NEWS > Valid Wins Fastest Growing District Council

South Northamptonshire Council (SNC), home to the Silverstone racing circuit and the fastest growing population in the UK, has just bought VALID's corporate e-Government Document Management System as part of its £7.2m deal with Capita Group Plc. The IT contract will enable the Council to meet its 2005 e-Government targets and achieve Best Value for customer services.

Academy Information Systems, the Local Government software division of the Capita Group Plc., and Capita IT Services won the deal against competition from Securicor and incumbent Northgate. The seven year partnership will see the replacement of existing core systems with citizen-focused on-line service delivery. The VALID Document Management System will manage all paperwork for the Council's 200 users.

"VALID's open format Document Management System offers Web and Windows client server functionality providing seamless integration with Academy's core products and e-Government solutions. This enables a speedy and cost-effective implementation of a proven corporate e-Government solution." Ian Gates, Technical Services Director, Academy Information Systems.

VALID will roll out its R/KYV Document Management System with workflow throughout the Council. Using a DDE (dynamic data exchange) link to Academy's Revenues and Benefits system, the users will be able to view all related documentation through either system without toggling between the two. The system is further enhanced by its integration to Microsoft Office™.

With very high PC home ownership rates (43% in a 2000 survey), and skilled workforce - 55% of whom work outside the region - electronic service delivery is of paramount importance to SNC. The Council's philosophy is to promote on-line service delivery wherever possible which, in turn, will allow it to improve its services to citizens without Web access.

"We would not have been able to deliver our vision for Government without Academy and Capita - the partnership is vital to us achieving our IEG (Implementing Electronic Government) commitments," explained Chris Lofts, Deputy Chief Executive of South Northamptonshire Council.

Formed in 1974, South Northamptonshire Council is one of seven District and Borough Councils within the county of Northamptonshire. Located in the centre of the UK, in the East Midlands. This mainly agricultural region boasts the fastest growing population in the country with an increase of 10.8 per cent since 1991. In mid-2000, the population numbered some 80,000 covering some 63,156 hectares. ends