The Solution & The Results

The Solution

B&NES’ IT data network partner since 2001, Maintel (formerly Proximity Communications) has worked with the Council in a collaborative capacity on the design, development and install of data network infrastructure, ensuring efficiency, future proofing and reliability continue to be at the core of the solution. Projects over the years have ranged from core switch installations; firewall implementations; new wireless infrastructure, and ongoing IT consultancy. These projects have utilised Maintel’s best of breed partners namely Avaya, Aerohive and Palo Alto Networks. The most recent project was the design/ pre-staging of a resilient layer2 WAN, providing failover within milliseconds and enabling the faster provisioning of services across the WAN. The solution was based on the use of the Shortest Path Bridging (SPB) from Avaya. B&NES were one of the first local authorities in the UK to take advantage of this cutting edge technology, providing optimised end-to-end connectivity between sites.

The Results

The investment in infrastructure has resulted in a reduction in downtime of services and access, which means the Council offers a more efficient service to constituents, consistently. The Solutions are reliable, scalable, and future proofed, offering at the same time a lower total cost of ownership compared to competitor alternatives. The solutions have reduced power consumption supporting a Local Authority focus on a reduction of carbon footprint. The systems have made it simpler for the Network team to manage, monitor and scale for future growth across Council services. The collaborative approach between Maintel and B&NES continues to aid on-going development of the data infrastructure across the Council and its services to the public.

"Maintel (formerly Proximity) is seen as a trusted and value added partner. Their technical expertise and relationship with B&NES bears longevity to our strong partnership"