Breckland Council is working with company Steria to manage information communications and technology services in a £2.5m contract over five years. The deal will help the council meet its e-government targets in having all suitable services through electronic means by 2005.
One aspect of the contract is a call centre as a one-stop shop for inquiries such as missing wheelie bins, faulty street lights and planning.
The council has stressed it would be run by locally-based staff and dismissed fears that queries would be answered in a remote centre in another part of the country.
Officials believe the single point of contact will speed up the process for the public.
There will also be more scope for website transactions out of office hours and facilities, such as remote access, to make the lives of council staff easier.
Councillor Paul Claussen, executive member of Breckland Council, said: "We chose Steria because of its proven ability to deliver best value through successful IT managed services projects.
"Not only does Steria offer excellent value for money, the team also demonstrated a real understanding of the council, our requirements and objectives."
Richard Crade, director of managed services at Steria, said: "We are delighted to have been awarded a Strategic Partnership by Breckland Council in the face of such stiff competition.
"We have a strong presence and commitment to the East Anglia area through our work with Norwich City Council, and working with Breckland Council further consolidates this. We are looking forward to working with the council to achieve further improvements in service delivery."
Quelle: EDP24
