Hertfordshire uses teleconferencing to deliver flexible working

Hertfordshire County Council is piloting teleconferencing and instant messaging in a bid to improve communication and efficiency at the council.

The equipment, supplied by Alcatel-Lucent, is being piloted at the council headquarters at Hertford County Hall. It will be rolled out to two other sites in Stevenage and Hemel Hempstead, enabling inter-site communication. The council aims to introduce video conferencing between the sites.

The work is part of the council's aim to consolidate a number of offices and create a more cost effective and flexible environment.

It has already completed a network upgrade by installing a Ethernet infrastructure at county hall. Council officers hope the changes will make working efficiently easier for employees.

Dave Mansfield, network manager of Hertfordshire County Council, said, "We have over 20,000 employees, many of whom have to spend a significant amount of time travelling between sites. The roll-out of collaboration tools will help them make more efficient use of their time by working remotely if required, and reducing the need to travel."