Local councils could benefit from the channel’s help

Even before the government unveils its first budget at the end of October, it’s clear the pressure is on the public sector to trim costs.

With Labour walking the tightrope between raising taxes and cutting services, the widespread expectation is that the chancellor will be making some difficult choices next month.

The channel has always argued that when costs come under pressure, they can provide local expertise to help customers use technology to improve efficiencies, and that call is being made again by OVHcloud.

The firm has shared the results of a Freedom of Information (FOI) request, which indicate that an overwhelming number of local councils could benefit from expertise around sustainability and innovation.

The cloud player found that 93% of local authorities that responded to its FOI request have increased their focus on sustainability in the past five years, and a similar number have also increased cloud usage over the same period.

“Over three-quarters (86%) of local councils told us that cost concerns had impeded progress with sustainability projects, and almost half (49%) were struggling with staff resourcing and skills. Both of these are clear areas where the channel can help,” said David Devine, partner programme manager at OVHcloud.

“Partners can provide skills and expertise that public sector organisations may not have in-house, not to mention helping to choose cost-effective and trusted vendors and support their clients to a leaner, greener future, whilst securing valuable recurring revenue streams,” he added.

Local councils listed cost and resources as the top barriers, but there were also issues around ways of working, grid capability and a lack of government clarity.

The channel can help with the financial side of things by supporting an increased migration by local councils to the cloud, which can support further efficiencies.

“Cloud means lower capex investments to ease the pressure on council budgets, not to mention better agility and the ability to adopt the latest technologies,” said Devine.

“We’ve seen a significant increase in partner opportunities recently for on-premises to cloud migration. The channel’s advice in this area is vital, not to mention that partners can play a key role in helping local authorities understand and document technology carbon emissions. This way, councils can become leaner, more agile and more sustainable all at the same time,” he added.

The public sector is under increasing pressure to meet sustainability targets, and the channel has been alerted to the opportunities that will spark.

Declan Boyce, enterprise account director at Cinos, commented earlier this summer about the potential difference the channel could make in the sector.

“As the UK government strives to meet ambitious environmental targets, including net-zero emissions by 2050, sustainability and the environment are now at the forefront of every aspect of key decision-making. It’s become a guiding force for organisations striving to be more efficient and responsible, not just to meet targets, but to future-proof our society and the environment,” he said.

“Technology suppliers play an essential role in this transformation, helping to achieve ambitious sustainability goals and facilitate the transition towards digital operations,” he added.