INDUSTRY WATCH
WE ’ VE ACTUALLY CUT DOWN ADMINISTRATIVE TASKS BY 25 %, GIVING STAFF THE BANDWIDTH FOR MORE STRATEGIC PROJECTS .
Nutanix , a leader in hybrid multi-cloud computing , has helped Central Highlands Regional Council better support its field workers operating in remote areas , while overcoming technical skills gaps , by enabling digitization of its community services .
Clinton Nicol-Dickson , Information Communication Technology Manager at Central Highlands Regional Council
Located in Central Queensland and home to 30,000 residents , the Central Highlands Regional Council works across an area of around 60,000 square kilometers . Together with trusted IT partner Truis , the council developed a digital strategy to help it overcome these challenges and align with its ethos of becoming a progressive region , creating opportunities for all .
“ Our council area is almost the size of Tasmania , and this means our workers can spend a lot of time on the road or in isolated areas – often in areas prone to connectivity issues ,” said Clinton Nicol-Dickson , Information Communication Technology Manager at Central Highlands Regional Council .
By overhauling its IT infrastructure , Nutanix has helped the council improve mobility and give its crews the resources they need to manage and respond to citizen requests while out in the field . including online banking and communications platforms to stay in touch with friends and family ,” said Nicol-Dickson .
With less time spent keeping the lights on , the IT team has reclaimed strategic bandwidth which has allowed it to focus on helping workers overcome the isolation of working in remote areas . The team has made significant progress in improving this by deploying signal boosters for vehicle connectivity and rolling out a shared device scheme on IOS tablets .
“ While the tablets grant easy access to work emails , intranet and ERP systems , the strategy also supports the welfare of our 150 field workers , side-stepping issues of isolation with access to personal applications ,
When it comes to talent , the rurality of the council has made finding skilled IT workers a challenge . In the small IT team of four , the former three tier infrastructure was complex to manage , consuming a lot of time and energy on low-value tasks .
To shift IT from a cost-center to a strategic partner delivering greater value to the business , the council established a managed services agreement with Truis to help Nicol-Dickson and his team do more with less – transforming the council ’ s IT infrastructure and supporting its hybrid cloud journey .
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