The UCS – Unified Communications System will save government close to EC$2 million annually.
The Government of Saint Lucia will launch a state of the art Unified Communications System (UCS) today.
The Unified Communications System will replace government’s present archaic telephone system (which has been in operation for almost two decades), and is expected to result in annual savings of close to EC$2 million in recurrent expenditure.
The system will facilitate improved collaboration between ministries and departments, and also enhance government-citizen engagement and other operational efficiencies.
The system connects all major government departments (from Gros Islet in the North to Vieux Fort in the south) to a high capacity fiber optic backbone which allows information transfers at the speed of light.
With this system, government foreign offices will also connect to the telephone system as if they were present locally. This feature is expected to significantly reduce the expenditure on overseas calls, in addition to enhancing desktop and video conferencing capabilities that will enable government officials to engage actively at meetings held in Saint Lucia while being present at their overseas posts. The interactive video collaboration capability is anticipated to significantly reduce overseas travel costs and improve accessibility and teamwork between foreign missions and the government.
The implementation of the Unified Communications System will redound to greater effectiveness and efficiency in the public service that translates to not only improved productivity but greater economic gains.
The UCS will be launched at the Public Service Training Institute, Union, today at 10 a.m.
