passed from pillar

to post. A properly implemented interactive voice response (IVR)

service can reduce call waiting times and eliminate the chance a

caller will reach a frustrating busy signal.

When balanced against benefits like intelligent call routing which

enables out of hours service from different offices and automated

processes for Council Tax bill payments or doctors appointmentbookings, listening to a few options doesnt seem too great a

hardship to bear. Designed with sensitivity, a good call handling

system radically improves overall access to public services.

It doesnt have to mean investing in expensive on site

equipment, either. A number of operators offer completely

hosted solutions which deliver a powerful IVR with compliancy

features like voice recording from the network itself. Coupled

with flexible call routing which terminates a call wherever the

right person is, rather than at a particular handset, its the best

way to ensure access in all situations.

The providers experience in designing and managing such

systems can be invaluable in optimising the call routing

program, and designing training programs for staff.

visit us at wwwwww..ooppaalltteelleeccoomm..ccoo..uukk call us on 00880000 995544 22 332211 email us at eennqquuiirriieess@@ooppaalltteelleeccoomm..ccoo..uukk


Introduction


Going green





About Opal


9/15

Choose a service provider that:

G Really understands your needs and can design effective

call handling solutions

G Offers flexible contracts without expensive cancellation costs

G Can deliver network based services (e.g. IVR_ with little or no

capital outlay

G Are knowledgeable about future developments in the

communications market and changing regulations

G Have approachable account managers and with whom you will

have regular contact and advise on the best way to stay

accountable and compliant while saving money

G Promotes the use and availablitlity of new technology such as

SIP and VoIP



Whats more, as competition in the telecoms market heats up,

operators with their own network can contribute even more to

financial efficiencies. Newer, internet-based technology delivers

massive cost savings which are passed on in terms of low cost

line rentals and free inter-site and intra departmental calling.

Thanks to unified communications, presence applications

can indicate who in the department is available at any particular

time too, so transferring a caller to voicemail becomes a thing

of the past.

Introduction


Going green





About OpalImplemention means choosing a partner who will offer the best

advice not just on the practical issues of call routing and

transition messages, but also on staying above reproach when it

comes to navigating the regulatory system and delivery value for

tax payers.


10/15

As more and more distributed applications are added to a network

traffic, more and more points of vulnerability emerge. Battling to close

these with traditional tools is near impossible, and requires too great an

investment in system administration for too little additional security. At

the same time, as recent problems have shown, the greatest threat to

security is no longer hackers or viruses trying to get into a network, but

human error or malevolence allowing information out. When large

numbers of people have access to, for example, information about

benefit claimants which isnt stored in an encrypted format, eventually,

some of it is going to slip out.

Experts at IDC reckon that some 84% of data leakage is generated

internally. Sometimes its embarrassing, sometimes its costly and

sometimes its dangerous all the time, public services must be seen

to be doing everything they can to prevent it.

Fortunately, the migration to a new, IP-based telecoms and data

network can actually help rather than exacerbate the problem. The two

biggest steps to securing data are native encryption of all traffic on the

network, and user based access to that information using policies

which can be centrally administered. Telecoms providers who can

support modern Network Access Control (NAC) techniques (e.g.

VPNs) and management platforms are better placed to help keep

sensitive data secure, no matter who needs to access it from where.

Protecting data is a key issue for all businesses, but

especially for the public sector. Up until now, maintaining

security has meant keeping the perimeter of your network

safe with a firewall. As new ways of working evolve, though,

so too must network security. Packet encryption and secure

access combined with resilient, failsafe routing helps prevent

data leakage without inconveniencing legitimate users.

Nobody needs reminding that data security is a burning issue

for the public sector. In all areas, from tax offices to health care

specialists, sensitive information about members of the public is

stored and accessed on a daily basis. Balancing the need for

swift access to databases and applications and to protect data

is an imperative, and solutions that worked in the past simply

arent up to the task of preventing data leakage in todays

connected world.

The old fashioned methods of security erecting a firewall

perimeter and requiring password logins are no longer

enough. There are two reasons for this: the changing nature of

network applications and the changing nature of threats.


Secure from the start 10

Introduction


Going green





About Opal


11/15

There are other security considerations to take into account

when choosing a network. Maintaining the integrity of

application in the events of catastrophic failure is an important

part of IT planning.


Secure from the start 11

Choose a telecoms provider that:

G Protects voice and data at all key points

G Applies spam and web filtering on the network

G Quickly and easily applies upgrades and new features

G Has a solid disaster recover policy

G Backs up data in secure data centres

G Can reroute calls in case of PBX failure

G Can offer both private MPLS and internet VPN access

Introduction


Going green





About Opal

A telecommunications provider who can offer secure back up or data

mirroring at its own data centres, alongside failsafe application hosting,

will be able to provide seamless fail safes in case of emergency.


12/15

know the benefits they can bring. It can also be part of bringing

business processes up to date, allowing council officers to file reports

in the field from mobile devices or paramedics to access databases

and communicate with central staff.

Whatever the initial driver, though, flexible working has very measurable

business benefits. As well as significantly increasing employee

satisfaction ratings, according the governments own figures,

productivity can be increased by as much as 25% thanks to reduced

sickness and staff turnover in desk based jobs alone. Giving a support

worker the technology to access internal systems on the road can

transform the role completely.

Project Nomad combines making the public sector a better place to

work, which leads private industry by example, with making publicorganisations more efficient and cost effective.

It is also a major part of the governments commitments to hit

environmental targets. By enabling more employees to do more

work out of the office or at smaller regional offices which can be

centrally managed, commute times are reduced, overall space

and equipment requirements are reduced and significant energy

efficiencies can be made.

Communication is absolutely key to getting Project Nomad right.

Whether thats choosing the right partner for data access, or making

sure outreach and home workers still feel part of the team via

conferencing, instant messaging and presence applications. Its also

vital that managers can still do their job, and quantifiably measure

employees performance to build bonds of trust.

Flexible working isnt just about helping employees achieve a

better work/life balance. There are well documented, hard

business benefits in giving people the opportunity to work in

a manner that suits them. These are tangible enough that that

central government has developed Project Nomad: an

ongoing process of determining best practices for flexible

working and encouraging more public bodies to adopt them.

Whether its home working, hotdesking, mobile workers or

collaboration between jobshares, getting the telecoms

strategy right is vital to Project Nomads success.

Many people still see the civil service as the faceless

bureaucracy best represented in Terry Gilliams film, Brazil.

The truth is that its a dynamic environment ahead of many

private enterprises when it comes to embracing modern

working practice.

Take the government initiative Project Nomad, which is helping

to implement and evaluate flexible working in the public sector.

Simple in concept, rather more complicated in detail and

execution, Project Nomad is a little like the term flexible

working itself. It encompasses everything from job sharing and

home working to improving systems for mobile workers in health

care and planning.

All are tied by a common theme, though, the ability of modern

technology to reduce the amount of time an employee needs to

spend in the office.

Demand for flexible working arrangements is often employee led

whether its parents returning to work or younger, more

technically aware members of the workforce who have grown

up with tools like instant messaging and videoconferencing, and


Next-generation Nomads 12

Introduction


Going green





About Opal


13/15


Next-generation Nomads 13

Fortunately, many of the technologies that make flexible working

arrangements reliable and secure are provided for at network

level by todays modern telecoms companies. Home worker

applications which handle call distribution and back office

integration have played a major role in streamlining the UK call

centre industry and helping to win back business from the sub-

continent thanks to security, ease of use and the ability to cover

access at all times by using home workers.

Many providers now have the experience to quickly roll out new

services across their networks which work seamlessly with

established systems and applications. Their converged

networks can carry data and voice securely between offices,

and deliver the cost savings of VoIP and SIP trunking and

hosted IVRs in the process. Where hardware investment is

needed, they already have a trusted network of vendors they

can rely on.

One stumbling block for Project Nomad is that when things go

wrong, they may be out of your IT staffs control. Its important

to find a partner you can trust, who has a track record in

providing always on support and robust tools for automation

and self administration.

Choose a telecoms provider that:

G Has proven and refined technology that is being successfully

utilised in the demanding private sector

G Knows what works and what doesnt, and can advise on

hardware purchasing

G Can help users get to grips with new concepts quickly

G Can support voice and data transfer securely

G Can deliver advanced services at a competitive cost

G Respond quickly to fault reporting

Introduction


Going green





About Opal

With the right telecoms partner, work cultures can be changed for

the better without major upheavals or disruption.


14/15

This is a watershed year for the ICT industry. Many technologies which

have been discussed for a long time under the catch all of unified

communications are finally coming to fruition, with the support of all the

major hardware and software vendors. Bringing together voice and

data onto one network and layering applications over them both opens

up a world of opportunity.

Too often, though, we see headlines where new systems have failed

the public sector by running over budget and compromising its duty

of care.

Opal Telecom believes that its tried and tested IP platform, along with

associated services such as data backup and hosted telephony, can

play a major role in continuing transformation of the public sector.

Through the services it offers and supports, it can help with rapid andcost effective deployment and management of the applications the

public sector needs to keep evolving.

A major failing of many ICT projects is inadequate planning

and poor network provisioning. A telecoms partner with boththe technology and the experience thats been honed and

proven in the private sector can provide a robust, failsafe

platform for delivery of services across government

departments.

The public sector has been mandated with achieving goals in

modernisation and streamlining of services; in accountability and

cost effectiveness; in increasing data security yet enabling

flexible working; and taking the lead on environmental issues.

All of these targets are achievable using ICT applications and

services that are available on the market today.


Bringing it all together 14

Introduction


Going green





About Opal


15/15

Opals association with the OGC Catalist Telecoms Network

Framework, emphasises a continued commitment to the public sector.

Market-unique products, honest advice and excellent value

propositions are just a few of the reasons why Public Sector

organisations are choosing Opal.

We offer solutions ranging from disaster recovery to remote working;

covering connectivity and data solutions, landlines and mobile

solutions. All supported by a range of applications such as call

recording and queuing, and underpinned by our reporting and

management tools.

Opal is the business-to-business division of The Carphone

Warehouse Group Plc, the UKs 3rd largest communicationsnetwork operator and a member of the FTSE 100. This,

coupled with a 200m investment in state-of-the-art network

capability has created an extensive choice of reliable and

flexible solutions.

Customers are at the heart of the Opal approach with:

customisation, reliability, technical support, innovation and clear

strategic direction all providing the reassurance needed in

todays marketplace.

Opal has enjoyed great success within the public sector for over

15 years, delivering a range of products, supported by award

winning customer service.


About Opal 15

Introduction


Going green





About Opal

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