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IP infrastructure improves policing efficiency and collaboration
North Wales Police is boosting workforce efficiency across all 75 stations by transforming and upgrading its network to an IP communications infrastructure through a cost neutral managed service deal. The BAPCO Journal reports...
North Wales Police (NWP) is working with Affiniti, the communications integrator, to transform and upgrade its network to an IP communications infrastructure through a cost neutral managed service deal. Affiniti are implementing and managing the converged communications solution that will be used by 2,500 employees of the Police Force throughout 75 stations to improve services to North Wales residents.
By replacing the legacy voice network and enhancing the single IP infrastructure, the management costs are severely reduced. This has enabled a cost neutral funding of the new network implementation. The network enhancement enables the use of collaborative tools, XML applications and desktop video conferencing that will provide significant time and cost savings.
Piloting desktop video conferencing
The challenging geography of North Wales means that travelling to meetings with colleagues, justice agencies and other emergency services is time consuming for officers. NWP is already piloting desktop video-conferencing at its Western Division in Meirionnydd which is saving officers at least 30 hours a week in travel time. This will reduce costs by over £34,000 a year in one division alone, as well as decreasing NWP’s carbon footprint and allowing officers to invest more time in supporting citizens. Following this success, NWP intends on rolling out the video conferencing technology to all its stations within the next year.
Another saving is by using XML applications on IP phones – the Force will be able to significantly reduce the cost of desktop population. This means that in the future some officers and staff will also be able to log on to IP phones to get information from the Force systems like the Records Management System (RMS) to complete basic tasks. These will include email capability and telephone directories as well as allowing staff to log into Duty Management to clock in, book time off, etc. In addition, officers can access the briefing package ‘ICAD’ to find out what has happened over the last duty shift and what to look out for during the next beat.
Collaboration and data sharing
Greater collaboration and document sharing between stations and divisions, as well as with other emergency services and Local Authorities, is also crucial. Unified communications will allow for more collaborative working and speed up delivery of these vital documents.
Ian Davies, Projects and Customer Services Manager , North Wales Police, said, “The unified communications solutions that Affiniti is implementing and managing will ultimately allow us to focus more of our energy and time into delivering a seamless service to our citizens and therefore enabling ‘more bobbies on the beat’. It boosts NWP’s flexibility and speed of response, as well as providing a more collaborative way of working.”
“With Affiniti managing the service on an ongoing basis, we have peace of mind that vital information services will be kept running properly without monopolising staff time. And at the same time, by streamlining our costs the total solution was a highly compelling offer,” Davies continued.
Paul Renucci, Managing Director, Affiniti added, “We work with 49 per cent of police forces in the UK, and have a deep understanding of the issues they face and their technology needs. We have worked very closely with North Wales Police to ensure the technology we provide will fit their specific needs and at the same time reduce costs.”
Financial savings
During the upgrade, a majority of the existing WAN infrastructure will be replaced using point to point Ethernet Extension Services to increase available bandwidth. This improvement will actually save the force about £100,000 a year. Cisco Call Manager technology will deliver voice, video and applications to the desktop, and provide a facility for all sites to operate totally independent of the main infrastructure in the event of a major communications failure. To support the new XML applications on IP phones, the LAN network at the level two sites will be upgraded to provide Power over Ethernet Functionality (PoE), allowing the phones to be powered directly from the LAN equipment.
