Decision details

Cabinet Member approval sought for hardware refresh and Windows 10 upgrade.

1.              That Part B of this report be exempt from disclosure by virtue of the Local Government Act 1972, Schedule 12A, Part 1, (as amended) paragraph 3, in that it contains information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information.

2.            That the Cabinet Member for Finance, Property and Corporate services approved officers to procure a contract for provision of Windows 10 implementation services by varying the existing BT Lot 1 Call-Off contract.

Reasons for Decision

1.            Contract Regulation 2.37 states that “No modifications not provided for in the conditions of contract of above the European Union threshold (£164,176) contracts may be made until approved by the Director/Executive Director having consulted the relevant Cabinet Member”.

2.            It is necessary for the Councils to maintain technologies for use that continue to facilitate key service delivery effectively, efficiently and safely within regulatory constraints. The End User Computing (EUC) project is an enabler for wider programme outputs to maintain and achieve required Information and Data Security compliance criteria.

3.            The extended support period for Windows 7 ends on 14th January 2020. With every new OS there are improvements in security to keep pace with the ever changing threat landscape. A proactive upgrade to Windows 10 significantly minimises the risk for the Councils entering into a period of functioning with a non-compliant and outdated OS absent of new security features, in particular, those to facilitate the imminent General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR).

4.            The EUC project is aligned to IT strategic principles and will deliver components of the strategy including a focus on digital delivery, simplified and modernised technical infrastructure, leveraging IT investment and Customer Centric Services.

5.            The business will benefit from a number of enhanced features inherit to Windows 10 and the rollout of new devices including improved usage speeds, performance and better device choice ergonomically suited to evolving and modern workstyles.