Stafford Borough Council forced to spend £200,000 to replace creaking IT system
Stafford Borough Council has approved almost £200,000 to replace IT equipment which 15-years-old and in danger of making services undeliverable.
Network infrastructure equipment at the authority needs to be replaced “as a priority” to avoid network failure which could disrupt the delivery of its services and affect residents, a report to Tuesday’s cabinet meeting said.
Cabinet members to allocate £198,904 from council reserves for buying updated network equipment. The cabinet report said: “The council has an ageing infrastructure which needs to be replaced as a priority to avoid a network failure and ensure ongoing service delivery.
“It is proposed to replace the equipment in 2024/25 and to establish a rolling refresh programme for ongoing replacements every 8-10 years. Historically there has been no provision in the technology strategy for day-today housekeeping and maintenance of assets.
“Custom and practise has been to retain assets for as long as possible and only to replace when essential to do so. The current network infrastructure is approximately 17 years old and is now frequently failing under the workload.
“There is a growing demand on the network since the pandemic; this increased pressure on the existing infrastructure and the growing use of cloud-based solutions needs investment.
Furthermore, work is required to strengthen the network infrastructure before we can start any development work on any major shared services transformation that may be required.
“The key element of the network that needs to be replaced is the switches. A network switch has an average lifespan of between five and ten years.
“Factors such as repeated power failures and surges may shorten this timeframe. The switches on site were installed in 2009 making them 14+ years old.”
Deputy council leader Rob Kenney, who presented the report, said the equipment was “a vital part of the workings of the borough”.
Councillor Ian Fordham said: “The recommendation is necessary. It’s interesting to see the introduction of provisions across the lifetime of such assets. I see that as a very positive step.”
Councillor Ant Reid said: “There has been a history of no provision of no replacements until something breaks. I love the fact this new approach is going to be one about resilience, minimising the risk of catastrophic failure.
“We need to do this now. We should have seen investment more strategically earlier and I’m glad we’re getting to grips with the problem.”
