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Rugby people are getting online at hi-tech kiosks

12 June 2007

Residents are getting online and accessing information in their droves on the streets of Rugby, according to the latest usage figures from the town's new network of iPlus Points.

Rugby is the first town in Warwickshire to benefit from the interactive kiosks, officially launched at the start of May, which give people free access to information and services.

The kiosks - based in the Rugby Museum, Gallery and Library foyer, North Street and Market Place - had over 3,800 users in their first month. The average person spends between 2 and 3 minutes looking at information or using the kiosks' other web-based features, which include the ability to send free emails. A further kiosk is planned for the Ken Marriott Leisure Centre.

The kiosk project is part of 'Warwickshire Direct - Rugby', a partnership between Warwickshire County Council and Rugby Borough Council, in conjunction with Cityspace, one of the country's leading providers of information networks.

Kushal Birla, Head of Customer Service and Access at Warwickshire County Council, said: "We're delighted that the iPlus kiosks are proving so popular with people in Rugby. We're particularly pleased that they are using the 'e-government' information on the kiosks, which includes things such as an A to Z of council services, a 'Who's my Councillor?' section and gives people the opportunity to speak directly to us."

Councillor Neil Campbell, Rugby Borough Council Portfolio Holder for Economy, Development & Culture, said: "The kiosks are helping to widen the public's access to information. They are easy to use, carry a wide range of information and are available at any time of the day."

The iPlus kiosks' jobs section and local information guide are also proving very popular, as is the news area. More than half of the kiosks' usage takes place outside normal office hours, and making council information and services available on evenings and weekends was one of the main aims of the Warwickshire Direct initiative.

The average number of users peaks on a Saturday, with the hours between midday and 4pm being most popular. Some Rugby residents have even taken the time to email Cityspace to say how great they think the iPlus points are, with one saying "this iPlus is great, you can send email when you're in town" and another saying "this is very useful".

According to Cityspace, use of the Rugby iPlus points compares well to the use of other kiosks in different parts of the country. "For the first month of a new network, take up in Rugby has been really impressive," said Tim Halford, Business Development Manager at Cityspace.
"We're delighted that the community is so quick to see the value of the on-street service and we look forward to seeing usage trends develop and to hearing more from the people of Rugby".

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