Midlands-based Warwickshire County Council oversees 18 towns and has a population of over 500,000. Its Warwick-based high performance data centre is responsible for delivering a range of applications to the Council’s Directorates (Departments) including Active Directory, SQL, Citrix and VMWare ESX.
Five years ago, primarily as a space saving measure, Warwickshire County Council commenced a network and storage blade server strategy to enable a high density data centre solution. In 2008 it was decided the Council’s HP p-Class blade server systems needed upgrading and expanding with the latest blade server technology. This was to enable more efficient hosting of existing and planned third-party applications and also to support VMware to provide the operational and cost benefits of a more virtualised high density computing environment. Key requirements were total blade server switch interoperability with the existing Alcatel core network and also in-built network management capabilities to enable failover between server switches.
After considering various data centre network vendor alternatives, including Cisco, Warwickshire County Council decided upon an industry standards open systems solution and selected HP BladeSystem c-Class blade server solutions running integrated Ethernet layer 2/3 Ethernet switch modules from BLADE Network Technologies. These switches were recommended by HP as being recognised for the lowest power consumption and fastest wire-speed performance in their class as well as the lowest cost. With 7.5 million data ports, BLADE’s proven products connect millions of server and storage systems at 350 of the Fortune 500 worldwide.
The overall solution has enabled an enhanced high speed, low latency, low power and low cost data centre networking environment at Warwick while ensuring the pre-requisite compatibility with the Alcatel network. In addition, BLADE Network Technologies switches were shown to dramatically reduce the number of Ethernet cables attached to the rear of the HP blade enclosures while adding sophisticated network intelligence including a Hotlink feature to enable the required server switch failover facility.
As a result of the more streamlined, responsive and high performance computing environment for its users the Council is also able to benefit the local community by providing highly optimised eServices.
System Overview:
12 x BLADE Network Technologies layer 2/3 Ethernet switches for HP’s BladeSystem c-Class servers.
The 48 Gbps HP GbE2c Layer 2/3 Ethernet Blade Switch (GbE2c Layer 2/3) provides a full set of Layer 2 switching and Layer 3 routing features, sixteen internal downlinks, five uplinks and two internal crossconnects in a single low cost blade switch. Each module has 21 ports and a power consumption of 30 watts.
HP Advanced Function Software is a three year subscription program that enables owners of HP BladeSystem switches made by BLADE Network Technologies to deploy enterprise-class virtual network services. By purchasing this subscription service, customers can augment the capabilities of existing HP BladeSystem Switches.
BUSINESSES that go the extra mile for disabled people are to be heralded at the
third National Independent Living Awards.
Manchester-based Breakthrough UK wants to celebrate organisations who
consistently champion disabled people by ensuring recruitment practices do not
create barriers, making public places more accessible or providing modern
accessible homes.
Breakthrough UK is a not-for-profit organisation which is at the forefront of
tackling barriers to employment and independence experienced by many disabled
people.
It established the awards in 2007 to applaud those commercial and voluntary
organisations that excel in promoting the independence of disabled people.
Categories in this year’s Awards will be presented to companies that promote:
good practice in employing disabled people; accessible public transport; and the
provision of accessible, useful, and timely information.
Other categories are open to groups or organisations that promote: peer support
among disabled people; and an overall independent living initiative.
A new category has also been created in this year’s Breakthrough UK Independent
Living Awards to celebrate the outstanding business achievements of a young
disabled person.
The ‘young entrepreneur’ prize is open to all disabled people under the age of
35 who have established their own business, organisation or initiative.
Lorraine Gradwell MBE, chief executive of Breakthrough UK, said: “The
Independent Living Awards are a fantastic way to reward companies and
organisations that value disabled people.
“Last year we had a superb shortlist of people who had put disabled people at
the heart of their business and this year we are hoping to see similar
inspirational stories.”
Sponsors of this year’s event already include the North West Strategic Health
Authority, the Harvest Housing Group, Manchester City Council and the North West
Regional Development Agency (NWDA).
Among the winners of last year’s Awards were: The Trafford Centre (accessible
information); Warrington Disability Partnership (best independent living
initiative); and Manchester-based Body Positive North West (excellence in the
employment of disabled people and peer support).
Dave Wilson, head of people and policy for BT – which won the Award for
Excellence in the Employment of Disabled People (Public and Private Sector) –
said: “The Breakthrough Awards are fantastic recognition of our approach to the
inclusion of disabled people on our workforce and as customers.”
Nominations open on February 1, 2010, and all entries must be received by March
19, 2010. The awards ceremony will be held at Manchester Town Hall on June 16,
2010.
Further information about how to enter can be found at www.breakthrough-uk.co.uk
or by contacting Theresa Cartmill on 0161 273 5412.
Deplorable and draconian – says RLA describing the potential for new government measures defining how and where people will live.
The announcement by the CLG (January 27 – www.communities.gov.uk/news/housing/1447621) of new Use Classes Order, which defines how a property can be legally used, and the introduction of a definition of what constitutes a HMO – House in Multiple Occupation – has been the result of a public campaign often referred to as -Studentification.
-HMO legislation, already introduced by this government in 2006, has been badly implemented with poor landlords escaping many of the measures. Only the compliant majority have been affected, with little improvement to property standards or benefits to tenants says Alan Ward RLA chairman.
The government statement refers to -problems due to large student populations and HMOs, meaning shops, businesses and pubs simply close down creating ‘ghost neighbourhoods’.
Comments Alan Ward – -This will be nothing to the economic decline of bars, restaurants and local shops if students and young professionals are deprived of the choice of locality in which they can live. Packing them into expensive halls of residence neither gives them the experience of independent living, nor integration with thriving communities. It will create student ghettos.
” This is the dangerous use of planning legislation for social engineering to stop students living close to their university, and other social groups such as immigrants.
-The government has jumped its own gun by announcing measures before the results of its own enquiry into HMO licensing- commission from BRE and due last summer.
A further government measure – same CLG announcement – to create a National Landlords Register, has been estimated to cost £300m – and the RLA has called for a cost-benefit analysis to be provided.
Says Alan Ward – -The Register is a last gasp gesture which I doubt we shall see implemented by this government.
The RLA supports the raising of standards for landlords and good management of rented property. We have recently announced an accreditation scheme which will achieve just that.
We call on the CLG to ensure that local authorities use existing measures – which amount to more than 60 – to stamp out the worst landlords.
Rosie Winterton, Minister for Yorkshire and the Humber, attended the Wakefield Economic Taskforce meeting on 25th January to discuss practical measures that could assist the Wakefield economy.
Attended by representatives from Wakefield Council and local businesses, the meeting focused on the key issues affecting businesses in the Wakefield District.
Rosie Winterton, the Minister for Yorkshire and The Humber, said:
“I’m delighted to attend this meeting of the Wakefield Economic Taskforce today. The taskforce is a very real example of Councils and other local organisations working together to put Government Policy into practice at a local level and provide the real help that families and businesses need now to weather the storm of the recession and to come out of it stronger and fitter for the future.”
The Taskforce has already implemented a series of practical measures to date including relaxing public agency buying criteria where possible, speeding up planning permissions, extending local business grants to boost investment, and launching the Wakefield Economic Helpline.
Councillor Peter Box, Leader of Wakefield Council, commented on the need to look to the future:
-As the economic recovery unfolds we will move our focus to assisting businesses during the upturn. The new emphasis will be reflected in transforming the Taskforce’s work into an Economic Prosperity Board.”
Phil Atkinson, sales director at eleventeenth, said:
-It’s excellent to have the actions of the Taskforce supported by a government minister.
Commenting on procurement and winning new business, he continued:
-In order to benefit from the upturn it’s vital that local businesses win local contracts, and equally, that small businesses have access to support during the tender process.”
Grandparents are taking the lead in teaching grandchildren a host of traditional values and are frequently acting as their confidants according to a new study out today commissioned to mark the launch of BeGrand.net, an important new online resource for grandparents providing information, advice and support to help them with every challenge they may face.
The study reveals that over half of adults in the UK (55%) say they have learnt respect and manners from their grandparents, and almost as many say they showed them the different between right and wrong (48%). The teaching of essential life skills continue with a quarter (24%) having been taught how to believe in themselves and almost a fifth (18%) shown how to cook by their grandmothers and grandfathers.
Furthermore, when it comes to the role the older generation play in their families’ lives, almost a third of grandchildren (31%) say their grandparents are like ‘second parents’ to them, more than one in seven (15%) say they are like ‘confidants’, and one in ten (10%) described their role as a ‘counsellor’ in their times of need.
As the structure of the British family becomes increasingly diverse, there has been a growing reliance on grandparents to help support their grandchildren’s upbringing, whether that’s financially, emotionally or otherwise. As such, the issue of grandparenting is a hot topic for all of the political parties ahead of the forthcoming election.
BeGrand.net has been designed to raise awareness of the significant part grandparents play in their contribution to family life and addresses serious issues like legal rights, through to fun things like activities to do with grandchildren on holiday.
Jackie Highe, author and spokesperson for BeGrand.net, said: -It is so important that we appreciate how much our grandparents can add to our lives and our research really highlights just how integral they are to supporting the family unit and society as a whole. The launch of BeGrand.net provides a much needed ‘destination website’ where grandparents can go online and share issues from the more serious legal and social problems to the every day advice.”
And it’s not only the man on the street who recognises the significant part grandmothers and grandfathers play in their contribution to family life , with celebrities such as Davina McCall, Michael Palin and Esther Rantzen also revealing the impact their grandparents made on their lives to mark the new initiative.
Davina McCall, TV presenter: -I owe my grandparents so much. They brought me up from 3. They taught me manners and good old fashioned morals. They looked after my great grandmother and as a child l loved living with my great granny!!! They also taught me that family is everything and Sunday lunch together is the LAW!!! –
Michael Palin, comedian, actor, writer: “Grandparents are more than just a back-up team for weary parents. They can be an immensely valuable part of a child’s life and learning. And since I’ve had two of my own, I’ve realised that grand-children can be an equally valuable part of a grandparent’s life and learning. The two generations were made for each other.”
Esther Rantzen, journalist and TV presenter: -There is huge value of an extended family, my Mother’s mother loved the company of her grandchildren and we saw her every week. She taught us songs and poems, riddles and children’s games that I have passed onto my own children. She was a formative influence on my life.”
Bel Mooney, Daily Mail columnist: ‘My grandparents’ most important legacy is the belief that you always put your family first. They were ordinary Liverpool people with an extraordinary capacity for sacrifice, devotion, hard work, kindness, fun and tolerance – which are all essential ingredients of family life. As I get older I see them more clearly, and recognise how their influence turned my own parents into equally brilliant grandparents – and I just hope I am blessed with the chance to carry on the good work.’
Rt Hon Oliver Letwin MP, member of the Conservative Shadow Cabinet: “The most important thing I learned from my grandparents was that home-made biscuits are best.”
Lord Chris Patten, Conservative Peer: “I only knew one of my grandparents; the others died before I was born. My surviving grandmother had a wonderful sense of humour, was constantly available to be teased and had a glass of Guinness at 11.00 every morning. I am not sure that this offers any lessons for life, although since she went on to a great age it presumably suggests, which we knew already, that Guinness is good for you.”
The Sun’s Dear Deidre (Sanders): -The best thing I learnt from my grandparents is the value of ages-old skills which connect back through the generations – sewing, darning (!), planting out, potting up, cooking from raw ingredients – and the joy of bread and dripping.”
Mark Curry, former Blue Peter Presenter: -Grandma Curry had been a dancer as a young girl so never emerged without full make up, hair done and smart clothes. She knew I would become a performer and told me that however scruffy I was indoors, OUTDOORS was the stage and I should always look the part.”
Richard Randall, 60 Minute Makeover presenter and home decor specialist: -I owe so much to my Grandma, and feel our closeness gave me so much strength. She was called Agnes and lived until she was 82. She was always dignified, sophisticated and glamorous, and had a wicked sense of humour! A lady who will always be my guiding light.”
Highe concluded: -It’s fantastic to see celebrities coming out in support of the grandparents’ role and it demonstrates just how much of an impact they can have over their grandchildren’s lives. We want BeGrand.net to give something back to the grandparenting community by giving them a voice to raise and share issues that are relevant to them.”
HRH The Prince of Wales has become the Patron of the Historic Towns Forum (HTF) bringing together The Prince’s great interest in the built environment with that of the Forum’s work for our historic towns and cities.
The Support of The Prince is an important recognition of the Forum which seeks to share best practice across our historic towns and cities supporting those on the ground to do their work better and more efficiently embracing the best of the new whilst recognising the contributions of the past and the importance that heritage can make to quality of life and the making of places.
The Forum’s great strength is in bringing together professionals from across all areas of the historic built environment, public private and third sector, a role it has taken since 1987, offering events and publications on topical issues, and providing a strong platform to influence policy makers on behalf of our historic towns and cities.
Over the next year the HTFs work will cover PPS15, Community Engagement and the Local Agenda, the importance of Local Distinctiveness, Historic Towns and Climate Change, together with ongoing research on Park & Rides and the Growth of our Historic Towns.
Debbie Dance, HTF Chair said -We are delighted that The Prince of Wales has become our Patron at such an interesting time, when there is so much pressure on our towns and cities to change and an inherent need to get that change right if we can. Our job at the Forum is in making the right conversations happen and the Prince’s support will help us to do just that”.
Dortek, the market leading UK manufacturer and supplier of specialist hygienic hospital doors, has introduced a new door which is designed to help hospitals and clinics fight the spread of infection. Originally designed for use on operating theatres, the new fully glazed MF5 hermetically sealed sliding door is particularly suitable for isolation wards, Intensive Care Units (ICUs) and Critical Care Units (CCUs).
The new MF5 helps to cut the spread of infection in a number of key ways. Firstly the MF5’s unique patented track system which in combination with the doors own weight works together with a continuous neoprene gasket to create a perfect seal against the door frame. This seal has been independently tested and found to be over 99% effective, leaking less than 0.2 m3/hr of clean air with a typical pressure differential of 20 Pa. It therefore provides an excellent barrier to infection and reduces the quantity of clean air which needs to be generated, resulting in considerable cost savings. This is achieved without the need for a raised floor track – which makes for safer and easier access.
Next, its smooth, controlled, sliding action helps to reduce air disturbance and the consequent movement of airborne micro-organisms. The door cuts through the air causing minimal disturbance, whereas traditional hinged doors disrupt the airflows within the clean area each time they’re opened.
The door can be fitted with touch-less sensors to allow for hands free operation, making it ideal for high risk applications. Last but not least, the new door is designed to be easy to clean. It’s made from glass so at a purely practical level it’s easy to see when it’s dirty. However the clean design of the door with no ridges or ledges has no place to harbour infection.
-We are delighted to make our hermetically sealed, glass sliding door available to all through the introduction of the fully glazed MF5, said Mike Glanville of Dortek. -Early indications are that our new door can make a real contribution to the fight against hospital borne infections.
-When used in operating theatres it can significantly reduce the time it takes to build up the air pressure differential between the theatre and corridor to safe operational levels. When used in nursing environments, nurses can observe their patient without entering the room unnecessarily. Patients in turn can be nursed in isolation without feeling isolated. Our new doors really offer an all win solution.
The new MF5 hermetically sealed door is safe, reliable and low maintenance. The door blade is a strong 2 x 6mm thick hermetically sealed glass panel with flush anodized aluminium profiles to provide a smooth flat surface. The system can be specified as a single sliding or double leaf bi parting. A range of frames to suit particular wall construction and thickness are available in aluminium or stainless steel. Safe operation is ensured by the use of an intelligent automation which reacts immediately to even the smallest obstruction, photo sensors which stop the doors closing onto passing traffic, and a self diagnostic system facilitates fault finding and reduces expensive down time.
Dortek are market leaders in the manufacture and supply of hygienic door solutions to a wide range of sectors including the international pharmaceutical, healthcare, food and retail sectors. Recognised throughout the markets for it’s commitment to innovation, quality and customer service, over the last 40 years, Dortek has manufactured and installed in excess of 150,000 door sets.
Dortek have two facilities; one in UK and one in the Ireland.
Berrymans Lace Mawer LLP (BLM) has successfully defended local authority, Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council (Oldham MBC) in a personal injury case brought by John Maybury, which led to the conviction of the claimant and his witness for perjury.
Manchester Crown Court heard that Maybury sought compensation from his local authority, Oldham MBC, after sustaining injury as a result of falling down a flight of steps in 2004. He alleged that he had fallen because of loose flagstone paving on the steps. Maybury asked his friend, Jason Costigan to support his claim by telling the court that he saw him fall as a result of defective steps. However, at trial another witness advised the court that Jason Costigan had not been present when she had seen the claimant moments after his fall. When Jason Costigan was cross-examined he initially maintained the claimant’s story before subsequently admitting that had not been present when the accident occurred.
The recorder for the court found that the claimant had simply lost his balance and slipped on the steps, which were maintained appropriately by Oldham MBC. John Maybury and Jason Costigan had therefore brought a bogus claim. The claim was dismissed and Oldham MBC was awarded its costs.
Following the failed compensation claim the matter was investigated by the police who brought charges of perjury, willfully proving false statements and fraud against John Maybury and Jason Costigan. Both pleaded guilty to these charges. John Maybury received a prison sentence of six months in jail, whilst Jason Costigan was given four months for perjury.
BLM associate Paul Tarne acted for Oldham MBC. Commenting on the judgment, he said: “Our client’s are acutely conscious of the need to combat fraudulent claims. BLM is supporting clients through sophisticated investigations to help identify bogus claims and to ensure that those with genuine claims are suitably compensated.”
Sentencing, Judge Jeffrey Lewis said, “It has to be understood that if people lie in court on oath and that has resulted in prosecution in relation to that, that serious consequences follow.
“It goes to the heart of our judicial system that people should tell the truth. It goes to the heart of all we stand for that when you come before the court, that you take an oath to tell the truth and that is what you do.?
Iron technology leader Saint-Gobain PAM UK has warmly welcomed the publication of the latest official guidance from the Highways Agency on design considerations for ironworks on UK roads, which for the first time refers specifically to the recommended skid resistance properties of chamber tops and gully tops.
Document HA 104/09, entitled ‘Chamber tops and gully tops for road drainage and services: installation and maintenance’ is the latest Advice Note from the Highways Agency and forms part of the ‘Design Manual for Roads and Bridges’ which is the accepted industry ‘bible’ for highways specifiers.
The new document states that ‘where chamber tops are likely to be subject to
trafficking, including vehicles, cyclists, pedestrians or equestrians, covers proven to provide an adequate level of skid resistance shall be selected.’
It also recommends that products to be used at potentially high risk* sites on trunk roads and motorways should offer a minimum PSRV (Polished Skid Resistance Value) of 60.
According to Daniel D’bois, Head of Marketing – Access Covers & Gratings at Saint-Gobain PAM UK, this is very welcome news: -The issue of access covers which have become worn smooth by decades of passing traffic is one which can potentially affect all road users. These products are more slippery, especially in wet conditions, meaning increased risk of skidding, especially for road users on two wheels, and this is an area on which motorcycle users have been campaigning strongly for many years.
-The HA Advice Note means specifiers now have to ensure that products specified in high risk areas offer adequate skid resistance. This represents a landmark in safety in this area.
Saint-Gobain PAM UK has been at the forefront of innovation in access covers and in 2008 launched GripTop, a range of access covers with an aggregate top surface which comfortably exceeds the minimum PSRV requirements stated in document HA 104/09.
Following extensive trials in Bristol city centre, where the covers have been warmly welcomed by local cyclists and motorcyclists, GripTop is now being specified by a number of leading local authorities including Bristol City Council, Wigan Borough Council and Leicester City Council.
Daniel D’bois added: -Local authorities, as well as utilities, are increasingly coming round to the idea that they need to deal with the issue of access covers in high risk areas as a matter of priority, to avoid the possibility of legal action as a result of an accident involving a worn cover. GripTop represents a cost-effective, long-term solution which will maintain the required skid resistance in even the wettest conditions.
For further information about GripTop visit www.griptop.co.uk. HA 104/09 can be found in full at:
A Council that turned its back on a £147,000 Government grant to develop a child protection IT system, has just seen the system it developed independently scoop a prestigious national e government award.
Known as KCics, the system was hailed by the judges at the award ceremony this week as -breaking the mould. But more gratifying still for the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea that designed it, hundreds of social work staff are commenting favourably on the reliability and ease of use of KCics. This includes many social workers who have previously worked in other boroughs, using other systems.
The controversial decision to reject the Government grant was taken in October 2008. Grants were available to all local authorities providing the systems they developed or purchased met a detailed government specification. However, after careful deliberation, Royal Borough child protection and IT experts concluded the spec. was just too elaborate.
They feared it would add unnecessary cost and was so detailed it would lead to box ticking rather than professionally judged assessments of risk. They also suspected that entering the information required under the specification would eat into critical time spent talking with and understanding children and family situations and that the system would be poor at generating documents for case conferences and other proceedings.
Feedback from local authorities that turned to the marketplace to buy systems compliant with the Government spec. strongly suggest the Council’s anxieties were well-founded. Many practitioners are reporting that these systems are difficult to use, time consuming and over prescriptive. Courts and other agencies are also expressing dissatisfaction with the forms they generate.
-We are very proud of this IT award, our system, and our officers who worked so hard to produce it, said Cllr Shireen Ritchie, Cabinet Member for Family and Children’s Services.
-Refusing a large Government grant is a difficult and controversial thing to do.
But we believe the Government spec. for this critical recording system was over engineered. It was wrong for the Royal Borough and wrong for our children in need.
Computer scientists at the University of Bath have developed a new way of making life-like animations of trees using video footage of the real thing. This technique could be used by animators and computer games designers to automatically generate realistic trees that move in a natural way.
Most computer games and animations have a static background, or use a large team of animators to painstakingly draw each tree individually.
Dr Peter Hall and Chris Li, of the University’s Department of Computer Science, have developed a program that will let the computer -watch video footage of a tree to enable it to make computer-animations that mimic the way branches and leaves move in the wind.
The user simply has to draw around the tree outline in the first frame of the video. The program then makes a model of the tree and tracks how the leaves and branches move in the video.
It then uses algorithms to copy this movement and can use this information to -grow lots more trees that are all slightly different.
Dr Hall explained: -Rendering trees has always been a headache for animators. Trees move in irregular ways, and it’s very hard to achieve natural-looking movement.
-It is so expensive that traditional animation often uses static trees – except in big-budget films. In computer graphics, tree models are just as hard to produce.
-With our system, the user can produce new trees of the same variety, with each one an individual. We can also very finely control the movement of the tree for different weather conditions, different seasons, and can even make it dance to music!
Chris Li, who is developing this software as part of his PhD at Bath, said: -Our system will make it faster and cheaper for animators to create animated backgrounds.
-In the future we want to use this same technique to animate other objects like clouds, water, fire and smoke.
Several major players of the animation industry, including Bristol-based creators of Wallace and Grommit, Aardman, have already expressed an interest in the project, which was funded by the Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).
Birmingham City Council has selected an autonomous web-based SMS solution from Text Messaging Centre (TMC) to provide local residents with the option to instantly enter its latest competition via SMS. By implementing the SMS solution for a recent street naming competition, Birmingham City Council has been able to reach a wide audience and as a result has seen a greater uptake in entrants.
An important part of Birmingham City Council’s mission is to communicate effectively with the public and ensure local community involvement in local projects. Tammy Palmer, Communications Officer for Transportation and Street Services at Birmingham City Council, explains, -We run a number of campaigns throughout the year to enable the local community to have an active involvement in the development of Birmingham. Our most recent campaign was to provide citizens with the opportunity to suggest street names for a new development within the city. The selected names will then be allocated to contractors and provides residents with the opportunity to contribute to local landmarks.”
Palmer continues, -We quickly realised that we needed to offer new ways of communicating with the public in order to get the levels of response that we wanted to achieve for the new project. From personal experience of entering competitions via SMS, I knew this was a successful medium that was popular with many people. As such I began to look into how we could provide the same facility for Birmingham City Council’s street naming competition.”
Palmer adds, -By selecting TMC’s SMS solution we were then able to move away from previous campaign activities such as direct mail and leaflet drops, which are expensive to produce and require a lot of resource, and focus on providing a text messaging facility instead. In order to raise awareness of the campaign and the new text facility we included the short-code number on posters around the city, to inform residents of how they can easily submit their entries via SMS.”
Due to the instantaneous nature of SMS, residents could text into the competition wherever they saw the poster. Palmer comments, -Most people enter competitions when they are either bored, waiting around or have some spare time on their hands. SMS offers people the ability to enter quickly and effectively with minimal effort. Through offering this medium we have seen a greater level of participation in the competition and it has been commended as one of the most successful campaigns in terms of number of entrants at the council to date.”
Palmer adds, -Using the SMS solution from TMC has also greatly facilitated the management of the entry process. The easy-to-use desktop interface enables us to review entries on a day-by-day basis or even hour-by-hour, allowing the council to easily evaluate street name suggestions, see the levels of entries at any given moment and have a record of the entrants’ mobile numbers for any follow-up activity.”
Palmer concludes, -We are continually researching and implementing new technologies at Birmingham City Council that allow us to communicate more effectively and efficiently with the local community. By using SMS we have seen just how the latest tools can be integrated to enable immediate engagement from a wider audience and create greater interest from the public.”
Peter Tanner, Managing Director of TMC comments, -SMS offers many organisations and businesses the opportunity to communicate effectively with their target audience, and I am extremely pleased that Birmingham City Council is achieving such great results from SMS. We look forward to continually working with Birmingham City Council to establish other areas of the organisation that can benefit from implementing SMS into their existing workflow.”
At Oldham Council we are committed to supporting Sure Start Children’s Centres within our community and always work collaboratively with them to ensure that as many families as possible are engaged with the work they do.
There are currently 14 children’s centres in Oldham, with two more in the pipeline, enabling many local parents and their children to benefit from the wide range of facilities on offer. With services as diverse as health support; help for parents to find employment or training; maternity and post-natal support, we’re keen to ensure that all local families are aware of the facilities available on their doorstep.
Bringing children’s centres to life
In order to provide families with key information about Sure Start Children’s Centres, we have been working with local mums, dads and carers to share their experiences of using the services and seeing the benefits first-hand. We have found this method to be really effective as case studies bring the positive impact of children’s centres to life in a way that everyone can understand and relate to.
One of our children’s centres has worked with the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) as part of its national communications campaign. An inspirational story of a mum from Stanley Road Children’s Centre was placed in Take a Break and Reveal magazine and regional newspapers such as Oldham Advertiser and Manchester Evening News. Her story achieved a circulation of more than 1.5 million.
In October, we celebrated the partnership between Oldham Council and The Children’s Society with an event held at Medlock Vale Children’s Centre. The Children’s Society, as the commissioned lead agency, invited parents and family carers to speak at the event and share the positive impact children’s centres have had on their lives. It was encouraging for everyone there to hear first-hand how children’s centres in Oldham have improved the lives of local families.
Joined up thinking
We believe that working together with children’s centres, parents, schools, health services, job centre plus and other service providers gets the best results and we strive to ensure that plans and services are joined up in a way that is complimentary.
This partnership approach is co-ordinated by Oldham’s Children’s Trust which provides the leadership and direction to ensure that children’s centres and schools are at the centre of high quality, community owned services. The Children’s Centre Strategic Partnership works to establish clear channels of communication between individual advisory boards and the Children’s Trust to ensure that no voice goes unheard.
Making plans for the future
We are always on the lookout for ways to spread the word within the local community about Sure Start Children’s Centres.
Spring Meadows Children’s Centre recently trialled a partnership with Tesco to help more mums and dads back into work by creating better access to job opportunities at a new store. As part of this they worked with the Family Information Service (FIS) and job centre plus to provide advice and support to local parents returning to work, joined with Tesco to work on the Mayor’s fundraising event and facilitated training sessions at the Tesco store to promote the work that children’s centres do.
The partnership was a success, with Tesco’s Community Development Worker becoming engaged with children’s centres and committing to promoting the work they do. The project is currently developing to encompass three more children’s centres in Oldham with further promotional events arranged for the coming weeks.
Support for local authorities
Sure Start Children’s Centres provide a vital service to children and families and ensuring that as many people as possible hear about them is high up on our agenda. Through our collaborative approach, we continue to focus on what matters most making sure that our partners as well as local parents and carers play an increasingly significant role in shaping their future.
Support is available thanks to the template materials and support that the DCSF provides on its Every Child Matters website have a look for yourself and think about how you can give families in your community a Sure Start.
Identify course of slow connectivity between sites on 1Gb and 10Mb network
Understand why issues were occurring at different times of the day
Solution
Network Instruments Observer Suite
Multiple Network Instruments Expert Probes
Consultancy & Training from UK Netcom Ltd
Benefits
Automatic problem resolution increased by 20% – saving valuable time for the ICT Network Team
ROI achieved within 6 months based on time and money saved
Eliminated time and costs of consulting services for troubleshooting
Optimised network performance of Trust’s 2,500 employees
Complete network view with drill-down traffic analysis ensures maximum network and application up-time
Retrospective and forensic network monitoring stops repetitive troubleshooting tasks
Alarms prevent future issues and enable instant problem resolution
Introduction
The Leeds Partnership NHS Foundation Trust provides services to 572,000 adults, across 62 sites in the Leeds area. The people under its care are vulnerable and the Trust strives to provide the best possible care and support to them.
The sites are connected by a complex, highly secure data network. Over this network runs the applications needed to support the Trust’s data and telecommunications needs. These include critical applications including patient records, and increasingly, Voice over IP and video conferencing. Over 2,500 employees rely on these tools on a daily basis.
The problem
Not only is this data sensitive, it is vital to patient care. This meant the Trust had to immediately address the slow connectivity issues it was starting to experience between certain sites. With no consistency to the connectivity problems, it was hard to identify the exact cause slowing down Citrix, HTTP, SMTP and Microsoft Directory services.
Troubleshooting also opened up its own issues. It was a time-consuming process that forced the staff to focus on extinguishing immediate network fires rather than on problem prevention and long-term planning.
According to Hergy Galsinh, Network Manager of Leeds Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, -The time and money previously spent on internal and external resources and consultancy to investigate incidents has been eliminated, and the time it takes to solve a problem greatly reduced.”
-I believe Observer has cut the time actually spent by the ICT Network Team on delivering IT services to the Trust by at least 20% when troubleshooting,” continued Hergy. “In addition, overall service and productivity has risen as result of the always-on application services now available to them.”
The solution
Within 10 minutes of deploying the Observer Suite, a comprehensive troubleshooting console, combined with multiple Expert Probes to provide complete network visibility, the team was able to analyze network, application and server behaviour and identify the cause of the bandwidth slowdown.
The Windows update server was the primary culprit. Rather than sending out updates at night, it was sending them via the main network during the busiest times of the day. Significant bandwidth and contention issues were also caused when large files were sent in parallel with key business applications.
Observer was initially deployed for the purpose of troubleshooting. The tool alerted and discovered the issue immediately to other member of the ICT Services Team, highlighting the potential problems and backed this up with online reports generated by Observer Suite. From the data, the team identified the source of the connectivity issues and reset the updates to occur during off-peak hours.
To avert these issues in the future, alarms were set up to alert the team of any impending issues. This, in conjunction with extensive use of Observer for network monitoring, has provided the team with an unparalleled view of network and application performance and enabled them to set internal service level agreements.
-The evidence was right before us,” said Hergy Galsinh. “Observer provided an almost instant report outlining in as much detail as we wanted the recent network and application activities. From this we were able to pinpoint exactly what was causing the connections to slow and avoid a patient-facing communication break-down.
With the connectivity problems solved, the Trust started using Observer for preventative purposes, anticipating issues before they happened, and planning activities and implementations in context of network demands and trends. For example, while rolling out a new application, pre-deployment network assessments are conducted to ensure smooth deployments. In addition, Observer plays a key role in conjunction with quality of service solutions to verify the Trust’s video conferences have enough bandwidth to run smoothly.
-In all instances, prevention is better than a cure,” stated Hergy Galsinh. “By continually monitoring the network, and running reports, we can ensure the network team is always focused on the business of running the Trust’s vital network. No longer do we have to use valuable resources to troubleshoot and put-right potentially critical issues once they have happen. Observer makes light of any problem, and in a fraction of the time it would have taken us previously.
How they did it
Hergy and his team worked with UK Netcom Ltd, a Network Instruments specialist, to establish the best solutions to the problem. They had already looked at NetScout Sniffer, but on this occasion it was Network Instrument’s Observer that could meet the troubleshooting needs of the Trust.
-I have worked on a number of projects with UK Netcom, and they fully understand our network and the needs of the Trust,” indicated Hergy Galsinh. “They recommended Observer because it could address our immediate needs, and expand with us to ensure we always have optimum performance on our network.”
-There have been no issues at all with Observer. The training and consultancy we received from UK Netcom as part of the package was top class and has set the team up to maximise the benefits of Observer. The technical teams at Network Instruments and UK Netcom have proven to be extremely knowledgeable and any queries have been answered quickly and efficiently.
-Observer was the missing tool in the Network Services Department,” he concluded. “It has met our expectations, increased productivity and enabled us to provide the best support we can to all levels of staff and patients who rely on a seamless, transparent network infrastructure.
Moving forward Leeds Partnerships NHS Foundation Trust is considering the use of other Network Instruments solutions to benefit the management and efficiency of the Leeds Partnerships NHS Foundation Trust. Already, additional probes have been purchased to gain further insight and visibility into the network and to ensure that all remote sites can be monitored easily from a central point. Hergy Galsinh is confident further investments in this solution will be made in the next year.
About Leeds Partnerships NHS Foundation Trust
The Leeds Partnerships NHS Foundation Trust provides specialist mental health and learning disability services to over 572,000 adults within the Leeds Metropolitan boundary. On an average day the Trust sees and supports over 2,000 people.
As an NHS Foundation Trust, the Leeds Partnerships NHS Foundation Trust is committed to providing the best services it can to the local community. These -services comprise everything from patient referrals through to the IT services than underpin the workings of the Trust.
Under the ethos of the NHS Trusts, all areas, including the IT department, have the freedom to develop new ways of working, as long as these ensure the quickest, most effective responses and solutions to local needs – both patient and employee.
It was with this autonomy that Hergy Galsinh started to review the way that the Trust’s network and applications were run to see if he could improve the performance, whilst freeing up his team to concentrate on delivering the applications that make the Trust the success it is.
Working with UK Netcom Ltd, Hergy Galsinh has been able to put in place the most advanced network monitoring platform there is. The result has been major improvements to the Trust and the services that it delivers.
Network Instruments, a leading provider of performance management and troubleshooting for fifteen years, helps organizations ensure the delivery of business-critical applications. The company’s platform of management and reporting products provides comprehensive visibility into networks and applications to optimize performance, speed troubleshooting, and assist long-term capacity planning. Network Instruments achieved profitability in its first quarter and posted double-digit growth every year since its founding – without any external funding. Headquartered in Minneapolis, the company has sales offices worldwide and distributors in over 50 countries. For more information, please visit www.networkinstruments.com.
For more information contact:
Caroline Howlett
Strategic PR
01494 434434
UK Netcom Ltd is an independent supplier specialising in the Network Instruments Analysis and Reporting solution, with over 15 years industry experience; our sole aim is to provide continuity within our clients IT infrastructure, allowing them to enjoy a more dependable and secure network – lowering the total cost of ownership and increasing system uptime. Our Consultancy and implementation assistance combined with the Network Instruments product range allows us to offer a unique solution to often bespoke problems.
Temporary Deputy Chief Constable Patricia Gallan said: “Following a
detailed investigation by Merseyside Police’s Anti Corruption Unit three
police officers and a member of the public have been convicted of serious
drug offences today. A fourth police officer has been found not guilty but
he remains suspended from duty whilst consideration is given to any
potential misconduct proceedings.
“It is essential that police officers and staff act with integrity at all
times. We, as a police force, take swift and robust action if any of our
officers or staff are found to have broken the law. We take our
professional standards very seriously and will not tolerate any behaviour
that does not meet our high standards and expectations.
“The public of Merseyside has every right to expect that any member of
Merseyside Police will act with the upmost integrity at all times.”
‘The consulting culture that costs taxpayers £100m a year’ declares the Times headline – ‘consultants earn more than the Prime Minister’ the article goes on to proclaim. The implication is clear, the public sector is squandering taxpayers’ money and it’s a disgrace! How can the consultancy profession defend such accusations especially when times are tough?
The proposition that consultants need to justify value when times are tough implies they do not when times are good; a fundamental flaw in the argument I fear. Coming from the school of consultants that carries out client work only when value is clear and outcomes are agreed upfront I have to say, in certain cases, the whole accusation is fully justified. I recall my first ever line manager’s wise words when he told me just ahead of a tricky wage negotiation ‘we get the industrial relations we deserve’. I fear the same sentiment can be applied to the consultancy market.
I hail from the school of consultants that believe the prime role of any consultant is to help clarify, specify and then deliver value in a way that ensures the client does not need consultants anymore. With everyone watching costs, the value and role of external consultancies are quite rightly being brought into question. However, organisations who select the right type of consultancy can reap great rewards in both the short and long term.
In today’s debt laden economy, public sector organisations across the spectrum have a fundamental challenge to face up to, one that cuts to the core of their paradigm, they need to become more ‘commercial’. Consultants who are already steeped in this paradigm can play a key role in this transition, adding great value helping leaders challenge and change well embedded habits and dissolve nonsensical ritualistic behaviours that seem to flourish in many organisations. An example of such habits is the ‘information transmission’ culture which clutters the inbox of all leaders and managers in the public sector. Simply learning that transmission of information is no substitute for authentic communication will save the taxpayer millions! This, followed by a brutal attack on meetings that clutter the diaries of most leaders and are run in way that everyone who attends admits wastes valuable time and energy is yet another example of what can be changed.
Truly independent consultants who have developed a trusted advisor status may be among the very few who can confront senior executives in public sector roles with some home truths and give them insights into where in their organisation the real challenges lie. The facilitation skills from an experienced and credible consultant along with the ability to engage people, frame discussions, referee disputes and distil them to their essence to evoke positive intent is where the real value is added. The lack of trust that has spread throughout many public sector organisations and is surfacing at an alarming rate now the pressure is on can be traced back to the way leadership is deployed. It will take an outsider with no agenda other than improvement to point this reality out.
Experienced consultants challenge the ‘assumptions’ which many public sector organisations believe are unassailable truths. The fact is, consultants that come from outside the public sector paradigm have a real advantage. It allows them to ask impertinent questions; to challenge in a way that would simply never occur to people embedded in the organisation.
Another key value some external consultants provide is becoming a catalyst for ‘adaptive’ change. All change has a technical aspect, for example systems implementation, process and procedural improvement, effective purchasing; managing costs etc. However, if an organisation is doing these transactional processes ineffectively, then this is usually more of an ‘adaptive’ issue than a technical issue. In other words the processes may be fine, the way they are being applied is the real issue. This is where suitably qualified external consultants really earn their corn.
Importing technical skills into a public sector organisation is a relatively easy decision. If the required skills do not exist in-house and the skills needed are temporary then the decision to employ consultants on fixed term, outcome focused assignments should hinge around the ROI (return on investment). The watch out being to beware open ended commitments linked to projects that are simply too long and too complex to effectively manage. The price of these technical skills has reduced in recent times as they are becoming commoditised so now is a good time to buy!
The decision to import external ‘adaptive’ skills is a far harder decision to make however. Often leaders who make these decisions are ‘unconsciously incompetent’ in that they do not know what they do not know. It is a brave leader who admits their leadership team may be facing a challenge they have never faced before and the only thing they really know is the way they have worked in the past will not work and they need to change. Turning to consultants already soaked in the public sector operating culture is not the answer here, as by definition they are specialist in the same paradigm and unlikely to challenge or change it.
Finally, all senior leaders need a confidential sounding board. Senior leaders often can’t confess their doubts or uncertainties very readily, as to do so with their peers or direct reports, could impact on their overall credibility as a leader. So, having a confidante whose agenda is their own success (this is ultimately how a consultant should be assessed – supporting the legitimate success of their clients), someone with whom they can vent, try out ideas, get a sanity check, can be a huge benefit.
While organisations may be looking at the cost of their professional support, the value of their consultants during these times is the key. A high quality, experienced consultant can deliver real value in these current times, and give hope to a brighter future.
-The latest unemployment figures are good news on the face of things, but only on the face of things. Taken in the round, the latest figures show that the UK jobs market remains in a far from healthy state and it would be wrong to conclude that unemployment has peaked.
-The number of people in work fell slightly in the three months to November 2009, another sharp drop (-113,000) in people working full-time not quite being fully offset by another rise in part-time employment (+99,000). The number of people working part-time is now at a record 1.03 million, as they are unable to find a full-time job.
-The reason for the fall in unemployment in the quarter is a jump of 81,000 in the number of economically inactive students – indicating that ever larger numbers of young people are turning to study to avoid the dole. This is desirable as an alternative to unemployment although it remains to be seen whether education or training is merely a stop-gap choice for thousands more young people rather than providing a genuine boost to their subsequent job prospects.
-A worrying feature of the latest figures is an indication that job prospects for the over-50s may have started to deteriorate for the first time since the start of the recession in 2008. The over-50s not only suffered a quarterly fall in employment but were also the only age group to register a rise in unemployment (up by 15,000).
-Men continue to fare less well than women in terms of employment, women benefiting more from the rise in part-time jobs. However, more women entered the labour market in search of work in the three months to November while more men exited the market, with the result that female unemployment increased and male unemployment decreased. There are now more than 1 million jobless men outside the labour market – and thus not counted as unemployed – who say they want a job.
-Finally, the ONS’ newly published Average Weekly Earnings (AWE) measure- which replaces the Average Earnings Index – paints a stark picture of the pay squeeze on private sector workers during the recession and the degree to which pay has continued to rise relatively rapidly in the public sector. The total weekly pay of private sector workers actually fell in most months of 2009, whereas in the public sector pay growth of well over 3% was common. This disparity will need to be tackled as the government gets to grips with reducing the fiscal deficit.
Building Forensics (www.buildingforensics.co.uk ) has been inundated with requests to investigate sick or tight building syndrome since a recent appearance on ITVs ‘Buildings From Hell’. The programme highlighted the new and worrying – but previously unrecognised – building defects which can be identified from modern construction techniques and which create ideal conditions for toxic mould . with consequent serious health concerns.
The quest for reduced carbon emissions from buildings – and therefore a lower level of air changes – has in recent times created a general increase in ‘building tightness’: new and restored buildings fail to ‘breath’ properly, leading to a general moisture build-up which in turn results in the health concerns of mould and rot or decay. Typically, Building Forensics has found that the application of new building tightness conditioning such as BREEAM, LEED and part L of the Building Regulations, coupled to poor construction management, is increasingly causing such building defects and health issues.
Jeff Charlton of Building Forensics states: “Building Forensics has found increasing evidence that construction management is failing to control quality standards or, indeed, even to comply with manufacturers’ or architects’ design or installation requirements. Worse still, we’ve found that few surveyors or inspectors have the equipment or training to undertake non-intrusive investigation or to be able identify hidden defects such as missing insulation, thermal bridging and the presence of toxic chemicals.”
He continues: “And Building Forensics is further finding that facility managers are increasingly mis-diagnosing design and build faults which cause condensation or pooling and mould. They wrongly attribute these symptoms to presumed leaks which insurers then wrongly pay to fix. And meanwhile the health problems continue to get worse.”
The combination of high cellulose materials and misuse of vapour barriers, thermal bridging from poor or missing insulation or failure to seal the building envelope properly can result in the growth of toxic mould such as Penicillium, Tricoderma and Stachybotrys.
While visible mould is a good indicator of the health risk, it should be recognised that the moisture required for mould growth, sometimes from leaks but usually from condensation, often occurs out of sight in voids or behind plasterboard cavity walls.
The problems start with the building or renovation of buildings with no regard to the historic knowledge that buildings need to breath and remove moisture, especially in a cold wet climate.
And as was shown in US timber frame construction 10 years ago, identifying the problems generally requires more equipment than a standard two pin wood moisture meter and current inspection techniques.
Jeff Charlton is available for comment and interview on the findings of Building Forensics, and more information on typical health concerns and construction defect can be found at www.buildingforensics.co.uk .
Portsmouth City Council (PCC) has deployed Proofpoint Messaging Security Gateway, an email security appliance equipped with an encryption solution, to protect sensitive information sent via email. PCC recognised a need to securely send information held on its systems, that the Government Connect Secure Extranet (GCSX) – a secure network between central government and local authorities – did not cater for and that was with individuals outside of the pubic sector.
The GCSX provides local authorities with access to a range of databases including the Department of Working Pensions (DWP) and the Police National Network. With such highly sensitive information at stake, data protection is critical.
After evaluating several email security solutions, Portsmouth City Council chose to deploy Proofpoint’s encryption solution through channel partner, Gradian Systems Ltd.
-As a public sector body, we need to be able to exchange sensitive information via email with a variety of end-users safe in the knowledge that we had the highest level of security, -We were searching for a cost-efficient solution to enable our employees to interact securely over email. Proofpoint’s offering fit our requirements perfectly. It’s easy to install, and makes it simple for our staff to send email in a secure and compliant way.
Proofpoint’s email encryption solution automatically encrypts and decrypts sensitive content automatically, without end-users having to take special actions to ensure that confidential or private information is encrypted before being transmitted over the Internet.
-We worked hard to ensure Proofpoint’s email encryption solution integrated seamlessly into Portsmouth City Council’s existing infrastructure, said Damian Acklam, CEO at Gradian Systems Ltd. -It was fundamental that implementation and delivery of the solution didn’t interfere with the council’s critical day-to-day email correspondence.
The solution was originally trialled within the council’s occupational health service to exchange medical information between the council’s occupational health staff and external occupational health staff at surgeries in the area.
Once the trial was approved, the council expanded the solution to other services. Today, secure email transfer is regularly used in correspondence with over 300 landlords, who have properties in the area. Currently the council is rolling out the solution further and it is used to distribute electoral roll information to city councillors, The Electoral Commission, The Boundary Commission for England and the three main political parties.
-With newspaper headlines regularly reporting on incidences of data loss, businesses in both the public and private sector cannot afford to ignore the value of the information they deal with on a daily business, said Dean Hickman-Smith, executive vice-president of worldwide sales for Proofpoint. -By taking on and rolling out a secure messaging solution, Portsmouth City Council is placing its constituents’ privacy at the top of its agenda, and rightly so.
Leading Isle of Man authority, Douglas Borough Council has turned to Viseum’s multitasking Intelligent Moving Camera (IMC) to help protect an important conservation and urban regeneration area at North Quay in Douglas, the island’s capital and political centre. Douglas joins a growing number of local councils, police forces and other law enforcement agencies turning to Viseum because of its innovative and effective approach to traditional open space CCTV challenges.
Four Viseum IMCs are being individually mounted along the quayside, monitored from a central control room, with digital recording capability at both the camera and at the control room. The installation is under way now, with live
date for the new scheme planned for February.
Council Leader David Christian, Chairman of the Policy and Resources Committee, said: “With the regeneration of the North Quay, and the area rapidly becoming a major entertainment and leisure zone for the capital, extending CCTV coverage to the locality has become a priority. The Council fully supports the use of CCTV as it helps protect the public, acts as a deterrent to antisocial behaviour and footage can be used in Court to bring criminals to justice. We have also been encouraged to learn that our partners, the police, have indicated they would be in favour of monitoring the CCTV coverage ‘live’ at weekends.
The latest surveillance technology will be used, where one intelligent moving camera delivers the performance of roughly 20 of the older CCTV units. Additionally, subject to funding being available, the Council’s Parks section will be looking at installing a similar system in Noble’s Park to reduce incidences of vandalism.”
Ian Clague, Borough Engineer and Surveyor, also a lead member of Douglas Community Safety Partnership, said: “The areas we’re particularly concerned about are increasing security of our car park, bus stops in the area, access to the marina, and the potential for anti-social behaviour associated with an increasing number of licensed and leisure facilities.
“The Viseum IMC uses proven technology and enables fewer cameras to be deployed, offering better coverage and more effective crime detection and prevention – at a fraction of the cost of traditional systems.”
The requirements for the Douglas CCTV installation was an intermittently manned CCTV control room, but with cameras performing as if constantly manned; Viseum’s IMC ticked all the boxes as it enhances operator efficiency where operators are present, but can also be effectively used where resources dictate there are no permanent operators.
Viseum’s managing director, Stuart Thompson, said: “Local authority CCTV schemes are budget and resource driven and CCTV technologies are increasingly being required to do more for the same money. This is where Viseum’s multi-tasking CCTV cameras score very highly. Where operators are not an option due to cost, or where their time needs to be spent on specific tasks, the IMC offers an extremely effective and cost-effective solution to the control room
environment.”
Elsewhere, the Viseum IMC has killed anti-social behaviour problems stone dead. It has immediately had the effect of making criminals realise they were actually being watched, and making the general public realise they were actually being protected – unlike previous technologies which often prove so ineffective criminals all but disregard them.
Most open space PTZ cameras have already exceeded their life expectancy and in any case, through cost and lack of resources, most of these are pointing the wrong way when crimes occur. Viseum presents an unparalleled value for money offering for clients to stay on top of all their camera installations. This is being achieved by replacing or upgrading PTZ cameras to become IMCs, which in turn enables control room staff to spend their time most effectively, maximises overall efficiencies and enables a much more viable solution for CCTV scheme expansion.
Are you tuned in to the power of the Viseum IMC and how well managed schemes are now being operated?
At www.viseum.co.uk , local authorities and law enforcement agencies can view real footage, connect to real time live camera demos, and pre-register for forthcoming technology events.
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