The Council joined the Scottish Wide Area Network (SWAN) in September 2015. The network, managed by Capita IT Enterprise Services, will link the council’s 188 educational and corporate establishments together.
Over the next year the Council will introduce fibre infrastructure to the majority of its sites to enable it to meet its ambitious digital city plans.
Under the driving force of the SWAN framework, more than half of the circuits planned will be delivered using fibre, in conjunction with Capita’s fibre partner CityFibre Limited. The connectivity will provide the Council with the ability to increase bandwidth and enhance digital services to schools, leisure centres and a range of other council owned sites.
Aberdeen City Council joins more than 50 other Scottish Public Sector organisations that are benefiting from shared infrastructure and services, which is lowering costs and improving connectivity across the whole public sector in Scotland in line with the McLelland report.
Cllr Willie Young, Convener of Finance, Policy and Resources, Aberdeen City Council, said: “We have ambitions to become a truly digital city, providing high quality services to local residents and reinforcing the city as an attractive location for business.
“Being part of SWAN has led to a greater level of collaboration and sharing across the public sector - Aberdeen is benefiting from that both functionally and financially. In bringing high-speed connectivity to the city centre, we are making a real statement to the global business community in terms of stimulating and attracting new investment into the city.”
Eddie Cronie, managing director, Capita SWAN said: “The enhancement to the Council’s SWAN circuits will provide a fantastic foundation for its ambitious plans and shows that the network has become a crucial part of Scotland’s national IT infrastructure. By opting for fibre delivery the Council will be able to deliver the capacity it needs now, and increase it when required in the future.”
Since the SWAN contract was signed in February 2014, more than 4,300 sites and 5,300 circuits have been connected, a core network and operations centre has been constructed. The network has also received Public Service Network accreditation and has achieved ISO27001, recognising international information security best practice.
