Agilisys scoops £8m deal to update council's ageing IT

Software and services firm to help Wolverhampton Council save £3.4m with contract to overhaul kit more than 20 years old

Agilisys has scooped a near-£8m contract to overhaul Wolverhampton Council's IT systems, some of which are 20 years old.

The five-year deal, known as FutureWorks, will see the London-based services player provide the authority with payroll and procurement, finance and human resources products. Agilisys will also replace its 20-year-old mainframe technology as part of the contract, which is expected to cost the council £7.8m over five years.

The new deal marks the second big contract win for Agilisys in as many months, after last month it signed a £47m deal with four northern authorities.

The council hopes the new partnership will help it realise £3.4m of cost savings in the first two years, and did not rule out cutting internal jobs over time.

The systems overhaul will include the implementation of ERP product Agresso Business World, which Agilisys' chief executive Steven Beard said has been tried and tested by his firm in a number of other councils across the country.

"We are delighted to begin work in partnership with Wolverhampton City Council to deliver such an important transformational project. This is testament to our ability to deliver solutions that encompass strategic change underpinned by proven technology," he said.

The council hopes that the new deal will simplify the way it does business in order to improve efficiency and drive better value for money for the city's residents.