EDS to develop offender management system
The Home Office has contracted IT services firm EDS to develop
technology to manage the UK's offender population, in a contract
worth at least £39m. EDS will supply a National Offender Management
Information System, designed to provide a single view of an
offender from court to custody to probation. The contract will be
delivered under the existing Quantum agreement with HM Prison
Service and will run until 2012
Nats to use Spanish air traffic control
system
National Air Traffic Services is to customise Spain's air
traffic control system, Sacta, for use in the UK. Nats and its
Spanish equivalent, Aena, will invest £104m over six years in new
technology. The IT system will control radar, flight data
processing and communications. Nats and Aena are also talking to
German air traffic control organisation DFS about a further joint
venture to incorporate the German system into the Sacta
platform.
Microsoft appoints Wal-Mart executive
Microsoft has appointed Kevin Turner, one of retailer Wal-Mart's
top executives, as its new chief operating officer. Microsoft is
the second IT supplier to appoint a former Wal-Mart executive in
recent weeks. Hewlett-Packard appointed former Wal-Mart chief
information officer Randall Mott as its CIO last month.
Capita preferred for £100m council contract
Harrow Council has named Capita as the preferred bidder for a
10-year partnership worth an estimated £100m. Council officers
agreed that Capita would provide the council with a customer
contact centre and technology to route tasks to departments. No
staff will be outsourced under the deal, although redundancies
could not be ruled out.
Indian firms 'as good as Western suppliers'
Most UK businesses that have used Indian outsourcing companies
believe the service available on the subcontinent is as good as
that provided by UK outsourcing suppliers. According to a study by
outsourcing advisory firm TPI of 100 UK business managers
responsible for outsourcing, 60% said Indian companies were as good
the large outsourcing providers in the West on service.