Technology is advancing faster than ever before. Public sector organisations now have an unparalleled opportunity to tackle its unique challenges, such as processing large amounts of patient data in hospitals and running critical transport services. With advanced connectivity solutions, they can now take full advantage of technical innovations like artificial intelligence (AI), and the Internet of Things (IOT), all of which are within easy reach to improve services and efficiency.
Historically, the adoption of advanced technology has been easier said than done. But we’re now in an era where support is coming from the top down. The UK Government’s new Regulatory Innovation Office (RIO) is helping to cut through red tape, making it easier for organisations to adopt new technologies like drones, which could transform emergency services. Substantial investment is also helping to back tech-driven transformation, such as Microsoft’s five-year deal with the UK Government, which will boost capabilities across public services – enhancing productivity and improving service delivery.
It’s a no brainer that these measures should enable the public sector to grasp technology with both hands. But what are the implications of adopting new technologies and what do organisations need in place to make sure these new technologies can operate effectively?
What technologies are available to the public sector?
We know the public sector needs digital transformation to push its services forward. But what types of technology will this adoption bring to the table?
Artificial Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is taking the world by storm providing increased automation and faster processing speeds.
And it’s no different for the public sector. For example, many organisations using cloud-based communications and collaboration tools can take advantage of embedded AI which is fast becoming a standard feature. This allows organisations to automate some of the more manual administrative tasks, such as action-taking, or service ticket management. This drives more effective and productive communications with service users.
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is one public sector organisation which is already using AI to analyse testing data. Through this, the DVSA developed a risk score for its garages, which in turn identified underperforming businesses and improved its MOT services. This is a process which other public sector organisations could replicate improve delivery of services.
Internet of Things
The prevalence of smart devices in our personal lives shows no sign of abating and increasingly we’re seeing smart devices, i.e. cameras, sensors, being used more widely in professional and public spaces.
Some public sector organisations are already taking advantage of this technology to drive energy and cost efficiencies. For example, Wrexham County Borough Council (WCBC) has introduced Cisco Meraki sensors into the regions schools which provide insights into the hourly air quality, noise level, temperature, and humidity in teaching spaces across schools. This has helped identify when these spaces are over cooled or over heated during operating hours, enabling WCBC to make decisions about how best to control and regulate the temperature. And the WCBC can manage those configurations remotely, eliminating the need to travel across the schools’ estate making manual adjustments.
Innovations vs security
While AI and IOT technologies offer significant potential, their success depends heavily on the robustness and security of the underlying network infrastructure. As the network of interconnected devices increases so does the security risk as there are more avenues for cyber attackers to access applications and data, which could be extremely detrimental to the public sector.
To mitigate these risks, critical public sector industries such as healthcare, education, and public transport must revise their digital transformation strategies. Laying the groundwork for secure and resilient networks will allow them to unlock the benefits of these new technologies.
Laying the foundations to get started
The public sector needs to approach the adoption of new technology with a strategic mindset. And the first step of this should always be ensuring that network is able and ready to take on this new load. Networks are the underlying foundation to keeping organisations running every day. Making sure the network is resilient and secure, whilst being flexible is essential to making sure the benefits of new technology, such as AI or IOT are optimised.
Prioritising secure networks
Most public sector organisations have a wide area network (WAN) to connect all their sites. With the introduction of Software Defined Networking (SDN) some have moved to a SD-WAN, providing central control and visibility of their entire network estate from a cloud-based dashboard.
Traditional network security measures were delivered through a castle and moat type approach with security limited to the network access points. If a cyber-attack managed to infiltrate this security then they would have access to all the applications and data within the network.
A more comprehensive approach to securing the network is through Security Service Edge (SSE) technology. This unifies multiple security functions into a cloud-based service which protects users, applications, and resources located anywhere, ensures granular, app-specific access to private applications, and increases visibility into cloud applications and shadow IT. SSE can also monitor and track user behaviour so that organisations can be confident that only the right people are accessing sensitive data.
By combining SD-WAN with SSE, organisations can upgrade to Secure Access Service Edge (SASE). This converged solution integrates all network and security controls into one service. This means IT teams can deploy, monitor and manage their entire network estate from one central dashboard, giving them more control and visibility over performance, responding to alerts and threats immediately.
Staying organised – tracking devices in one place
When managing a range of devices, keeping track of them and ensuring their security can seem like an impossible task. Being able to keep an eye on the complete device portfolio in one place, makes life a lot easier and is far more efficient.
Systems like Cisco Meraki, which is a cloud-managed network platform delivering SASE, make IT teams’ jobs easier. Monitoring and managing a secure network and the devices from a simple dashboard gives public sector organisations the control and confidence they need to maximise the benefits of the network as well as the new technology services being deployed on top.
Securing the future of the public sector
Laying the right groundwork now is the easiest, most surefire way to guarantee that the public sector is ready for transformation.
The public sector is already well on the way to embedding technologies like AI and the IOT within its services. To maximise the success of these initiatives, it’s essential that the public sector is operating on secure and safe networks that can handle new tech. Implementing a converged secure network infrastructure like SSE, SD-WAN, or SASE is the key to successful transformation in the public sector.
So, to ensure that the public sector is on the right path to a more efficient and innovative future, laying the best network foundation for success is critical.
About TalkTalk Business
Headquartered in Salford, Greater Manchester, TalkTalk Business is one of the UK’s leading B2B telecoms providers, offering a full range of business-grade communications products and services, spanning internet access, data, voice and managed services. Its mission is to empower UK organisations to exceed their ambitions by delivering trusted service and innovative solutions.
TalkTalk Business separated from the wider TalkTalk Group following a demerger in 2023. It has a proud history as a challenger brand, dedicated to ensuring customers benefit from more value-led solutions and better service. Building on this heritage, TalkTalk Business now focused on providing more choice and flexibility for organisations to adapt to changing business needs.
With over 25 years of experience serving businesses of every size – from national retailers to sole traders – with future-proof, scalable technology and dedicated support, nobody backs businesses like TalkTalk Business.
