Northgate-is Northgate-is News http://www.northgate-is.com/view/news 2008-11-20T23:40:40+01:00 text/html 2008-11-20T00:00:00+01:00 Northgate unveils new strategic appointment to strengthen public services drive http://www.northgate-is.com/view/news/item/838 <p>Northgate unveils new strategic appointment to strengthen public services drive</p><p>Northgate Public Services today announces the appointment of Ian Noble as Chief Operating Officer, as the company drives to expand its programme in supporting public service transformation.</p><p>A highly skilled professional with over thirty years&rsquo; expertise, Ian brings with him formidable experience of organisational transformation following a distinguished career in operational management. </p><p>In his new role, Ian will focus on promoting a performance culture, driving through innovation and putting quality at the heart of the organisation. He will spearhead Northgate&rsquo;s work to further expand its service capabilities following the recent acquisition of Anite Public Sector.</p><p>His appointment strengthens the company&rsquo;s leading position in delivering continuously improving services to its clients and underlines its commitment to working in partnership with the public sector to provide modern public services which fully engage the citizen. </p><p>David Meaden, Chief Executive of Northgate Public Services, said today: &ldquo;I am delighted to welcome Ian as the new Chief Operating Officer for Northgate Public Services. His appointment represents the company&rsquo;s commitment to delivering radical and rapid improvements to our public services strategy at an exciting period of growth following the recent acquisition of Anite Public Sector.</p><p>&ldquo;Ian is the ideal choice to help us continue to deliver services which meet our clients&rsquo; changing needs at this crucial time for public sector organisations. Northgate is fully committed to supporting public service transformation through innovation and the development of new forms of performance partnerships. Ian&rsquo;s appointment will considerably strengthen our work in this strategic area.&rdquo;</p><p>Ian Noble added: &ldquo;I am proud that we are developing new and innovative services at a time when public sector organisations are experiencing the toughest of economic times. The most vulnerable citizens need the most effective public services underpinned by targeted public investment to promote the economic, social and environmental wellbeing of their areas. I believe that Northgate&rsquo;s track record in delivering public service transformation is unrivalled as we uniquely position ourselves to help organisations better meet the complex needs of the citizen and deliver sustainable communities.&rdquo;</p><p>[Ends]</p><p>For more information:<br />Fellows&rsquo; Associates:<br />Kathy Sutton&nbsp;020 7395 1516; 07966 890401; <a href="mailto:ksutton@fellowsassociates.com">ksutton@fellowsassociates.com</a><br />Kuntal Biswas&nbsp;020 7395 1517; 07930 566291; <a href="mailto:kbiswas@fellowsassociates.com">kbiswas@fellowsassociates.com</a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Notes to editors </p><p>1.&nbsp;Northgate Public Services is a leading provider of innovative services to the public sector and utilities markets. Its task is to enhance public value through the intelligent use of people and technology, and to share in the economic and social benefits that this brings.</p><p>2.&nbsp;In the UK, Northgate works with 95% of local authorities and every police force. It supports public service transformation through sustainable performance partnerships. Its services are used in electoral administration systems covering 18 million people; by over one hundred housing associations; and to support the national system for reporting police performance. Founded in 1969, the company has over 7,500 employees.</p><p>3.&nbsp;Ian Noble was formerly Operations Director for Northgate Public Services, having worked for the company since 1995. A skilled professional with extensive experience in business development, Ian has driven business transformation across the Public Services division, having worked as General Manager and Director of Programmes both for the UK and internationally. Prior to joining Northgate, he was Project Director for East Anglian HISS Consortium, responsible for implementing hospital information support systems for four major hospitals in East Anglia. Ian has also worked for the Association for Payment Clearing Services (APACS), leading the creation and implementation planning of the UK Finance Industry&rsquo;s &pound;500 million strategy for card fraud prevention.</p><p>&nbsp;</p> text/html 2008-11-18T00:00:00+01:00 Sovereign Housing Group to achieve strategic growth with NorthgateArinso http://www.northgate-is.com/view/news/item/837 <p>Sovereign Housing Group, a leading provider of affordable housing in the South of England, has appointed NorthgateArinso to deliver a new HR and payroll solution over the next five years. The fully-integrated solution, ResourceLink, will be implemented by September 2009, to cater for around 600 employees.</p><p>NorthgateArinso&rsquo;s ResourceLink will provide the Group with one single HR database, consolidating multiple systems. This will improve the efficiency and quality of services provided. </p><p>The project will run in two phases &ndash; the first covers HR, payroll and self-service, including online expenses, and will go live by April next year. The second encompasses recruitment, training and personal development; it is scheduled for completion by September 2009.</p><p>Lynn Hanford-Day, group HR director at Sovereign Housing Group, said: &ldquo;NorthgateArinso&rsquo;s solution can be scaled to our projected growth. It will help us meet key business objectives.&rdquo;</p><p>&ldquo;NorthgateArinso will facilitate our expansion, providing the ideal support as we work together on this project. Having worked with other groups in the housing sector, we&rsquo;re confident the company knows our business well and will work to our specifications,&rdquo; she concluded.</p><p>Malcolm Aldis, managing director at NorthgateArinso, said: &ldquo;The integrated HR and payroll solution will allow the HR team to focus on its strategy and goals, while helping the whole group achieve its growth objective.&rdquo;</p><p>(234 words)<br />NOTES TO EDITORS<br />About NorthgateArinso<br /><a href="http://www.northgatearinso.co.uk/">www.northgatearinso.co.uk</a> </p><p>NorthgateArinso is a leading global Human Resources software &amp; services provider offering innovative HR business solutions to employers of all sizes, including Global Fortune&auml; 500 companies and many Public Sector organisations. We help HR executives optimise their HR service delivery through smarter process and more efficient technology, supporting key HR areas like workforce administration, payroll, benefits, recruitment, learning, and talent management.</p><p>Our 4,500 employees are dedicated to HR excellence through strategic business consulting, outsourcing services, systems integration and best-of-breed software solutions. We are one of the 5 largest HR service providers world wide and have offices in 31 countries on 5 continents.</p><p>The Northgate Group is owned by private equity company Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR) and currently employs over 6,500 staff and operates in 46 countries across 5 continents.</p><p>About Sovereign Housing Group</p><p>Sovereign Housing Group includes four charitable associations: Sovereign Housing Group Limited, Sovereign Housing Association Limited, Twynham Housing Association Limited, and The Vale Housing Association Limited &ndash; plus their subsidiaries.</p><p>Sovereign Housing Association is the 27th largest registered social landlord in the country, with 13,600 homes and more than 20,000 tenants from Oxfordshire to Devon.<br />It is one of the best-run housing associations in the country, according to the Audit Commission, which awarded the organisation two stars out of three for its services, and excellent prospects for improvement. Sovereign is leading a consortium of twelve housing associations with a target to build over 1,000 extra affordable homes across the south each year.</p><p><br />For further information, please contact:<br />Kelly Desinioti or Lisa Gillingham at LEWIS</p><p>Tel: +44 (0) 20 7802 2626<br />Fax: +44 (0) 20 7802 2627<br />Email: kellyd / <a href="mailto:lisag@lewispr.com">lisag@lewispr.com</a><br />Internet: <a href="http://www.lewispr.com/">http://www.lewispr.com</a></p> text/html 2008-11-07T00:00:00+01:00 TOP LEVEL INFORMATION SOLUTION PROVIDER DELIVERS COMPREHENSIVE ENCRYPTION AND DATA PROTECTION TO ENSURE NHS LOTHIAN’S PATIENT RECORDS REMAIN SECURE http://www.northgate-is.com/view/news/item/836 <p>TOP LEVEL INFORMATION SOLUTION PROVIDER DELIVERS COMPREHENSIVE ENCRYPTION AND DATA PROTECTION TO ENSURE NHS LOTHIAN&rsquo;S PATIENT RECORDS REMAIN SECURE </p><p>Scottish-based Northgate Information Solutions provides high spec encryption solution combined with leading-edge protection technology to bring added security to NHS Lothian data management policies</p><p>NHS Lothian has implemented the latest in high-spec encryption security and data protection technology to help better protect patient records and other sensitive and confidential information governed under the Data Protection Act. <br />In response to a recent incident that led to the loss of patient data, NHS Lothian teamed up with its ICT partner, Glasgow-based Northgate Information Solutions (Northgate), to conduct a review of its security protocols that govern the electronic use and transport of confidential information.<br />As a result of the review, the latest in encryption and device control technology , Lumension Security&rsquo;s Sanctuary Device Control and Becrypt Disk &amp; Connect protect&nbsp; were selected for implementation across the NHS Lothian ICT and laptop estate.&nbsp; The combined solutions cover more than 25,000 employees and complement existing record handling policies. <br />Sanctuary Device Control is being used to eliminate data leakage and prevent the introduction of malware by enforcing NHS Lothian policies regarding the use of all removable media.&nbsp; It has assigned user permissions across the 11,000-device estate, thus ensuring that only authorised users can write data from the network onto removable media while protecting data-at-rest and data-in-motion.&nbsp; <br />The system utilises Lumension Security&rsquo;s &lsquo;Positive Security Model with Sanctuary&rsquo;, meaning that only known and trusted removable devices are authorised to connect to the network.&nbsp; Any unknown or unauthorised devices will not be able gain access by default, preventing data loss or theft.&nbsp; In addition, Sanctuary Data Protection encrypts all approved devices, including USB drives, CDs and DVDs, delivers detailed forensics of device usage and data transfer and prevents malware introduction via removable media.<br />To ensure that NHS Lothian can demonstrate governance and policy compliance at any given time, Sanctuary provides the Lothian eHealth Department with a comprehensive audit log of all devices that have attempted to connect to the network, including those by unauthorised users. The system offers an option to create a back up copy of data downloaded to and from authorised removable devices. <br />The &lsquo;Becrypt&rsquo; element of the implementation works by providing whole disk encryption for all NHS Lothian laptops.&nbsp; Unauthorised users cannot access data on these laptops, as they have to go through a User Authentication process.&nbsp; <br />Commenting on the new security Martin Egan, Director of eHealth with NHS Lothian said, &ldquo;Data management and its security is an issue that we take very seriously, and is an area that requires careful monitoring and constant review.&nbsp; Recent well-publicised incidents have highlighted the need to ensure that ICT systems are robust and offer the proper levels of security and that regular staff training is conducted to ensure the proper management of patient records is adhered to.&rdquo;<br />Mr. Egan continued, &ldquo;Northgate responded to our needs professionally and have provided a security solution that has allowed my team to gain complete control over what users can access and what information can be transferred to portable storage device (USB sticks) while providing the necessary flexibility to ensure end user satisfaction.&nbsp; Staff are being re-trained, and the importance of information handling and its management has been reinforced.&nbsp; I am confident that these new measures will ensure that further incidents will be avoided and that the NHS Lothian model will be seen an industry best practice model.&rdquo;<br />James Turnbull, Managing Director of Northgate&rsquo;s Infrastructure Solutions division added, &ldquo;The issue of data security is one that is effecting more and more organisations in today&rsquo;s technology based business environment.&nbsp; NHS Lothian has moved quickly to update its security protocols and to ensure the proper handling of sensitive and confidential patient information by its staff.&nbsp; I am confident that the solutions provided will only help to reassure patients that any information being held is done so securely.&rdquo;<br />-ENDS-<br />Scottish-based Northgate Infrastructure Solutions, which is a division of Northgate Information Solutions (Northgate IS: <a href="/">www.northgate-is.com</a>), has offices in Aberdeen, Glasgow and Linlithgow.<br />Northgate Infrastructure Solutions is a leading supplier of specialist ICT services and solutions focussing on harnessing technology to improve business outcomes. </p><p>&bull;&nbsp;Mobility and access services and solutions to allow staff to work anytime anywhere from any device.<br />&bull;&nbsp;Managing ICT Assets to ensure businesses can rely on availability of IT as a key business tool.<br />&bull;&nbsp;Storage services and solutions to ensure efficient storage, retrieval and management of information and applications.<br />&bull;&nbsp;Protection for information, applications and infrastructure to safeguard customer relationships and reputation.<br />&bull;&nbsp;Providing effective services and solutions to reduce carbon footprint, waste and energy costs.<br />&bull;&nbsp;Utilising infrastructure to provide effective communications and reduce operating costs.</p><p>Northgate IS (Scotland) employs 40 staff throughout the region, and works with a wide range of public and private sector organisations including Grampian Fire &amp; Rescue Service, United Dairy Farmers, Petroleum Experts, National Trust for Scotland and Balfour Beatty Rail<br />Globally Northgate Information Solutions is a market leader in providing specialist software, outsourcing and information technology (IT) services to the human resources, local government, education and public safety markets.&nbsp;&nbsp; </p><p>The Northgate Group is owned by private equity company Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR) and currently employs over 6,500 staff and operates in 46 countries across 5 continents. <br />Northgate has approximately 4,500 large/medium customers and approximately 10,500 small to medium enterprise (SME) customers worldwide. Northgate works closely with over 20% of the Fortune 500 leading US companies, 90% of the UK local authorities and all of the UK&#39;s police forces.</p><p>About Lumension Security, Inc.<br />Lumension Security&trade;, formed by the combination of PatchLink&reg; Corporation and SecureWave&reg; S.A., is a recognised, global security management company, providing unified protection and control of enterprise endpoints for more than 5,100 customers and 14 million nodes worldwide. Leveraging its proven Positive Security Model, Lumension Security enables organisations to effectively manage risk at the endpoint by delivering best-of-breed, policy-based solutions that simplify the entire security management lifecycle. This includes automated asset discovery, vulnerability assessment, remediation and validation; security configuration management; application control and device control; extensive policy compliance reporting; and integration with leading network access control solutions. Headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, Lumension has offices worldwide. PatchLink, now Lumension, was founded in 1991 by Sean Moshir. More information can be found at <a href="http://www.lumension.com/">www.lumension.com</a> </p><p>Lumension Security, the Lumension logo, PatchLink&reg; and Sanctuary&reg; are trademarks or registered trademarks of Lumension Security. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. </p><p>&nbsp;</p> text/html 2008-11-03T00:00:00+01:00 Northgate completes acquisition of Anite Public Sector http://www.northgate-is.com/view/news/item/834 <strong><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial">NEWS RELEASE<br /><br /></span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">3<sup>rd</sup> November 2008 </span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial"></span></strong>&nbsp;<br /><strong><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">Northgate completes acquisition of Anite Public Sector</span></strong><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">&nbsp;<br /><br /><br /></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">Northgate Information Solutions, a leading provider of innovative services to the public sector and utilities markets, today announces that it has completed the &pound;54.3m purchase of Anite Public Sector Holdings Ltd as part of its long term strategic expansion programme in supporting public service transformation.<span>&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">&nbsp;<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">The deal confirms Northgate&rsquo;s position as the UK&rsquo;s leading player in the local government, social housing and criminal justice public services markets. It comes seven months after the acquisition of Northgate Information Solutions plc by private equity firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts &amp; Co (KKR). </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">&nbsp;<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">The acquisition is part of a long term strategy to broaden and strengthen Northgate&rsquo;s capacity to meet its clients&rsquo; changing needs for citizen-centred services. It builds on the Northgate Public Service strong track record of successfully integrating seven acquisitions in the last five years. <br /><br />The acquisition strategy has generated profitable growth through promoting a performance culture, driving through innovation and putting quality at the heart of everything the company does.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">Northgate&rsquo;s clients are set to benefit from continuously improving services as a result of enhanced investment, economies of scale and the combination of the organisations&rsquo; key strengths. The new organisation will have an unrivalled capability to deliver business-focused change programmes and integrated services to the local government, social housing and police and criminal justice public services markets. Northgate will add to its leading position in revenues and benefits and housing by providing a comprehensive range of services including social care and enhanced document management services. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">&nbsp;<br /><br /></span><strong><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">David Meaden, Chief Executive of Northgate Public Services, said today: </span></strong><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">&ldquo;I am delighted that we have completed the deal which will bring real benefits to our clients, our employees and to our company as a whole. It marks an exciting new stage in our development and we look forward to the opportunities that will come as a result. <br /><br /></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">&ldquo;Our ambition for our company is matched by our ambition for public services. We are fully committed to supporting public service transformation through innovation and the development of new forms of performance partnerships. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">&ldquo;This acquisition broadens and strengthens our capacity and our capability to successfully respond to large scale, strategic and complex procurements and deliver realisable outcomes. Successful transformation requires services which place citizens&rsquo; needs at their heart. This deal enhances and extends our ability to support our clients in achieving this crucial change.&rdquo;</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">-Ends-</span><strong><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">&nbsp;<br /><br /></span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">David Meaden is available for interview</span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">&nbsp;<br /><br /></span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">For more information</span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">Fellows&rsquo; Associates:<br /></span></strong><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">Kathy Sutton<span>&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<br /></span>020 7395 1516; 07966 890401; <br /><a href="mailto:ksutton@fellowsassociates.com">ksutton@fellowsassociates.com</a><br /><br /></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: Arial">Kuntal Biswas<span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br /></span>020 7395 1517; 07930 566291;<br /><a href="mailto:kbiswas@fellowsassociates.com">kbiswas@fellowsassociates.com</a></span><strong><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">&nbsp;<br /><br /></span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">Notes to editors</span></strong><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">&nbsp;<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">1. Northgate Information Solutions is a leading provider of innovative services to the public sector and utilities markets. Northgate&rsquo;s task is to enhance public value through the intelligent use of people and technology, and to share in the economic and social benefits that this brings.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">2.<span>&nbsp;</span>In the UK, the company works with four out of five local authorities and every police force. Northgate supports public service transformation through sustainable performance partnerships. Its services are used in the administration of more than &pound;12 billion of revenues and benefits; in electoral administration systems covering 18 million people; to support the national system for reporting police performance; and in the management of over three million local authority and housing association properties worldwide. Founded in 1969, the company now has over 7,500 employees.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">&nbsp;<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">3. Anite is a market leader in software and solutions whose primary business is the provision of industry-specific solutions based on its deep sector knowledge of the wireless telecoms, public sector, and travel markets. It is a market leader in software and solutions to key parts of local government, such as social care solutions - as well as an important supplier of secure information solutions (SIS) to the criminal justice markets. Anite Public Sector comprises two businesses: Anite Public Sector Limited (the Anite local government business) and Anite Secure Information Solutions Limited (the SIS business).</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">&nbsp;<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">4.<span>&nbsp;</span>The deal was completed for a total cash consideration of &pound;54.3 million, subject to the settlement of a &pound;3.8 million receivable owed by Anite to Anite Public Sector and a working capital adjustment following completion. The Board of Anite announced that the resolution to approve the disposal of Anite Public Sector Holdings Limited, as detailed in the circular sent to shareholders dated 1 August 2008, was passed at a General Meeting on 29 August 2008. The OFT cleared the acquisition on 27<sup>th</sup> October 2008. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">&nbsp;</span><strong><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">&nbsp;</span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">&nbsp;</span></strong><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">&nbsp;</span> text/html 2008-10-31T00:00:00+01:00 Scottish Government leads the battle against climate change but greater collaboration is required, urges Northgate http://www.northgate-is.com/view/news/item/835 <p>Scottish Government leads the battle against climate change but greater collaboration is required, urges Northgate </p><p>Northgate Information Solutions, a leading provider of innovative services to the public sector and utilities markets, today welcomes the Scottish Government plan to tackle climate change as &ldquo;one of the most ambitious in the world&rdquo;, but calls for closer partnership working between citizens, public authorities and the private sector.</p><p>In a response to Managing Scotland&rsquo;s Climate Risk, Northgate argues that strong leadership in the current economic climate will ensure the long-term prosperity of Scotland&rsquo;s communities and economy, whilst protecting the natural environment.</p><p>The response welcomes the strong stance taken by the Scottish Government to combat climate change, but calls for further action to be taken, including: </p><p>&bull;&nbsp;developing local authority-led energy service partnerships designed to eradicate energy inequalities and encourage consumer and corporate action in local communities;<br />&bull;&nbsp;giving local authorities full access to information contained in energy performance certificates &ndash; this will enable them to promote energy efficiency and alleviate fuel poverty by developing local climate change profiles and taking targeted action through initiatives such as the Central Heating and Warm Deal programmes.</p><p>Northgate anticipates that public sector bodies involved in tackling climate change must engage with responsible organisations in the private sector through innovative performance partnerships. These would ensure challenging yet achievable energy efficiency targets, taking account of local circumstances and providing for the genuine engagement of all key stakeholders.</p><p>Russell Osborne, Managing Director of Land &amp; Property for Northgate Public Services, said today: &ldquo;The fight against climate change will only be won by an innovative and collaborative response involving all of us. We strongly support the Scottish Government&rsquo;s commitment to tackling growing climate change by harnessing the power of society to drive forward positive change.</p><p>&ldquo;New forms of collaboration between citizens, public authorities, the not-for-profit and private sector are vital to encouraging greater energy efficiency and reducing carbon emissions. Energy service partnerships and joint ventures can empower the public and encourage innovation in the private sector.</p><p>&ldquo;In a tough economic climate, there must be an emphasis on all parties working in partnership to promote energy efficiency and bring about a sea-change in organisational and personal attitudes towards more sustainable living.&rdquo;</p><p>-ENDS-</p><p>For more information<br />Fellows&rsquo; Associates:<br />Kathy Sutton&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 020 7395 1516; 07966 890401; <a href="mailto:ksutton@fellowsassociates.com">ksutton@fellowsassociates.com</a><br />Kuntal Biswas&nbsp;020 7395 1517; 07930 566291; <a href="mailto:kbiswas@fellowsassociates.com">kbiswas@fellowsassociates.com</a></p><p>1.&nbsp;Northgate Information Solutions is a leading provider of innovative services to the public sector and utilities markets. Northgate&rsquo;s task is to enhance public value through the intelligent use of people and technology, and to share in the economic and social benefits that this brings. </p><p>2.&nbsp;In the UK, the company works with four out of five local authorities and every police force. Northgate supports public service transformation through sustainable performance partnerships. Its technology and services are used in the energy efficiency assessment of Scottish dwellings and buildings. Scottish Building Standards has entered into protocols with Northgate to deliver services in relation to Energy Performance Certificates. Northgate&rsquo;s services are used in the management of over three million local authority and housing association properties worldwide. Founded in 1969, the company has over 7,000 employees.</p><p>3.&nbsp;In June 2008, the Scottish Government published Adapting Our Ways: Managing Scotland&#39;s Climate Risk: Consultation to inform Scotland&#39;s Climate Change Adaptation Framework.</p><p>Northgate&rsquo;s response can be found at:<br /><a href="http://www.northgate-ispublicservices.com/page/view/public_policy">http://www.northgate-ispublicservices.com/page/view/public_policy</a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p> text/html 2008-10-27T00:00:00+01:00 Kent Secondary School Students to Benefit from a £29 Million Investment in ICT http://www.northgate-is.com/view/news/item/831 <span><strong><h1 style="margin: 12pt 0cm 3pt; text-align: center" align="center"><span style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 18pt"><font face="Arial">&nbsp;</font></span><span style="font-size: 18pt"><font face="Arial">*** NEWS RELEASE*** </font></span></h1><span style="font-size: 13pt"><font face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></span><span style="font-size: 13pt"><font face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></span><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial">Kent</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial"> Secondary School</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial"> Students to Benefit from a </span><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial">&pound;29 Million Investment in ICT </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: Arial">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: Arial">Northgate Education <em>(</em></span><em><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: Arial">www.northgate-is.com/education</span></em><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: Arial">) has been appointed as Kent County Council&rsquo;s Information and Communication Technology (ICT) provider as part of the Kent Building Schools for the Future (BSF) Programme. Northgate Education is a leading provider of ICT managed services, solutions and software to schools throughout the UK, and will be working closely with Kent County Council, <span style="color: black">Land Securities Trillium and Partnerships for Schools (PfS) to provide Kent schools with innovative ICT which supports each school&rsquo;s education vision.<span style="font-weight: normal; font-family: Arial"></span></span></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: Arial">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black; line-height: 150%; font-family: Arial">The announcement represents the launch of the &pound;600 million project to refurbish or rebuild and transform the delivery of education in secondary schools </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: Arial">in <span>Gravesham, Swale </span><span style="color: black">and <span>Thanet. Eleven schools will be benefit from the initial &pound;29 million investment in ICT provided by Northgate Education. &nbsp;</span>Once completed, Northgate Education will begin work on the remaining 25 schools in these districts. <span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: #202730; line-height: 150%; font-family: Arial">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: Arial">With ICT firmly embedded in the education vision of Kent schools, BSF will allow for even more innovative ICT to be used in classrooms as well as providing <span>&nbsp;</span>tools to help teachers improve the delivery of education. Committed to &lsquo;anytime-anywhere learning&rsquo;, schools will be working closely with Northgate Education to provide learners, parents and teachers with access to education resources via </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: Arial">any internet enabled device.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: Arial">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: Arial">As part of the innovative ICT available, each learner will have access to &ldquo;N-able&rdquo;, Northgate&rsquo;s <span>&nbsp;</span>online Managed Learning Environment (MLE), <span>&nbsp;</span>N-able provides students with their own personalised learning area with the support and assistance they need to maximise independent study and to progress in line with their own individual learning plan. Accessible via the internet from any location, N-able gives each learner their own online space to work on assignments, store work and access emails allowing them to communicate with teachers and fellow students. Each teacher has a digital toolbox providing them with resources to continually assess pupil&#39;s work and offer as much or as little guidance as they might need. N-able also allows the school to incorporate management and administration systems in one place, for example pupil attendance, as well as achievements in coursework and exams which can be provided to parents. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: Arial">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: Arial">Working with Kent County Council and Land Securities Trillium, Northgate Education has embarked on a substantial engagement programme with the schools in Kent to fully understand their vision for education. By collaborating closely, Northgate has developed a strategy that provides flexible ICT which meets Kent&rsquo;s BSF objectives and each of the school&rsquo;s needs. Desktops, laptops, networked projectors, interactive whiteboards, handheld devices as well as full wireless coverage are the tools which enable students to be independent and skilled learners with as much or as little teacher assistance as they require. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: #202730; line-height: 150%; font-family: Arial">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: #202730; line-height: 150%; font-family: Arial">Grahame Ward, Kent BSF Programme Director, said: &ldquo;ICT is central to KCC&#39;s vision for Building Schools for the Future and by working very closely with Northgate Education we are turning our plans into reality. By equipping our BSF schools with state of the art ICT facilities we will not only improve the business of education through more efficient school management process, greater collaboration and the sharing of resources, but also raise attainment and transform the educational opportunities available for young people.&rdquo; </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: Arial">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: Arial">By working alongside the design and build teams, including architects and construction companies, Northgate continues to work hard to ensure ICT is embedded into the design process of each school at every stage. Kent schools will no longer have traditional classrooms but &lsquo;learning spaces&rsquo; - ICT rich environments which allow learners to make full use of ICT to enhance their education experience and to engage in their own learning. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: #202730; line-height: 150%; font-family: Arial">Encouraging extended community interaction, the new ICT provision will also support Kent&rsquo;s vision to provide a range of services and facilities for children, adults and the local community throughout and beyond the school day. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: #202730; line-height: 150%; font-family: Arial">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black; line-height: 150%; font-family: Arial">David Hyland, Managing Director of Northgate Education, commented: &ldquo;W</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: Arial">e are extremely proud to be involved in Kent&rsquo;s BSF project which will transform learning and teaching across the region&rsquo;s schools. By installing innovative technology schools are exceeding Government requirements to ensure that students have the best possible educational resources available. Each school will have not only a building designed to optimise education but significant technology resources which can be used by the teachers and learners to make education really engaging. Learning resources will be accessible via the Internet from any location at any time of day.<span>&nbsp; </span>We are delighted to be involved with such a forward thinking BSF project and feel the benefits to young learners will make Kent a model of best practice for BSF projects in other areas.&rdquo;</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: Arial">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: Arial">Kent</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: Arial">&rsquo;s overall Building Schools for the Future Programme, the largest school building scheme in Europe, is worth as estimated &pound;1.8 billion.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: Arial">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: Arial">Tim Byles, Chief Executive of Partnerships for Schools, the government agency responsible for delivery of the BSF programme across England, commented:<span>&nbsp; </span>&ldquo;As the largest BSF scheme to reach financial close to date, this marks an important milestone not just for Kent, but for the national BSF programme. At its heart, BSF is about transforming education and improving the life chances for all young people, and I look forward to charting the progress of this first phase of Kent&rsquo;s ambitious scheme.&rdquo;</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: Arial">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: Arial">For more information about the Kent&#39;s BSF programme, log on to <span style="color: blue"><a href="http://www.kent.gov.uk/bsf">www.kent.gov.uk/bsf</a></span></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: Arial">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: Arial">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black; line-height: 150%; font-family: Arial">-Ends-</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: Arial">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: Arial">For press enquiries please contact Judith Castle at Livewire Public Relations, tel: +44 (0)20 8339 7440 or e-mail judith.castle@livewirepr.com.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: Arial">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">Notes to editors: </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">&nbsp;</span><span>About Northgate Education (<a href="education">www.northgate-is.com/education</a>) </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">&nbsp;</span><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 11pt">Northgate Education, Northgate </span><span style="font-size: 11pt">Information Solution</span><span style="font-size: 11pt">s&rsquo; specialist education division, is a leading provider of managed services and solutions in the UK. It provides technology services to over 1,200 schools, with more than 350,000 teachers and learners successfully supported by the company. Northgate provides services to every school in Northern Ireland through C2k, the largest and most comprehensive e-learning initiative ever implemented in the UK. It also provides Information and Communication Technology (ICT) managed services to Bristol City Council and Leicester City Council as part of the government&#39;s Building Schools for the Future Programme (BSF) and to over 150 education sites in Hartlepool, from primary schools through to further education. In January 2007, Northgate was awarded an ISO 20000-1 accreditation by the British Standards Institution, for provision of IT service management activities. </span></font><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">Globally, Northgate Information Solutions is a market leader in providing specialist software, outsourcing and information technology (IT) services to the human resources, local government, education and public safety markets. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">The Northgate Group is owned by private equity company <strong><span style="font-weight: normal; font-family: Arial">Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR)</span> and currently employs over 6,500 staff and operates in 46 countries across 5 continents.</strong></span><span style="font-size: 11pt"></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">About BSF (<a href="http://www.bsf.gov.uk/">www.bsf.gov.uk</a>) </span><span><br />BSF is the largest single schools capital investment programme for over 50 years. BSF will provide world-class teaching and learning environments for all pupils, teachers and communities in England.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial"></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%"><font face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></span><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">&nbsp;</font></strong></span> text/html 2008-10-27T00:00:00+01:00 Northgate receives OFT clearance for acquisition of Anite Public Sector Holdings Limited http://www.northgate-is.com/view/news/item/832 <strong><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial">NEWS RELEASE</span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">&nbsp;<br /></span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">27<sup>th</sup> October 2008&nbsp;</span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">&nbsp;<br /><br /></span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">Northgate receives OFT clearance for acquisition of Anite Public Sector Holdings Limited<br /><br /></span></strong><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">Northgate Information Solutions today announces that it has received OFT clearance for the acquisition of Anite Public Sector Holdings Limited. The OFT has decided on the information available to it not to refer the offer to the Competition Commission under the provisions of the Enterprise Act.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">The decision paves the way for the completion of the deal and confirms Northgate&rsquo;s position as the UK&rsquo;s leading player in the local government, social housing and criminal justice public services markets. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">The deal builds on Northgate Public Services&rsquo; highly successful track record of delivering value through strategic acquisition. This success lies in promoting a performance culture, driving through product innovation and embedding quality through the process of integration.<span>&nbsp; </span></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">&nbsp;</span><strong><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">David Meaden, Chief Executive of Northgate Public Services, said today: </span></strong><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">&ldquo;We are delighted that the OFT has cleared this deal and we anticipate completion later this month. We have an excellent operational management team and a strong track record of successfully integrating eleven acquisitions in the last five years. </span><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: navy; font-family: Arial">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">&ldquo;This deal expands our public services business and extends our commitment to support excellence in the public sector at a time when the economic challenges our clients face have never been greater.&rdquo;</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">-ENDS-</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial"><span>&nbsp;</span></span><strong><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">&nbsp;</span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">&nbsp;</span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">For more information</span></strong><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">&nbsp;</span><strong><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">Fellows&rsquo; Associates:</span></strong><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">Kathy Sutton<span>&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>020 7395 1516; 07966 890401; <a href="mailto:ksutton@fellowsassociates.com">ksutton@fellowsassociates.com</a></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: Arial">Kuntal Biswas<span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>020 7395 1517; 07930 566291; <a href="mailto:kbiswas@fellowsassociates.com">kbiswas@fellowsassociates.com</a></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">&nbsp;</span><strong><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">&nbsp;</span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">&nbsp;</span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">&nbsp;</span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">&nbsp;</span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">&nbsp;</span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">&nbsp;</span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">&nbsp;</span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">&nbsp;</span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">&nbsp;</span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">&nbsp;</span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">Notes to editors</span></strong><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">1.<span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>Northgate Information Solutions is a leading provider of innovative services to the public sector and utilities markets. Northgate&rsquo;s task is to enhance public value through the intelligent use of people and technology, and to share in the economic and social benefits that this brings.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">2.<span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>In the UK, the company works with four out of five local authorities and every police force. Northgate supports public service transformation through sustainable performance partnerships. Its services are used in the administration of more than &pound;12 billion of revenues and benefits; in electoral administration systems covering 18 million people; to support the national system for reporting police performance; and in the management of over three million local authority and housing association properties worldwide. Founded in 1969, the company has over 7,000 employees.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">3.<span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>Anite is a market leader in software and solutions whose primary business is the provision of industry-specific solutions based on its deep sector knowledge of the wireless telecoms, public sector, and travel markets. It is a market leader in software and solutions to key parts of local government, such as social care solutions - as well as an important supplier of secure information solutions (SIS) to the criminal justice markets. Anite Public Sector comprises two businesses: Anite Public Sector Limited (the Anite local government business) and Anite Secure Information Solutions Limited (the SIS business).</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">4.<span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>The Board of Anite announced that the resolution to approve the disposal of Anite Public Sector Holdings Limited, as detailed in the circular sent to shareholders dated 1 August 2008, was passed at a General Meeting on 29 August 2008. The deal is expected to be completed later this month.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial"><span>&nbsp;</span></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial">&nbsp;</span> text/html 2008-10-16T23:00:00+01:00 NorthgateArinso &#8220;empowers&#8221; businesses to reduce carbon footprints http://www.northgate-is.com/view/news/item/827 <p>~ adds CO2 calculator to its online expenses system ~</p><p><br />NorthgateArinso has teamed up with Carbon Footprint, the leading environmental consultancy, to launch a new CO2 calculator in its Empower HR and payroll solution. The online tool offers employees the option to calculate their CO2 emissions for business travel when submitting expenses. It was launched to help businesses comply with The Carbon Reduction Commitment scheme by enabling reporting of carbon emissions from travel, and will also help organisations to save costs. </p><p>The Carbon Reduction Commitment is being introduced under The Climate Change Bill and is a new mandatory scheme to reduce carbon emissions set to affect large non-energy intensive organisations. </p><p>Empower, NorthgateArinso&rsquo;s HR management solution, is now able to help businesses comply with the new legislation and manage their impact on the environment. Empower&rsquo;s CO2 calculator is based on data entered via self-service, when employees submit their expenses. The data saved is sent to <a href="http://www.carbonfootprint.com/">www.carbonfootprint.com</a>, which automatically calculates the<br />CO2 figure and sends it back to the Empower application.</p><p>The new module is easy to use, and as well as helping businesses achieve compliance, it will also allow them to stand out as environmentally responsible and save energy costs. The module will also allow HR teams to run detailed reports on the company&rsquo;s carbon footprint, based on data from the calculator. By helping companies take the first step and measure their carbon footprint, targeted reduction measures can follow. </p><p>Anthony Brassington, product strategy manager at NorthgateArinso, said:<br />&quot;By using Carbon Footprint&rsquo;s knowledge and expertise we&rsquo;re happy to be able to help employers achieve compliance with the new regulations. Company directors are not the only ones to benefit, as HR departments will be able to report on the company&#39;s carbon footprint and add vital input in to the carbon emission strategy.&quot;</p><p>&ldquo;Via our partnership, NorthgateArinso&rsquo;s Empower will become a socially responsible, innovative HR system,&rdquo; said John Buckley, managing director at Carbon Footprint. &ldquo;Businesses implementing Empower with this new module will be able to manage their carbon footprint and bring energy and significant cost savings to their organisations.&quot;</p><p>&nbsp;(353 words)</p><p>About NorthgateArinso<br />Northgate Information Solutions is a market leader in providing specialist software, outsourcing and information technology (IT) services to the human resources, local government, education and public safety markets. <br />&nbsp;<br />Northgate, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange, currently employs over 6,000 staff and operates in 46 countries across 5 continents. <br />&nbsp;<br />Northgate has approximately 4,500 large/medium customers and approximately 10,500 small to medium enterprise (SME) customers world wide. The many corporate organisations Northgate works closely with include over 20% of fortune 500 clients ,90% of the UK local authorities and all of the UK&rsquo;s police forces. <br />&nbsp;</p><p>For further information, please contact: <br />Kelly Desinioti or Lisa Gillingham at LEWIS </p><p>Tel: +44 (0) 20 7802 2626<br />Fax: +44 (0) 20 7802 2627 <br />Email: kellyd / <a href="mailto:lisag@lewispr.com">lisag@lewispr.com</a> <br />Internet: <a href="http://www.lewispr.com/">www.lewispr.com</a> </p> text/html 2008-10-16T23:00:00+01:00 &#8220;Knowledge crunch&#8221; set to hit after credit crunch, warns NorthgateArinso http://www.northgate-is.com/view/news/item/829 <p>~ NorthgateArinso urges UK Plc not to let baby boomers take company wisdom to retirement ~</p><p>NorthgateArinso is urging businesses to act quickly to avoid losing vast amounts of company wisdom as the post-war &lsquo;baby boomer&rsquo; generation retires over the next 5-10 years. The effect of this &lsquo;knowledge crunch&rsquo; is set to hit just as the UK recovers from the credit crunch, and will compound the impact of a recession if not handled well.</p><p>NorthgateArinso believes the financial and competitive advantage risks of not building a strategy for knowledge transfer into talent management plans could have a debilitating impact on many companies, which in some cases may never be fully recovered. Organisations must not only retain the knowledge held by the aging workforce, but ensure that the new generation of workers benefits from the years of expertise and skills acquired by previous generations. </p><p>&ldquo;Losing the baby boomers is potentially a greater challenge than taking on generation &lsquo;Y&rsquo; for many companies,&rdquo; said Steve Foster, HR strategist at NorthgateArinso. &ldquo;While a lot of attention has been given to coping with the Internet generation, very little is being done to assimilate the knowledge of the generation that built today&rsquo;s businesses. Their business acumen, industry know-how and experience they have needs to be passed on now, before it&rsquo;s too late.&rdquo;</p><p>NorthgateArinso recommends that organisations take a &lsquo;stop, look, listen&rsquo; approach to give this issue proper consideration:</p><p>STOP: Don&rsquo;t progress with a talent management strategy until you&rsquo;ve assessed the risks of losing baby boomers: who is leaving, which departments will have gaps, which core areas of expertise are leaving the company?<br />LOOK: At the expertise who will be leaving your company in the next 5-10 years, and assess what stage you are at with succession planning. How will you capture the knowledge of retiring staff, as well as taking on new people?<br />LISTEN: Listen to the insight from the baby boomers: do you need to integrate your knowledge management systems with HR processes? Can you develop formal and informal knowledge transfer processes, led by senior staff? Or can you be creative in the way you capture their know-how, perhaps recording webcasts of their advice for sharing with new staff?</p><p>Technology has a key role to play in harnessing company wisdom, to capture information and make it readily available to those who need &ndash; becoming the corporate &lsquo;archive&rsquo;. </p><p>&ldquo;Capturing the insight from the baby boomers needs to be holistic and effective, but that doesn&rsquo;t mean it needs to be complicated,&rdquo; said Foster. &ldquo;HR platforms can be extended to store valuable information, and it can be created in a format that&rsquo;s easy to share with those who need it &ndash; whether that&rsquo;s new starters in the UK or team leads around the world.&rdquo;</p><p>NorthgateArinso has also provided a guide to managing talent before it leaves the company, available at: [URL]</p><p>(481 words)</p><p>NOTES TO EDITORS</p><p>About NorthgateArinso <br /><a href="http://www.northgatearinso.co.uk/">www.northgatearinso.co.uk</a></p><p>NorthgateArinso is a leading global Human Resources software &amp; services provider offering innovative HR business solutions to employers of all sizes, including Global Fortune 500 companies and many Public Sector organisations. We help HR executives optimise their HR service delivery through smarter process and more efficient technology, supporting key HR areas like workforce administration, payroll, benefits, recruitment, learning, and talent management.</p><p>Our 4,500 employees are dedicated to HR excellence through strategic business consulting, outsourcing services, systems integration and best-of-breed software solutions.&nbsp; We are one of the 5 largest HR service providers world wide and have offices in 31 countries on 5 continents.</p><p>The Northgate Group is owned by private equity company Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR) and currently employs over 6,500 staff and operates in 46 countries across 5 continents.<br />&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p> text/html 2008-10-14T23:00:00+01:00 Police forces across the UK to benefit from innovative new intelligence service http://www.northgate-is.com/view/news/item/825 <p>Police forces across the UK to benefit from innovative new intelligence service</p><p>Northgate Information Solutions, a leading provider of innovative services to the public sector and utilities markets, today announces an innovative new service designed to promote radical improvements in policing and contribute to safer communities throughout the country.</p><p>Northgate has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Lothian &amp; Borders Police to market their widely acclaimed automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) analysis system. The new initiative will provide UK forces with enhanced intelligence gathering through closely tracking the movements of vehicles believed to be involved in criminal activities.</p><p>Citizens will benefit from faster incident response times, with forces able to prevent and predict crime and to bring more offenders to justice. The innovative service will deliver:</p><p>&bull;&nbsp;an enhanced ability to identify criminal activity that is associated with a vehicle or group of vehicles through hot spotting and trend analysis of vehicle information; <br />&bull;&nbsp;closer analysis of high crime areas of interest to police forces; <br />&bull;&nbsp;comprehensive and up to date police intelligence through joined-up vehicle information and integration with third party information;<br />&bull;&nbsp;increased public safety through closely monitoring vehicle movements, protecting both police staff and the wider community.</p><p>This deal follows the recommendation by Sir Ronnie Flanagan in his final report that police forces should ensure they are taking an entrepreneurial approach to policing in ethical income generation and in creating and exploiting business opportunities. </p><p>Examples of how the new service can be used include &ndash; </p><p>&bull;&nbsp;Several robberies have occurred in a region &ndash; the services can be used to establish what vehicles were in the vicinity, allowing further investigations to be undertaken including direct access to the regional force crime and intelligence systems to establish what is known about these vehicles;</p><p>&bull;&nbsp;An incident involving a vehicle has occurred and the police have nothing to go on other than the make, model and colour of the vehicle. Using the services the police can establish which registrations match with this make, model and colour and which of these have been spotted in the vicinity of the incident.</p><p>Ian Blackhurst, Managing Director of Criminal Justice &amp; Public Safety at Northgate Public Services, said: &ldquo;We want to give citizens and officers in the field the confidence that challenging incidents will be dealt with effectively and efficiently. The new service supports our total commitment to public safety and helps us meet the policing needs of our neighbourhoods. We look forward to working with organisations across the country to provide protection for police and citizens, building safer communities and strengthening trust in the criminal justice system.&rdquo;<br />- Ends -<br />For more information:<br />Fellows&rsquo; Associates:<br />Kathy Sutton&nbsp;&nbsp;020 7849 3403; 07966 890401; <a href="mailto:ksutton@fellowsassociates.com">ksutton@fellowsassociates.com</a><br />Kuntal Biswas&nbsp;&nbsp;020 7849 3347; 07930 566291; <a href="mailto:kbiswas@fellowsassociates.com">kbiswas@fellowsassociates.com</a> </p><p>Note to editors:</p><p>1.&nbsp;Northgate Information Solutions is a leading provider of innovative services to the public sector and utilities markets. Northgate&rsquo;s task is to enhance public value through the intelligent use of people and technology, and to share in the economic and social benefits that this brings.</p><p>2.&nbsp;In the UK, the company works with four out of five local authorities and every police force. Northgate supports public service transformation through sustainable performance partnerships. Its services are used in the administration of more than &pound;12 billion of revenues and benefits; in electoral administration systems covering 18 million people; to support the national system for reporting police performance; and in the management of over three million local authority and housing association properties worldwide. Founded in 1969, the company has over 7,000 employees.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p> text/html 2008-10-08T23:00:00+01:00 Service revolution needed to rebuild public trust in police, urges Northgate http://www.northgate-is.com/view/news/item/820 <p>Service revolution needed to rebuild public trust in police, urges Northgate</p><p>Northgate Information Solutions, a leading provider of innovative services to the public sector and utilities markets, today calls on the government to better engage citizens and overhaul the procurement process to radically improve service delivery and restore public confidence in the police.</p><p>In a wide-ranging response to the Policing Green Paper, Northgate urges a fundamental shift towards the shared &lsquo;purchase of solutions&rsquo; to support change management, at a time when IT procurement remains disaggregated and costs are too high.</p><p>Northgate argues that a &lsquo;full service revolution&rsquo; can be achieved by developing &lsquo;problem-solving partnerships&rsquo;. These would engage with the public and empower them to interact in the fight against crime and improve the quality of life in their localities.</p><p>The response welcomes a number of the recommendations made in the Green Paper, but calls on the government to take further action, requiring: </p><p>&bull;&nbsp;a new compact with the public which moves beyond the provision of information to the development of dynamic, interactive interfaces between citizens and the police;<br />&bull;&nbsp;an understanding that crime and environmental and social nuisance must be tackled with a co-ordinated approach by local agencies acting together to deliver positive outcomes;<br />&bull;&nbsp;a radical approach to procurement, in which police purchases are built around business process, reengineering solutions informed by the experience of frontline services;<br />&bull;&nbsp;a mature relationship with the private sector, promoting a problem-solving partnership approach and replacing the dominant mode of contractor/supplier relationship with one which places innovation at the heart of effective community safety services.</p><p>Ian Blackhurst, Managing Director of Criminal Justice &amp; Public Safety for Northgate Public Services, said today: &ldquo;We warmly welcome the publication of the Policing Green Paper, but believe that a bolder approach is needed - one which harnesses the power of society to drive forward positive change. </p><p>&ldquo;New forms of collaboration between the public, and the private and not-for-profit sectors are vital to promoting community safety and well-being. However, for this to happen mandating police forces to share procurement of IT systems will not in itself be the answer - technology and the procurement process must be harnessed to drive through a full service revolution.</p><p>&ldquo;Problem-solving partnerships, which empower the public and encourage innovation in the private sector, could be a vital tool for the police in enhancing local accountability and could help to ensure that an evidence-based approach to preventing and tackling crime in the community is embraced.&rdquo;<br />For more information</p><p>Fellows&rsquo; Associates:<br />Kathy Sutton&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 020 7849 3403; 07966 890401; <a href="mailto:ksutton@fellowsassociates.com">ksutton@fellowsassociates.com</a><br />News&nbsp;020 7849 3347; 07930 566291; <a href="mailto:news@fellowsassociates.com">news@fellowsassociates.com</a></p><p>1.&nbsp;Northgate Information Solutions is a leading provider of innovative services to the public sector and utilities markets. Northgate&rsquo;s task is to enhance public value through the intelligent use of people and technology, and to share in the economic and social benefits that this brings. </p><p>2.&nbsp;On 17th July 2008, the Home Secretary published the Policing Green Paper, From the neighbourhood to the national: policing our communities together.</p><p><br />Northgate&rsquo;s response can be found at:<br /><a href="http://www.northgate-ispublicservices.com/page/view/public_policy">http://www.northgate-ispublicservices.com/page/view/public_policy</a></p><p>&nbsp;</p> text/html 2008-10-08T23:00:00+01:00 NorthgateArinso expands international http://www.northgate-is.com/view/news/item/828 <p>~ opens European Regional Delivery Centre in Granada, Spain ~</p><p>NorthgateArinso, the global human resources software and services provider, has expanded its offshore capabilities with the opening of a new European Regional Delivery Centre located in Granada, Spain. The new centre forms part of the company&rsquo;s global delivery network, designed to deliver value in HR services to its customers worldwide in both their global Human Resource Outsourcing (HRO) and integration businesses. The new centre was officially opened last week by Chris Stone, CEO of NorthgateArinso.</p><p>The opening of the new Regional Delivery Centre (RDC) is part of the company&rsquo;s ongoing expansion in Granada, Spain, where NorthgateArinso opened its first service centre in February 2007. The RDC in Granada has grown to employing 160 people today. &ldquo;NorthgateArinso will continue to promote Granada as one of the most important international service hubs worldwide,&rdquo; said Kobe Verdonck, executive director EMEA. </p><p>By adding a new Centre, NorthgateArinso will improve the quality of its human resource outsourcing (HRO) and integration business through economies of scale, greater efficiency, organisation optimisation and process improvements while strengthening its global delivery network.</p><p>NorthgateArinso already supports outsourcing services in Granada for international customers from more than 20 countries worldwide, employing 160 young IT professionals, most of whom graduated from Granada University. The city of Granada has a well-known and prestigious University offering a wide range of qualified resources, and multi-lingual graduates. </p><p>With this announcement, the total number of people employed by the company in Granada will be up to 200 before the end of the year.</p><p>Right-shoring in Europe<br />Hylke Sprangers, director operations EMEA and LatAm commented: &ldquo;NorthgateArinso is focused on providing the very highest levels of customer support while remaining highly competitive on cost. Located in a strategic European region, we have Regional Delivery Centres based in Katowice, Poland and the new RDC in Granada, Spain. Both RDCs benefit from their proximity to major customers while drawing on a strong labour pool and improving our cost competitiveness.&rdquo;</p><p>&ldquo;We recognise that both near-shoring and offshoring have a role to play in effective global HR service delivery. At NorthgateArinso, we strive to &lsquo;right-shore&rsquo; for our clients, providing the right level of service, in the right location at the right price. In this model, client contacts speak to local operations in their own countries, with a large part of delivery from our RDCs. Additionally our RDC in Granada also functions as the gate for all our European operations to the offshore facilities we have available in Asia Pacific.&rdquo; concluded Verdonck.<br />(424 words)</p><p>NOTES TO EDITORS<br />About NorthgateArinso<br />NorthgateArinso, the HR division of Northgate Information Solutions, was created in 2007 following the acquisition of ARINSO International, thus creating a merged entity, which combined more than half a century of HR expertise.<br />NorthgateArinso is a leading global Human Resources software and services provider offering innovative HR business solutions to employers of all sizes, including Global Fortune&trade; 500 companies and many public sector organizations.</p><p>Our vision is simple: we want to be the trusted partner of HR decision makers for improving HR service delivery through smarter processes and more efficient technologies. We help HR executives to optimize their HR service delivery through smarter process and more efficient technology, supporting key HR areas like workforce administration, payroll, benefits, recruitment, learning, and talent management.</p><p>NorthgateArinso&rsquo;s 4,500 employees are dedicated to HR excellence through strategic business consulting, best-of-breed software solutions, outsourcing services and systems integration. NorthgateArinso has offices in 31 countries in 5 continents.</p><p>NOTES TO EDITORS<br />For further information, please contact: <br />Suzy Ferguson or Lisa Gillingham at LEWIS <br />Tel: +44 (0) 20 7802 2626<br />Fax: +44 (0) 20 7802 2627 <br />Email: suzyf / <a href="mailto:lisag@lewispr.com">lisag@lewispr.com</a> <br />Internet: <a href="http://www.lewispr.com/">http://www.lewispr.com</a> </p> text/html 2008-10-06T23:00:00+01:00 10 million citizens to gain from radical new benefits service http://www.northgate-is.com/view/news/item/819 <p>10 million citizens to gain from radical new benefits service</p><p>Three local authorities serving 1.4 million citizens have signed up to the innovative eBenefits service, taking the number of people benefiting from a radical transformation in housing benefits and council tax services to 10.4 million, Northgate Information Solutions announced today.</p><p>Key councils including Shepway District Council are now working in partnership with Northgate, a leading provider of innovative services to the public sector and utilities markets, to provide greater accuracy in decision making and faster times for claim handling and assessment. The service is designed to reach out to those who may be missing out on their entitlement, and radically simplify and speed up the process of housing and council tax benefit assessment.</p><p>Visiting officers have the option of using mobile technology to help citizens through the assessment process face-to-face, to collate and verify the documents supporting the claim, and provide an indicative benefits calculation on the spot.</p><p>-&nbsp;Non-specialist advisers can be quickly guided on-screen through a citizen&rsquo;s claim for council tax and housing benefits to reach a decision based in law;<br />-&nbsp;Advisers are presented with only the relevant questions they need to determine a citizen&rsquo;s eligibility and entitlement;<br />-&nbsp;Advisers can tell what evidence is needed to support the claim and create a comprehensive decisions audit trail showing how the decision has been made; <br />-&nbsp;Self-service systems can allow citizens to make full applications online and send over all the evidence that is required to assess their claims;<br />-&nbsp;Local authorities are able to successfully meet key best value performance indicators;<br />-&nbsp;Optional mobile systems, linked up to the back-office, allow benefits services to reach out to the community and to target those most in need. </p><p>eBenefits also frees up specialists to focus on those cases where help is needed most and offers greater opportunities to work collaboratively, including with CABs and registered social landlords to assess cases requiring closer attention.</p><p>Local authorities which have radically improved their benefits services since implementing eBenefits include North Kesteven District Council, Torfaen County Borough Council, Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council:</p><p>&ldquo;eBenefits means we can do more for our customers, more quickly and accurately.&rdquo; <br />Andrew Everard, Benefits Manager at North Kesteven District Council</p><p>&ldquo;eBenefits has helped us to improve performance and give a better service to our customers.&rdquo; <br />Richard Davies, Head of Revenues and Benefits at Torfaen County Borough Council</p><p>&ldquo;eBenefits ensures a better Benefits experience for our customers.&rdquo; <br />Alison McGrory, Income &amp; Awards Business Manager at Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council</p><p>Joe Bradley, Managing Director of Local Government &amp; Social Housing for Northgate Public Services, said today: &ldquo;We are delighted to be working alongside key local authorities such as Shepway to revolutionise the way benefits are delivered to citizens, especially those in the most vulnerable communities. Accessing benefits can be a difficult and stressful process for many people. eBenefits is built around individual citizen need and ensures that time-consuming form-filling and repeated requests for evidence are a thing of the past. We are proud of our relationships with local councils across the country and strive to deliver continuously improving services, contributing to stronger and more sustainable neighbourhoods.&rdquo;</p><p>-ENDS-</p> text/html 2008-10-01T23:00:00+01:00 A2Dominion Group builds better HR with NorthgateArinso http://www.northgate-is.com/view/news/item/818 <p><br />&ldquo;As NorthgateArinso had worked closely with other groups in the housing sector, we knew they would be able to work to our specifications and help us meet our key objectives going forward.&rdquo;</p><p>The new system allows individual staff members to manage general administration and processes, giving the HR team greater freedom to concentrate on its wider strategy.</p><p>John Wallace said: &ldquo;The agility of the system helps A2Dominion maintain its internal functions more efficiently, which is key to us as a large organisation spread over various sites throughout London and the south-east.&rdquo;</p><p>Malcolm Aldis, managing director at NorthgateArinso said: &ldquo;The integrated HR and payroll system reduces operating costs for A2Dominion. Giving staff the ability to use ResourceLink&rsquo;s self-service model means the new HR team will be able to focus on its future strategy and goals.&rdquo;</p><p>NOTES TO EDITORS<br />About NorthgateArinso <br /><a href="http://www.northgatearinso.co.uk/">www.northgatearinso.co.uk</a><br />NorthgateArinso is a leading global Human Resources software &amp; services provider offering innovative HR business solutions to employers of all sizes, including Global Fortune&auml; 500 companies and many Public Sector organisations. We help HR executives optimise their HR service delivery through smarter process and more efficient technology, supporting key HR areas like workforce administration, payroll, benefits, recruitment, learning, and talent management.<br />&nbsp;<br />Our 4,500 employees are dedicated to HR excellence through strategic business consulting, outsourcing services, systems integration and best-of-breed software solutions. We are one of the 5 largest HR service providers world wide and have offices in 31 countries on 5 continents.<br />&nbsp;<br />The Northgate Group is owned by private equity company Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR) and currently employs over 6,500 staff and operates in 46 countries across 5 continents.</p><p>About A2Dominion Group<br />The Housing Corporation approved the merger between A2 Housing Group and Dominion Housing Group in July 2008. The new A2Dominion Group officially launched on 1 October 2008. With over 30,000 homes in management and a further 6,000 in the development pipeline, the Group is one of the country&rsquo;s leading developers of affordable housing.<br />Visit <a href="http://www.a2dominion.co.uk/">www.a2dominion.co.uk</a> for more information.</p><p>For further information, please contact: <br />Suzy Ferguson or Lisa Gillingham at LEWIS </p><p>Tel: +44 (0) 20 7802 2626<br />Fax: +44 (0) 20 7802 2627 <br />Email: suzyf / <a href="mailto:lisag@lewispr.com">lisag@lewispr.com</a> <br />Internet: <a href="http://www.lewispr.com/">http://www.lewispr.com</a> <br />Jane Fraser-Jones<br />Press &amp; PR Officer<br />A2DominionGroup<br />Tel 0208799 2209/07 930 478893<br /><a href="mailto:Jane.fraser-jones@a2dominion.co.uk">Jane.fraser-jones@a2dominion.co.uk</a></p> text/html 2008-10-01T23:00:00+01:00 A2Dominion Group builds better HR with NorthgateArinso http://www.northgate-is.com/view/news/item/826 <p>The A2Dominion Group, one of the UK&rsquo;s leading developers of affordable housing, has appointed NorthgateArinso to deliver a new HR and payroll system for the next seven years.<br />The fully-integrated system, ResourceLink, will cater for around 750 employees spread over a number of sites. It will also integrate the HR systems used by A2 Housing Group and Dominion Housing Group, the precursors to the recently-formed A2Dominion Group.</p><p>A2Dominion&rsquo;s IT director, John Wallace said: &ldquo;We required a flexible and user-friendly HR and payroll system which met our specific needs as a housing organisation, and one that could fit seamlessly with our current practices.</p><p>&ldquo;As NorthgateArinso had worked closely with other groups in the housing sector, we knew they would be able to work to our specifications and help us meet our key objectives going forward.&rdquo;</p><p>The new system allows individual staff members to manage general administration and processes, giving the HR team greater freedom to concentrate on its wider strategy.</p><p>John Wallace said: &ldquo;The agility of the system helps A2Dominion maintain its internal functions more efficiently, which is key to us as a large organisation spread over various sites throughout London and the south-east.&rdquo;</p><p>Malcolm Aldis, managing director at NorthgateArinso said: &ldquo;The integrated HR and payroll system reduces operating costs for A2Dominion. Giving staff the ability to use ResourceLink&rsquo;s self-service model means the new HR team will be able to focus on its future strategy and goals.&rdquo;</p><p>NOTES TO EDITORS<br />About NorthgateArinso <br /><a href="http://www.northgatearinso.co.uk/">www.northgatearinso.co.uk</a><br />NorthgateArinso is a leading global Human Resources software &amp; services provider offering innovative HR business solutions to employers of all sizes, including Global Fortune&auml; 500 companies and many Public Sector organisations. We help HR executives optimise their HR service delivery through smarter process and more efficient technology, supporting key HR areas like workforce administration, payroll, benefits, recruitment, learning, and talent management.<br />&nbsp;<br />Our 4,500 employees are dedicated to HR excellence through strategic business consulting, outsourcing services, systems integration and best-of-breed software solutions. We are one of the 5 largest HR service providers world wide and have offices in 31 countries on 5 continents.<br />&nbsp;<br />The Northgate Group is owned by private equity company Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR) and currently employs over 6,500 staff and operates in 46 countries across 5 continents.</p><p>About A2Dominion Group<br />The Housing Corporation approved the merger between A2 Housing Group and Dominion Housing Group in July 2008. The new A2Dominion Group officially launched on 1 October 2008. With over 30,000 homes in management and a further 6,000 in the development pipeline, the Group is one of the country&rsquo;s leading developers of affordable housing.<br />Visit <a href="http://www.a2dominion.co.uk/">www.a2dominion.co.uk</a> for more information.</p><p>For further information, please contact: <br />Suzy Ferguson or Lisa Gillingham at LEWIS </p><p>Tel: +44 (0) 20 7802 2626<br />Fax: +44 (0) 20 7802 2627 <br />Email: suzyf / <a href="mailto:lisag@lewispr.com">lisag@lewispr.com</a> <br />Internet: <a href="http://www.lewispr.com/">http://www.lewispr.com</a> <br />Jane Fraser-Jones<br />Press &amp; PR Officer<br />A2DominionGroup<br />Tel 0208799 2209/07 930 478893<br /><a href="mailto:Jane.fraser-jones@a2dominion.co.uk">Jane.fraser-jones@a2dominion.co.uk</a></p> text/html 2008-09-21T23:00:00+01:00 Wolverhampton partnership set to transform housing services across the city http://www.northgate-is.com/view/news/item/817 <p>Wolverhampton partnership set to transform housing services across the city<br />Wolverhampton City Council and Wolverhampton Homes today announce a new partnership to transform its housing services and strengthen community well-being for the city&rsquo;s quarter of a million citizens.</p><p>Wolverhampton Homes and other managing agents which manage the council&rsquo;s housing stock are working with Northgate Information Solutions, a leading provider of innovative services to the public sector and utilities markets, to provide residents with wider opportunities to access high quality housing services and information. </p><p>Under an agreement between the City Council and Northgate worth over &pound;1 million over five years, and following implementation which will be project managed by NCC Group, Wolverhampton&rsquo;s communities will benefit from:</p><p>&bull;&nbsp;greater resident empowerment through enhanced communications with housing employees and improved feedback into services;<br />&bull;&nbsp;access to multi-lingual self-service systems and assistance in their operation, enabling employees to better reach out to Wolverhampton&rsquo;s diverse communities, at the point of need;<br />&bull;&nbsp;improved staff access to comprehensive and up-to-date housing information to help citizens with every aspect of their housing needs;<br />&bull;&nbsp;a quicker and more proactive management of property allocation for all citizens, including those hardest to reach;<br />&bull;&nbsp;enhanced management and monitoring of homeless applicants and their requirements, helping to tackle and solve homelessness in the area;<br />&bull;&nbsp;a proactive housing repairs service that plans repairs and reacts quickly and effectively and puts the needs of residents at its heart.</p><p>Northgate will also provide Wolverhampton Homes and the other managing agents with specialist advice on performance transformation, enabling the organisations to realise efficiencies, focus on achieving the Decent Homes Standard, and meet future challenges with confidence. </p><p>Richard Carr, Chief Executive of Wolverhampton City Council said: &ldquo;We are proud of our new partnership with Northgate as the Council strives to deliver first class housing services that focus on the needs of all Wolverhampton citizens. Our partnership will deliver enhanced housing services, enabling us to target and support hard-to reach groups effectively and deliver long-term sustainable value for money services to all residents.&rdquo;</p><p>Lesley Roberts, Chief Executive of Wolverhampton Homes said: <br />&quot;Wolverhampton Homes is on the way to becoming one of the best housing providers in the country but has been held back by legacy IT systems. The Northgate partnership will enable us to achieve three star status by increasing the capacity of the organisation and making significant value for money savings. We will be able to put more resources into maintaining the housing stock, and less into back room administration and bureaucracy. And tenants and leaseholders will have quicker and easier access to housing services. &quot; </p><p>Joe Bradley, Managing Director of Local Government &amp; Social Housing for Northgate Public Services, said today: &ldquo;Northgate is passionate about delivering first-class housing services that focus on the needs of all residents, including those in the most vulnerable communities. We wholeheartedly support Wolverhampton Homes&rsquo; objective of providing affordable and sustainable housing that places residents at the heart of trusted public services.&rdquo;<br />[Ends]</p><p>For more information:<br />Fellows&rsquo; Associates:<br />Kathy Sutton&nbsp;020 7849 3403; 07966 890401; <a href="mailto:ksutton@fellowsassociates.com">ksutton@fellowsassociates.com</a> <br />Kuntal Biswas&nbsp;020 7849 3347; 07930 566291; <a href="mailto:news@fellowsassociates.com">news@fellowsassociates.com</a> </p><p>Note to editors:</p><p>1.&nbsp;Wolverhampton Homes manages Wolverhampton City Council&rsquo;s 22,300 homes and delivers almost &pound;400 million of refurbishment and improvement works to bring its housing stock up to the government&rsquo;s decent homes standard by 2012. Wolverhampton Homes was established in October 2005, operating as an ALMO (Arms Length Management Organisation) to manage the council housing stock of the city on behalf of the council.</p><p>2.&nbsp;Bushbury Hill Estate Management Board, Dovecotes Tenant Management Co-operative, Heath Town Estate Management Board, New Park Village Tenant Management Co-operative &amp; Springfield Horseshoe Tenant Management Co-operative are the other managing agents responsible for the Council&rsquo;s homes.</p><p>3.&nbsp;Northgate Information Solutions is a leading provider of innovative services to the public sector and utilities markets. Northgate&rsquo;s task is to enhance public value through the intelligent use of people and technology, and to share in the economic and social benefits that this brings. Northgate supports public service transformation through sustainable performance partnerships. Its specialist housing technology services are used by over one hundred public and community housing organisations across the world. In the UK the company works with four out of five local authorities and every police force. Its services are used in the administration of more than &pound;12 billion of revenues and benefits; in electoral administration systems covering 18 million people; to support the national system for reporting police performance; and in the management of over three million local authority and housing association properties worldwide. Founded in 1969, the company has over 7,000 employees.</p><p>4.&nbsp;NCC Group is a leading global provider of independent IT assurance, security and consultancy services. It helps over 15,000 public, private and not for profit sector organisations, including 92 of the FTSE 100, to make the most efficient use of information and technology and to manage the associated risks.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p> text/html 2008-09-07T23:00:00+01:00 Innovative partnership brings radical service benefits to social housing tenants http://www.northgate-is.com/view/news/item/816 <p>Innovative partnership brings radical service benefits to social housing tenants</p><p>Family Mosaic, a leading UK provider of affordable homes and housing services, today announces a new partnership to deliver an innovative citizen relationship management service aimed at strengthening community well being for 45,000 people in London and Essex.</p><p>The partnership with Northgate Information Solutions, a leading provider of innovative services to the public sector and utilities markets, will provide a one-stop shop for its tenants delivering faster, more responsive housing services. The new initiative joins up the organisation&#39;s front-office and back-office systems, reducing the bureaucratic burden on staff and allowing tenants instant access to the information they need. Its aim is to ensure that tenants get the right service, first time, every time. </p><p>Under an agreement worth &pound;770,000 over three years, Family Mosaic&rsquo;s tenants will benefit from:</p><p>&bull;&nbsp;better understanding of tenants&rsquo; needs through continuously monitoring of requests, responses and satisfaction levels, encouraging continuous improvement to performance;<br />&bull;&nbsp;greater empowerment of tenants through enhanced communications with housing employees;<br />&bull;&nbsp;improved staff access to comprehensive and up-to-date housing information to help tenants with every aspect of their housing needs;<br />&bull;&nbsp;enhanced service delivery through the use of mobile services to realise efficiencies and ensure that housing employees spend more time with those hardest to reach.</p><p>Brendan Sarsfield, Chief Executive of Family Mosaic, said: </p><p>&ldquo;Family Mosaic is committed to promoting continuous improvement across housing services. Our relationship with Northgate will ensure that resources are used more effectively and improve the quality of housing services for tenants now and in the future. We also believe passionately in undertaking regular consultation with our tenants to find out what services can be improved, with the ultimate goal of delivering service excellence for our staff and tenants.&quot;</p><p>Joe Bradley, Managing Director of Local Government &amp; Social Housing for Northgate Information Solutions, said: </p><p>&ldquo;We are proud to be working with Family Mosaic to revolutionise services for its tenants and to help housing employees successfully respond to their needs. We aim to ensure that our partnerships with the social housing sector enable those living in social housing, especially some of our most vulnerable citizens, to get the best possible personalised housing services that they have a right to expect.&rdquo;<br />[End]<br />For more information:<br />Fellows&rsquo; Associates:<br />Kathy Sutton&nbsp;020 7849 3403; 07966 890401; <a href="mailto:ksutton@fellowsassociates.com">ksutton@fellowsassociates.com</a><br />Kuntal Biswas&nbsp;020 7849 3347; 07930 566291; <a href="mailto:kbiswas@fellowsassociates.com">kbiswas@fellowsassociates.com</a><br />Note to editors:</p> text/html 2008-08-20T23:00:00+01:00 Guernsey’s new partnership to promote public health and social well-being http://www.northgate-is.com/view/news/item/815 <p>NEWS RELEASE<br />21st August 2008</p><p>Guernsey&rsquo;s new partnership to promote public health and social well-being </p><p>Northgate Information Solutions, a leading provider of innovative services and software to the public sector and utilities markets, today announces an innovative partnership with the States of Guernsey to assist in the drive to promote, protect and improve public health and social well-being of the people of the Island.</p><p>Guernsey&rsquo;s Health and Social Services Department is set to introduce state-of-the art technology joining together disparate data held by the Office of Environmental Health and Pollution Regulation.&nbsp; It will also introduce a system to support the regulation of all potentially polluting activities within Guernsey. </p><p>The innovative service will assist the Island&rsquo;s environmental health officers in providing efficient and effective public health services to Guernsey&rsquo;s citizens through:</p><p>&bull;&nbsp;maintaining an up-to-date and complete record of public health complaints made by individuals, ensuring that officers have full information about previous complaints prior to visits or taking action; <br />&bull;&nbsp;providing a single source of information for environmental officers on all environmental health matters including public health nuisances, food control, pest control, waste control, seawater and shellfish testing, and tattooing and piercing;<br />&bull;&nbsp;extending the flexibility of current information systems to take account of recent enactments including the Environmental Pollution (Guernsey) Law, 2004 and planning for future ones;<br />&bull;&nbsp;eradicating unnecessary manual processes and radically improving the management information system as a means of enhancing business processes and services to the public. </p><p>John Cook, Director of Environmental Health and Pollution Regulation said today: &ldquo;We are delighted to be working with Northgate to provide public health services which meet the needs of today and the challenges for the future. We are constantly seeking to improve our services as well as responding to the rising costs of quality health and social care. The new environmental health service will cut down bureaucracy and save valuable officer time enabling them to focus on their core tasks of promoting, protecting and improving public health.&ldquo;</p><p>Russell Osborne, Managing Director of Land &amp; Property for Northgate Public Services, added: &ldquo;Effective information management is essential to building trusted public health services which place people at their heart. We are committed to promoting the intelligent use of information to support healthcare improvement and social well being and are proud to be working in partnership with the Island&rsquo;s government to support their public health services, at a time when the challenges have never been greater.&rdquo;</p><p>- Ends -</p> text/html 2008-08-18T23:00:00+01:00 Hartlepool Borough Council Leads the Way in Delivering on Government Green IT and Efficiency targets http://www.northgate-is.com/view/news/item/814 <strong>- Northgate Information Solutions latest &lsquo;Managed Print Solution&rsquo; delivers &pound;100,000 per year saving.</strong>Hartlepool Council will save more than &pound;100,000 each year thanks to the latest Northgate Information Solutions &lsquo;Managed Print Solution&rsquo;.&nbsp; The solution, which uses state-of-the-art technology, works by optimising the number of print and copy devices needed, allowing the Council to manage its corporate print function centrally, while returning both cost and efficiency saving.With the Government recently setting green IT and efficiency targets for government offices in their policy &ldquo;Greening Government ICT&rdquo;, it is imperative that measures are taken by all departments to ensure these are met. Suggestions in the policy on how to accomplish this include reducing the overall number of printers used by the organisation and using green printing defaults. Following a review of Hartlepool Council&rsquo;s corporate print and copy fleet, Northgate designed a new Fleet which eliminated previous inefficiencies, and delivered a &lsquo;Total Cost of Ownership&rsquo; reduction of approximately 20% or &pound;100,000 per annum, therefore making a significant contribution towards achieving their targets.Northgate&rsquo;s review discovered that the Council was using more than 550 devices across more than 32 sites to fulfil its print and copy requirements.&nbsp; The proposal put forward by Northgate reduced this number to just 159 devices, supplied by one single manufacturer, and included a number of managed services comprising fault resolution, maintenance, supply chain management, consumables supply and disposal and service reporting, all designed to reduce costs and improve Council efficiencies.Commenting on the new managed print solution Mike Ward, Chief Financial Officer with Hartlepool Borough Council, stated: &ldquo;Northgate&rsquo;s collaborative, hands-on approach has allowed us to realise significant cashable savings and bring this area of spend under corporate control without alienating departments.&nbsp; Other tangible benefits include improved energy efficiency and a more pro-active service for faults and consumables replenishment.&nbsp; I commend Northgate for their professional and timely approach.&rdquo;Mr Ward continued &ldquo;The managed print project has been a major success, and we&rsquo;re delighted with the results it has produced so far. Prior to this project, the Council requested that Northgate present a solution to migrate its email services from Lotus Notes to a Microsoft Outlook platform.&nbsp; The project involved moving more than 1800 staff accounts, and I am delighted to confirm that this project has also been a tremendous success.&rdquo;&ldquo;Northgate&rsquo;s expertise has been invaluable in implementing our new email system. We have worked closely with them for seven years and as such, they know us really well, and are aware of the sensitivities that exist within our sector which has added real value to our operation.&rdquo;<br /><br />James Turnbull, Managing Director of Northgate&rsquo;s Infrastructure Solutions division added, &ldquo;We are delighted&nbsp; to support Hartlepool Borough Council&rsquo;s diverse and develop