Residents have been promised better council services after a £32 million computer upgrade.

Kent County Council has signed a four-year deal with Unisys, the global IT services and technology company, that aims to boost computer systems across a thousand outlets, including schools, libraries and council offices.

The Unisys deal is set to boost internet capacity in schools, improve communications between public sector organisations, and make it easier for the public to obtain information and services from councils.

Unisys staff will be based in the county, working alongside the council’s IT specialists. They will create and manage a public information network and security service until late 2012.

A Unisys spokesman said: "It’s an expansion of an existing network, improving it and creating mroe efficiency, more access, more flexibility, and better services for the citizens."

A wide-area network (WAN) - known as Kent Public Service Network - will provide extra bandwidth and link Kent County Council, Canterbury and Thanet councils, and schools across the county. The network will be available to all Kent-based public sector organisations wishing to join.

Extra bandwidth will double the internet capacity for primary schools, and improve the ability to support home, flexible and remote working.

Unisys, which has undertaken similar projects with Hampshire County Council and other local authorities, will manage the service and provide hardware and software.

"We chose Unisys because of the company’s experience in delivering high-quality, innovative services to clients, as well as the breadth of support and management expertise the company offers," said Paul Carter, leader of Kent County Council.

"We expect that the benefits the network will bring in terms of collaboration, governmental linkage and common shared infrastructure will in turn result in enhanced public services for the people of Kent."

Duncan Tait, Unisys vice president and managing director in the UK, Middle East and Africa, added: "This project demonstrates how innovative local authorities are increasingly recognizing the advantages of sharing public sector IT resources to improve the services that they provide.

"We are confident that Unisys outsourcing services will help Kent County Council and other local authorities simplify and integrate the business of government throughout the county."