Central Bedfordshire Council has awarded a nine-year contract to manage its IT network.

Daisy Updata Communications will develop the council’s IT infrastructure and manage a network connecting more than 183 sites.

The contract will also see Central Bedfordshire join Essex County Council’s next generation network, giving it access to extra services including telephony.

Cllr Richard Wenham, deputy executive member for corporate resources at Central Bedfordshire Council, said: ‘By joining up with the Essex NGN, we become part of a PSN (public services network) ready network and have access to a range of other IT services that will support us in providing resilient and innovative solutions that increase our performance and help to reduce costs.’