London first UK region to be fully connected to PSN

All 33 boroughs have migrated to government's Public Services Network

London's 33 boroughs have all connected to the government's Public Services Network (PSN), meaning that it is the first UK region to have fully migrated to the PSN.

The boroughs have transitioned to the PSN through the £200m London Public Services Network (LondonPSN), a programme co-ordinated by the London Grid for Learning (LGfL) and carried out by Virgin Media Business.

The aim of the LondonPSN is for councils, schools and other public-sector organisations to procure voice, data technology and other IT services at better rates. It also provides local authorities within London with access to facilities such as the Department for Work and Pensions, the Government Secure Intranet service and the Department of Health N3 service.

The service hopes to encourage councils to share services and data in a bid to improve efficiency and increase employee flexibility.

John Jackson, CIO at Camden Council, said that the LondonPSN project had gained momentum since it kicked off last year, and said he was particularly excited about the potential for savings through shared services.

"Experience to date indicates that a cost reduction of between 25 and 75 per cent is deliverable for products and services delivered in this way which, depending on how we develop LondonPSN as a shared service, could top a billion pounds over the next decade," he suggested.

The PSN is one of the mechanisms which the government is using in its bid to save taxpayers £500m in 2014.