IT systems ready to deal with Doomsday scenario

VIRUSES, storms and even earthquakes will not be able to defeat Lincolnshire's IT system.

A trailer containing powerful computers has been set up to be wheeled into the county if a disaster causes IT systems to fail.

The facility would be used by council officials and the police to ensure computers are still up and running in the event of IT failure.

The back-up scheme would ensure vital services such as benefit payments could still function in the event of an earthquake or other calamity.

But the trailer could also be called into action if servers crash – threatening crucial work.

Plans agreed between local authorities and the police in Lincolnshire would see the trailer wheeled in on a lorry within 24 to 48 hours of any disaster.

The scheme, forged by the Lincolnshire Shared Services Partnership, will cost the taxpayer £60,000.

But this is a saving of £110,000 on the previous set-up, where individual councils each made separate agreements.

Partnership director Mark Cozens said: "If the e-mail system was to crash for no apparent reason, we could call this up and within 24 to 48 hours have that back-up working.

"It could be something quite simple that is easily rectified, or it could be something more serious, like in Melton Mowbray where the district council went up in flames a few months ago."

The trailer is stored outside of the region to keep it out of harm's way in the event of a disaster.

Although the technology within the air-conditioned storage unit is hi-tech, it would be wheeled around on a humble lorry.

The company with the contract for the project is Adam Continuity, a disaster recovery firm based in Hampshire.

In most cases, the trailer would be hooked up at a council's main offices in order to kickstart IT services.

In the event of a building being destroyed – for instance by an earthquake – council officials at one authority would be able to remotely access a trailer based at another council's headquarters.

But even if a building was flattened, crucial data would be saved as all councils have back-ups.

Ric Metcalfe, Labour leader on the City of Lincoln Council, welcomed the scheme as a sensible step forward.

"I think it's a sensible idea as nowadays there are increased risks not just from physical damage but electrical risks that can compromise IT systems," he said.

TaxPayers' Alliance chief executive Matthew Elliott also hailed the plans.

"It is laudable that these councils are attempting to deliver savings to taxpayers," he said.