A Very Royal Appointment: Royal Borough Of Kensington And Chelsea Crowned Smart Council.
The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC) has undergone a smart transformation. This transformation didn’t just involve upgrading its wireless network however: it supported flexible working initiatives for a multitude of users, including visitors and neighbouring boroughs – all while achieving full PSN compliance.
Historically, RBKC’s office space followed a conventional plan with fixed work stations and a silo environment– but now, with the investment into Aruba Networks WiFi, it is an open-plan, modern layout fit with anywhere, anytime working. “The office is a great example of how a flexible, public sector workplace should look and function,” says Russell Hookway, Network and Telecommunications Manager, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, who was responsible for the delivering the wireless network project.
The transition presented many challenges along the way. The first was that the project needed to meet the objectives of the Space Programme which, Russell explains, tasked the Borough to find better ways of using IT to allow the flexible use of desks, mobile working and hot-desking for the council’s 2,500 employees.