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RESOLVED: Cabinet;
Delegated to the Assistant
Chief Executive in consultation with the Chief Information Officer
and the Executive Director of Finance authority to award a contract
for the provision to the Council of replacement network equipment
and services, in compliance with the Council’s procurement
processes and procurement legislative requirements.
 
REASONS RESOLVED:
1.   
Ensured the Council has secure network hardware that
receives manufacturer support.
2.   
Erased service differences across former council
sites and equipment.
3.   
Reduced the complexity and effort (and thus money
and risk) in running network services.
4.   
Made cost efficiencies where possible.
5.   
Allowed for other dependent systems and tools to be
unified, speeding up service delivery.
6.   
Meet our continued contractual obligations to NNC
via the IAA
 
ALTERNATIVE OPTION:
·        
Option 1 – Do Nothing.

1.   
It is possible to continue running the existing
network equipment and opt not to replace it, negating any planned
short-term costs.

2.   
This carries significant risks that may materialise
at short notice and require significant investment to address,
including but not limited to: loss of manufacturer support and
problem resolution; inability to replace broken equipment;
escalating maintenance overheads; failure to meet required security
and compliance standards; incompatibility of new systems and
tools.

3.   
Whilst this remains an option for considerations of
cost, the risks are not considered acceptable from a professional
IT perspective.

4.   
We would not have a compliantly procured network
should replacements not be sourced before the existing EastNet
arrangement ends in September 2025.
 
·        
Option 2 – Partial
Implementation.

1.   
Commence a partial upgrade of the network, targeting
specific areas of weakness.

2.   
A targeted partial upgrade would reduce the upfront
costs of the work but fail to fully remedy any of the risks or
issues; it would be akin to “patching up” a system in
need of replacement.

3.   
The overall costs of reaching a complete replacement
would likely increase substantially owing to the complexity of
doing the work in phases.

4.   
Until such time as a full implementation could be
completed, most of the risks and issues would remain.

5.   
While this remains an option to help spread the cost
of the replacement, it does not represent a good overall
value-for-money proposition for the Council, and perpetuates risks
considered not acceptable from a professional IT
perspective.

6.   
We would not have a compliantly procured network
should replacements not be sourced before the existing EastNet
arrangement ends in September 2025.
·        
Option 3 – Full
Implementation.

1.   
Commence a holistic, co-ordinated upgrade of the
network ensuring that all devices are fully supported and the given
issues in section 6 are resolved.

2.   
This options fully addresses the given risks and
issues and is recommended as such from a professional IT
perspective.