Hosting 365

Kerry County Council has chosen hosting365, Ireland’s leading hosting services provider, to host its busy online operations, including its growing e-procurement business.

The website was previously hosted internally by Kerry County Council but its growing online activity made changes necessary. The Council received quotations from eight different hosting services providers and chose hosting365 following references from other companies.

hosting365 service enables Kerry County Council to offer standardised application forms online. But what has impressed Catherine Carmody, e-procurement project manager for the Council, the most has been hosting365 backup “It is very, very good, it gives you the option to schedule your own back up.�

The system, supported by hosting365, has been up and running for the last month. “We are new customers but we are very happy so far. The start was very smooth, the staff is very prompt and very helpful,� explains Carmody.

Kerry’s website, which was developed by the Council four years ago, has been consistently added to in the intervening years, providing new services and features on a regular basis. In its first year the website was used just by Kerry County Council, but the number of users has increased to 24 local authorities in 2006.

The website is also the focal point for an innovative online procurement system for the County Council and the local authorities.

Carmody explains the website’s traffic is expected to grow substantially this year, especially with regard to the registration and quotations prepared by the Council’s suppliers. “We expect to register in excess of 3000 suppliers who will in turn offer thousands of quotations online each year.�

“The e-procurement process is time efficient and ensures that the local authority and their bank of suppliers can match up requirements quite literally at the touch of button. Due diligence and the appointment of the right supplier is simplified through this exciting feature,� she continued.

Apart from its services to the suppliers and its administrative side, Kerry County Council website is also designed for internal use, as people working for local authorities use it to access to information.

In addition, visitors to the website can gather information about the County’s libraries, jobs or even view some of Kerry’s towns using the webcams available on the site.