Agilisys Guernsey, the States of Guernsey’s technology and transformation partner, has successfully navigated the impact of COVID-19 to deliver two new data centres for the States of Guernsey – on time and to budget.
Commissioned by the States to replace ageing IT infrastructure, the two data centres are located in JT’s and Logicalis’ Guernsey hosting facilities and have been designed to provide a highly resilient, secure and sustainable platform for States of Guernsey services for at least the next 10 years. They will also provide the foundation for transforming public services so teams can be more efficient and deliver a better customer experience.
Whilst their completion is a major milestone on the journey to modernising the Bailiwick’s public services, it is also a significant achievement for the SMART Guernsey Partnership – especially given the severe disruption to travel and IT supply chains caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The build was made possible through a unique virtual team comprising members of Agilisys’ 60-strong, Guernsey-based organisation, supported by specialists from Agilisys UK, as well as local technology businesses JT and Logicalis and global IT provider Dell.
The whole team understood the critical nature of the data centres, both as the foundation for transforming public services and for the States’ COVID-19 recovery plan. It was that understanding that drove the team to overcome the challenges and complete the build as planned.
Sean Cowan, States of Guernsey Head of Digital said, ‘The new data centres represent the foundations of a modern IT service for the States and are essential for us to deliver our vision for improved public services. Working in partnership with Agilisys, the last six months have seen our joint SMART Guernsey team deliver not only business as usual IT, they have also managed unprecedented demand for changes to IT services as a result of COVID-19.
‘Against this backdrop, it is nothing short of incredible that they have also completed the new DataCentres on time and to budget. During the build, Agilisys worked with local technology businesses JT and Logicalis, as well as drawing on their relationships with global IT providers such as Dell, to ensure the skills and equipment were available when we needed them. Overall a great testament to what can be achieved through positive partnership working.’
Shona Leavey, Agilisys Guernsey’s Head of IT Services commented, ‘This is a significant achievement for the SMART Guernsey Partnership and is a watershed moment on the journey to delivering a modern IT Service for the States. The new Data Centres lay the foundations for ‘IT that just works’ for States employees and ensures the future reliability and security of public services for the whole community. It is technology that allows the States to completely re-imagine our public services. We’re proud to be playing a part in making that change happen.’
