GCP – How Kirklees Council brought digital inclusion to its communities with ChromeOS

Editor’s note: Today’s post is by Charles Crossland, IT Change Manager for Kirklees Council, a borough of 425,000 in north-central England. Kirklees Council chose ChromeOS devices with managed guest sessions to expand digital outreach to residents through public digital hubs and loaner devices.

At Kirklees Council, we strive to be a community that combines a strong, sustainable economy with an excellent quality of life for more than 425,000 residents. The key is to have empowered, invested citizens who believe in the future of our community. We’re always looking for ways to support and enable our people, who are truly our most important resource. ChromeOS devices are empowering our residents to live more connected and informed lives.

Digital access equals digital inclusion

In our communities, we believe every citizen has a right to digital access. Digital inclusion allows communities and citizens to grow and thrive with improved employment opportunities, better access to basic services, and social connections. We are committed to provide digital access to all citizens to decrease the gap in digital equality.

In an increasingly digital world connectivity is essential for full participation in society. Beyond economic challenges, the digital divide affects mental health, civic engagement, job prospects, and overall quality of life. ChromeOS devices allowed us to take on this challenge head-on.

Kirklees saw an opportunity to do more for local communities struggling with digital access. We had around 10 devices at each of our 25 libraries. All were Windows devices managed by us on private areas of our network. But for over 425,000 people, this wasn’t enough. We simply didn’t have the resources to add more Windows computers, which were already a bother to manage.

We wanted to significantly increase the number of digital stations—perhaps even coming up with a method for loaning out the devices. Once we considered ChromeOS devices, we realized these goals were within reach.

Digital access when and where it’s needed

Our initial introduction to ChromeOS came through our school districts’ use of Chromebooks for students. Just as we began testing the devices for use in council offices, the COVID lockdowns began and all the council’s public buildings closed. The need for more devices became urgent, and like other communities around the world, we accelerated our digital access plans by purchasing ChromeOS devices for remote working and learning.

Fast forward to today, and we’ve brought our vision of digital access to life. More than 1,500 ChromeOS devices are used by residents through programs that offer a range of lending options, from short-term via “digital hubs” located in libraries, courthouses, and other council buildings, to longer-term loans where residents can take devices home to use for weeks or months.

Residents can use the loaner devices to do schoolwork or research, or look for jobs. For example, the council’s Works Better initiative provides devices to unemployed residents, empowering them to job search, enroll in training, and connect online.

More devices and wide digital access with less IT management

The managed guest sessions feature in ChromeOS makes the digital hubs and loaner programs possible. Because ChromeOS devices reset before each new managed guest session, no personal data is retained on the device, offering secure data privacy for our communities.

We have increased the number of devices we have by 1,500. However, even with more devices, management is now easier than ever! Managing 200 Windows public access devices once consumed a full-time IT role. Now, with ChromeOS device management, it’s a fraction of the workload, saving us about 40 hours weekly.

Fulfilling a vision for digital inclusion

Everyone in the Kirklees council is happy that we met our goals for digital access without an enormous budget outlay. We often hear feedback from residents about how the program is helping people access information they need or to search for employment. Chromebooks and Chromeboxes are investments in our people, as well the future of the borough.