Somerset Council will spend up to £5m over the next two years on new laptops for its staff.
The council currently has around 5,000 laptops for its staff, with many of the devices nearing the end of their recommended service life.
Officers reviewed the hardware in late-2023 (shortly after the new council came into being) and decided not to immediately replace the devices en masse, allowing the existing staff to have a smoother transition into their new roles.
The council has now signed off on a plan to replace all 5,000 devices between now and April 2028 – with many of the existing laptops being either donated to local causes or being recycled.
Each of the around 5,000 devices used by council staff are being three and five years old – with around 85 different models being used across different departments.
ICT officer Jack Bligh said: “This refresh is essential to maintain operational efficiency, security and compliance, as many council devices will exceed six years old in 2026.
“All our devices will exceed the recommended four-year life cycle by the middle of 2026.
“We reviewed our digital estate in late-2023 and ultimately decided to ‘sweat’ our devices to maximise their value and save initial upfront cost.
“It is now vital that we proceed with the replacement of our laptops.”
An initial budget of £4.5m has been set aside within the council’s capital programme, but this could be extended up to £5m as needed.
Of this, the council intends to spend £1m up to April 2026, £2.5m in the 2026/27 financial year and £1.5m in 2027/28.
The total spend will depend on the final staffing levels once the council has completed the next phase of its ongoing transformation programme.
Mr Bligh said: “Replacing devices on schedule is essential to maintaining staff
productivity, minimising downtime, and ensuring reliable access to digital services.
“Older laptops will soon fall outside of manufacturer support, meaning they will no longer receive critical firmware and security updates. This would pose a risk to the council’s compliance with data protection.
“Devices beyond their support period can incur unpredictable and expensive
repair costs.”
The council has not confirmed its chosen supplier for the laptop refresh, citing commercial sensitivity – but it has stated that the tendering process it had selected would allow the device to be supplied “at a reduced cost” and would “make deployment simple and cost-effective”.
Mr Bligh added: “Every new device is made from 100 per cent recycled metals, including cobalt, and is packaged with 100 per cent recycled material.
“By giving staff a modern, faster and more reliable device, we help reduce frustration and downtime, contributing to staff well-being and supporting our commitment to improving the health and well-being of our workforce.
“Most of the old devices have a high residual value, which means that they can be sold for approximately 12 per cent of their original value, allowing us to recoup some of the costs of this programme.
“In addition, we may choose to continue donating devices to charitable causes, such as to care leavers, schools, or non-profit organisations in Somerset to help tackle digital poverty in the community.”
