Elly Yates-Roberts |
Kent and Essex Police have become the first forces in the UK to roll out Microsoft 365, working with the National Enabling Programmes – an initiative to develop a secure platform and new ways for police to work and collaborate. As such, 14,000 police officers and staff can now use the technology to help keep local communities safe.
By using Microsoft 365, frontline staff can now spend more time out in communities without needing to frequently return to police buildings to update paperwork.
In July, all officers and staff in the two forces were given access to Microsoft Teams chat and collaboration tools as part of the rollout.
“This is a significant milestone for both Kent Police and Essex Police with the National Enabling Programme to fully use Microsoft 365 technology,” said Nikki Faulconbridge, assistant chief constable of Kent Police. “It will enable our officers and staff to work innovatively and collaboratively with each other as well as our partners to serve the public, protect them from harm and bring offenders to justice, working on a modern and secure platform.”
Both forces now have access to the full Microsoft Business Productivity Suite, and the forces’ key IT infrastructure is monitored by the National Management Centre to identify and protect against cyber threats. They will also be introducing other tools over the coming months and replacing their intranets with SharePoint.
Find out more about the UK police force’s Microsoft implementation projects at transformation.police.uk.