The End

Outsourcing

LOLA prospered until the 1990s when some of the boroughs thought that they could develop and operate the systems themselves at lower cost using mini computers. Additionally, more standard packages for councils became available. Councils could also choose themselves which applications to computerise.

Discussions were held with various outsourcing companies. NALGO, the local government union, proposed a workers co-operative as an alternative to a private company.

In 1993 LOLA was outsourced to CFM. CFM later became CFM London North until taken over by ICL in 1998. ICL in turn became part of Fujitsu in 2002.

The LOLA office in Sydney Road, Enfield were shut in 2003 and most staff relocated to the Fujitsu office in Stevenage. By that time the other boroughs had already migrated most of their systems, typically to Unix based mini-computers with PC front end. The furniture was offered to staff.

Tower Hamlets Stays Loyal

Tower Hamlets preferred the LOLA based systems and in 2002 retained ITNET to manage the former LOLA applications. LOLA /ICL staff were TUPEd to ITNET. These staff were found accommodation at the Enfield Council offices in Silver Street. Here they developed a web based Free School Meals system with an interface to the LOLA Benefits system.

Later Tower Hamlets decided to implement the Northgate iWorld Rents and Benefits system and the data was migrated from the LOLA Benefits system in 2004 when the ITNET LOLA contract with Tower Hamlets ended.

References

1. As recalled in May 2024 by Richard Pantlin, LOLA's NALGO Branch Secretary who commissioned the report.

2. CFM (Computer Facilities Management) was an employee owned outsourcing company which originated from local government.

3. As recalled in February 2021 by Murali Vidhyadharan, at LOLA from 1989-2006 and previously at Tower Hamlets from 1985.