Issue - decisions

Approval is required to purchase and install server and storage hardware to maintain the Council’s business ICT systems that cannot migrate to Microsoft Azure. The hardware will be installed and operated from Primary Communications Room 1 in the Spindles offices.
Several of the Council’s current systems are unsuitable for migration to the Microsoft Azure cloud, primarily due to the age of the applications or a lack of support from third-party suppliers. Given these limitations, continuing to provide an on-premise solution for these systems has been deemed more cost-effective until replacement becomes viable and affordable.

Additionally, the proposed Dell hardware solution is scalable. Should the Council’s ongoing annual cloud optimisation reviews identify that moving certain systems back on-premise offers a cost or performance advantage, this scalable hardware solution will accommodate such systems efficiently. This ensures that the Council can remain flexible in future decisions, balancing cloud and on-premise resources based on evolving needs.

The proposed hardware is a streamlined version of the outdated and soon-to-be-unsupported equipment currently used in the data centre. Migrating these systems to the new hardware in the Spindles Comms Room will avoid delays in exiting the Civic Centre while ensuring continuous service for systems that cannot be migrated.