Westminster Council did a survey of our technological habits as part of a plan to justify an expansion of its digital services. There are some interesting insights into the average Pimlico Resident’s life in the survey, but my own concern is that WCC seem to have little concern for customer service, success for WCC involves passing it’s problems on to it’s residents. A future blog will analyse WCC’s own use of IT, meanwhile here are the results of their analysis of OUR use ………….

• Pimlico residents exceed national averages in all areas of digital and wireless communication:
• Nationally  30 per cent own smartphones but 64 per cent of Pimlico residents own one.
• 6% of the UK own a tablet against 19 per cent of residents in Pimlico.
•  86 per cent of residents are connected to the internet at home, rising to 94 per cent in the 16-44 year age bracket.
• Online interactions between residents and the local authority cost the Council only 17p per interaction, whereas a face-to-face interaction between the Council and a resident can cost £14.
• Online interactions cost the taxpayer only 1% of the cost of a face-to-face transaction.
• WCC have  a deal with O2 to provide free WiFi in time for the Olympics, and of course Pimlico Flats provides wired and wireless internet access to tenants free of charge.

Clearly Pimlico Residents make a much greater use of the Internet, Mobile Computing, and Social Media, than the Nation as a whole.

A statement by the Council says “The Council can harness this by expanding the online options for contacting the Council, improving its website, and stepping up its digital publications to save real money for the taxpayer. WCC  has already shown its commitment to becoming the UK’s most digitalized city, and we will continue to expand our online options to provide excellent value for money to our residents.”

Fine words, but what is good for the council isn’t necessarily good for the residents …….