Inverclyde Council has become the latest body to join the single digital network for Scotland’s public sector.

The local authority this week became the 11th council to sign up to use the Scottish Wide Area Network (SWAN).

The programme is intended to deliver a single public services network for use by all public service organisations north of the border.

SWAN has already connected 3,200 sites and 3,500 circuits across the Scottish public sector. 

Councillor Stephen McCabe, leader of Inverclyde Council, said: “We are very pleased to be joining the Scottish Wide Area Network, which will improve the quality and speed of our network – as well as reducing costs through SWAN’s significant economies of scale.

“Residents will benefit from a better connected council and from more funding being available for frontline services. Improved connectivity will also mean we can work more efficiently with other public sector bodies in Scotland.”

Capita IT Enterprise Services is delivering SWAN after a framework contract - estimated to be worth up to £325m over nine years - was signed in February of last year.

More than 4,600 sites will be connected to the initial network including schools, hospitals, GP surgeries, pharmacists and local council offices.

Peter Hands, executive director for Capita IT Enterprise Services, said: “As increasing numbers of organisations join SWAN, more and more people across the country are experiencing the benefits of a better public sector network.

“For the residents of Inverclyde, this means more effective council services, at a lower cost – directly benefiting all those that use council services.”