Lumia Provides the Lifeline

Lumia provides the lifeline Sedgemoor District Council case study Sedgemoor District Council was formed in 1974 and covers 217 square miles stretching from the Mendip Hills across the Somerset Levels to the Polden Hills. Craig Wilkins, Head of Information Systems, is keen that his council lead the way when it comes to cost- effective mobile working and reacting swiftly to the needs of his constituents. His decision to move to Lumia devices proved a real success, particularly when the Council had to react to serious flooding in the area in December 2013 and early 2014.

Staying ahead of Putting Lumia to work Lumia the lifeline Craig said: “For me, the length of the battery life has been In December 2013, Somerset was hit by extensive flooding. the game very impressive, and as we cover a wide area, HERE Maps Sedgemoor District Council employees had to be on-hand Sedgemoor District Council decided to move from HTC has proved a highly popular navigation tool with everyone. and online 24/7 to respond to the crisis. devices to Lumia. Having used HTC devices for three years, Employees have been using Outlook and Exchange to “Managers had to orchestrate and co-ordinate the council’s Craig Wilkins, Head of Information Systems wanted a firm, help them work more flexibly, and we are looking at using efforts alongside those of the Government, Army and future-proof solution. He explained: “I’ve been following SharePoint. Plus, we no longer need digital cameras as we Environment Agency, so access to back-office systems market trends and saw Microsoft’s increasingly close can use the Lumia to take snapshots of graffiti that will need and email was crucial,” said Craig. partnership with Lumia. I was interested in Lumia devices with to be addressed. The camera proved particularly useful when 4G connectivity and Windows Phone 8 and 8.1 capabilities capturing images of the worst-hit areas during the flooding.” that will integrate seamlessly with our existing Microsoft systems. Plus, around 80% of those with mobile devices use laptops, so I was also interested in tethering phones to laptops for a cost-effective way to improve mobile working.” Ready to work straight out of the box “ Personally, I’ve found Craig rolled out 60 Lumia 925s to senior management presence on Lync a very and executives, plus an additional 160 Lumia 635s for the Council as a whole. From the very beginning, they proved handy feature. I can be a hit with employees. Craig said: “Many people have come active on the move and back to me and said they were surprised just how easy Lumia smartphones are to use. And they are highly configurable, colleagues know if I’m which they like.” available and can contact To encourage adoption of the smartphones, Craig hasn’t put any restrictions on the apps staff can download and use. So far, me instantly.” there hasn’t been any need, and this freedom has helped users explore and make the most of devices. Craig Wilkins, Head of Information Systems “ The devices came into their own during the flooding. If we hadn’t had access to the office systems, we wouldn’t have known which roads were blocked or how to get to the worst-hit areas and provide support… It doesn’t bear thinking about.”

Craig Wilkins, Head of Information Systems

Unfortunately, when the floods hit, the lead agencies remote to the whole government network and represents a huge offices from where Sedgemoor had to operate did not have security risk. As part of the Public Services Network Code of wifi access for over a week. It could have been a disaster in Connection, we need to be able to remotely lock down a terms of information access. Council executives needed access device in an instant, which we can do quickly and easily with to vital up-to-the-minute information from head office to Lumia, thanks to our implementation of the Microsoft System allow them to organise relief efforts effectively. The solution Centre MDM solution.” was to tether Lumias to laptops. Craig said, “The Lumia devices came into their own during the flooding. If we hadn’t been able to use their 3G connectivity to access the office systems we wouldn’t have known which roads were blocked or how to A future in-sync get to the worst hit areas and provide support. From a health and safety perspective, we also would not have been able to with Lync locate field-workers and check they were safe. The situation Sedgemoor District Council is putting plans in place to doesn’t bear thinking about.” become even more efficient. They are looking to cut costs further by greater adoption of Lync as their core telephony system. Craig said: “There is a solid argument for using Lync, Meeting national Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), wifi and smartphones for all your communication needs. There’s really no need for security needs a desk phone. Lumia links all these services meaning we could potentially save £20,000 a year in fees, maintenance, Like all government bodies, Sedgemoor District Council operational costs and reduction in hardware assets.” recently had to adapt to increased security considerations following the introduction of a centralised government He adds: “Because of the efficiencies it offers, I would database. “Security is now even more important. If you have definitely recommend the Lumia to any business, and have a device that connects to the back office, it’s connected done so already to colleagues in other councils.” microsoft.com/mobile/lumiaforbusiness