News

IT for government and public sector

• May 19, 2020 19 May'20

  Innovate UK seeks ways to transform aviation with technology

  Projects to develop new forms of air transportation can get a share of up to £30m in funding from Innovate UK

• May 18, 2020 18 May'20

  Privacy advocates demand clarity over Covid-19 datastore

  Government and NHS face questions about the involvement of private technology companies with coronavirus datastore

• May 18, 2020 18 May'20

  NHS Scotland begins contact-tracing tech pilot

  Three Scottish health boards are trialling coronavirus contact-tracing software which will be rolled out across the country at the end of this month

• May 18, 2020 18 May'20

  NHS looks for remote monitoring tech

  NHSX is seeking suppliers to help scale up remote monitoring across the health service in England, particularly for Covid-19 patients, and will go out to tender shortly

• May 18, 2020 18 May'20

  CIO interview: Simon Liste, chief information technology officer, Pension Protection Fund

  Experience of delivering digital change in the private sector means the PPF’s IT chief is well positioned to lead transformation in a critical public sector organisation

• May 18, 2020 18 May'20

  HMRC on the hunt for permanent CDIO

  New chief digital and information officer will earn at least £200,000 a year and be responsible for a £1bn tech budget

• May 15, 2020 15 May'20

  Interview: Bev White, chief executive, Harvey Nash

  The Harvey Nash executive talks about recruitment during the coronavirus crisis, a new wave of interest in outsourcing, and leadership skills and challenges

• May 15, 2020 15 May'20

  Government pushes towards digital to reignite housing market

  Minister calls for more virtual viewings and greater use of online tools for planning as the UK prepares to get its housing and construction sector up and running again

• May 14, 2020 14 May'20

  Harman seeks to bring private member’s bill over contact tracing

  Chair of Human Rights Committee aims to put the proposed Contact Tracing (Data Protection) Bill 2020 before parliament as a private member’s bill if necessary

• May 13, 2020 13 May'20

  Government tells social media companies they must go further to address disinformation

  House of Lords committee hears about government collaboration with social media firms to combat pandemic-related disinformation and online harms

• May 12, 2020 12 May'20

  MPs take part in first live test of remote voting during Covid-19 debate

  MPs will use phones and computers to vote from their homes in a House of Commons debate today in the biggest change in parliamentary procedure for 150 years

• May 12, 2020 12 May'20

  Police failing to consult public on new technologies

  A freedom of information campaign has revealed that UK police are largely failing to consult the public on their use of new technologies, with the potential to undermine the principle of policing by consent

• May 12, 2020 12 May'20

  Government launches online portal to arrange coronavirus testing kits for care homes

  UK care homes are now able to digitally arrange deliveries of Covid-19 test kits through the launch of an online portal

• May 11, 2020 11 May'20

  How Sage scrambled software development team for Job Retention Scheme module

  Small team of Sage developers, testers and payroll specialists in race against time to help customers facilitate HMRC’s furlough scheme

• May 11, 2020 11 May'20

  Scottish government launches tech sector review

  Review, to be led by former Skyscanner COO Mark Logan, will look at how tech sector can help Scotland’s economy recover from Covid-19

• May 07, 2020 07 May'20

  HM Treasury tells GDS: No further online services can use Gov.uk Verify

  The recent 18-month reprieve for Verify came with strict conditions – the digital identity scheme must not be added to any more services, and existing users must find alternatives

• May 07, 2020 07 May'20

  App launched to support social care workers through coronavirus

  The Care Workforce tool will be rolled out to 1.5 million professionals as a hub for practical guidance and support

• May 07, 2020 07 May'20

  Facebook announces oversight board members

  New board will rule on freedom of expression issues and make policy recommendations to social media giant.

• May 07, 2020 07 May'20

  FBI search warrants reveal Trump aide’s messages to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange

  FBI search warrants reveal Trump campaigner Roger Stone sent private messages to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange after the site published thousands of documents that damaged Hillary Clinton’s election campaign

• May 06, 2020 06 May'20

  Criminal justice system is failing cyber crime victims

  Victims of cyber crime face barriers to reporting, receiving support and achieving justice, says a Home Office-backed study

• May 06, 2020 06 May'20

  Re-purposing data and questionable effectiveness could undermine trust in NHS contact-tracing app

  Experts call for greater clarity over how contact-tracing data will be used, while discussing the limitations of the coronavirus app

• May 06, 2020 06 May'20

  HMRC tackles almost 300 coronavirus phishing websites

  Of 292 websites removed since lockdown began on 23 March, 237 were proactively identified by HMRC and 55 were flagged by the public

• May 05, 2020 05 May'20

  EC calls on the UK to ensure UK-Ireland border customs IT systems are ready

  The European Commission has warned that the UK must be ready for IT systems implementation at the Northern Ireland/Ireland border to handle goods

• May 04, 2020 04 May'20

  Assange extradition hearing to take place in September following coronavirus lockdown

  An extradition hearing against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been delayed by four months, after defence and prosecution lawyers said the Covid-19 lockdown would make it impractical to hold a fair hearing in May

• May 04, 2020 04 May'20

  Coronavirus: UK finance regulator gives more time for payment security compliance

  Financial Conduct Authority has extended the deadline for payment processors to meet payment security standard

• May 01, 2020 01 May'20

  Treasury gives Gov.uk Verify 18-month reprieve due to coronavirus

  The government's troubled digital identity system was due to end funding in April 2020 but surge in use due to Universal Credit applications has brought a temporary reprieve

• May 01, 2020 01 May'20

  No going back to packed workplaces after Covid-19

  A recent project by IT service providers outlines how, in a post-coronavirus world, businesses like Barclays Bank will reduce their reliance on skyscrapers packed with people

• May 01, 2020 01 May'20

  Subpostmasters receive their ‘inadequate’ damages over Horizon IT scandal

  Subpostmasters who had their lives ruined by the Post Office’s faulty IT system have received their damages after a High Court victory

• May 01, 2020 01 May'20

  HMCTS deploys video platform for remote hearings during Covid-19

  Magistrates’ and crown courts will use platform to conduct remote criminal hearings during the coronavirus pandemic

• April 30, 2020 30 Apr'20

  Coronavirus: UKCloud and VMware join forces to meet public sector demand for remote desktops

  Public sector-focused IaaS provider UKCloud forges closer ties with VMware to meet the public sector demand for “government-grade” remote desktop technology

• April 30, 2020 30 Apr'20

  UK government secures Microsoft Azure discounts for public sector

  Procurement chiefs at the Crown Commercial Service have secured an addendum to a long-standing Microsoft preferential pricing deal that now includes Azure public cloud services

• April 30, 2020 30 Apr'20

  GPs embrace virtual consultations to navigate Covid-19 outbreak

  The majority of GPs across England are now operating with video meetings and more virtual services are being developed

• April 30, 2020 30 Apr'20

  Coronavirus: Government under pressure to give limited company IT workers more financial support

  IT contractors who provide services through their own limited companies and pay themselves in dividends are largely uncatered for by the goverment's various coronavirus-focused business support packages, and are facing financial difficulties

• April 29, 2020 29 Apr'20

  Coronavirus: GCHQ gets access to NHS data to beef up security

  Health secretary gave GCHQ emergency powers to obtain information relating to the security of its networks and IT systems at the beginning of April, it has emerged

• April 28, 2020 28 Apr'20

  NHSX on track for May launch of Covid-19 contact-tracing app but challenges remain

  Leading UK scientific experts assure MPs that much-anticipated application will be ready for launch in May but concede that challenges exist on achieving meaningful uptake

• April 28, 2020 28 Apr'20

  Worcestershire County Council turns to low code in coronavirus response effort

  The county council of Worcestershire is using the OutSystems low-code platform to develop five apps to support internal staff and external volunteers during the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic

• April 28, 2020 28 Apr'20

  Met Police assessing evidence of potential perjury in Post Office IT trials

  Force examines information about evidence given in court by Fujitsu staff on the Horizon IT system before deciding whether to investigate further

• April 27, 2020 27 Apr'20

  Scottish Tech Army seeks out IT experts to combat Covid-19

  Tech workers who find themselves out of work are being asked to volunteer their time to help build digital technology to support coronavirus efforts

• April 27, 2020 27 Apr'20

  Julian Assange extradition hearing postponed amid coronavirus lockdown

  Julian Assange’s lawyers say they have been unable to communicate or share legal documents with the WikiLeaks founder to enable them to prepare a defence in time for a planned extradition hearing in May

• April 27, 2020 27 Apr'20

  UK tech companies launch online safety body

  Online Safety Tech Industry Association unites 14 technology companies to drive conversation and policy around online safeguarding

• April 27, 2020 27 Apr'20

  GP Connect to enable patient information sharing in Covid-19 outbreak

  Past and present medical details will be shared across primary care during the emergency period

• April 27, 2020 27 Apr'20

  IR35 off-payroll rules have ‘never worked satisfactorily’, rules Finance Bill Sub-Committee

  An inquiry into the government’s plans to extend the IR35 reforms to the private sector concludes that the roll-out should be delayed because the entire off-payroll legislation is flawed and in need of a revamp

• April 24, 2020 24 Apr'20

  Coronavirus: UK schools will get tech support from Google and Microsoft

  Government hires tech giants to provide remote working resources to children while schools are closed

• April 24, 2020 24 Apr'20

  Coronavirus: Dutch Covid-19 tracking app stirs national debate

  Privacy concerns raised over mobile app to help track and control the spread of coronavirus in the Netherlands

• April 24, 2020 24 Apr'20

  How likely are IT service providers to offer discounts in an unprecedented global recession?

  As the global economy slows, businesses are trying to cut costs, with IT services one of the first stops – but what are the chances of a happy outcome?

• April 24, 2020 24 Apr'20

  Government urges parents to keep children safe during lockdown

  The UK government has published more guidance for parents in an attempt to limit children's exposure to cyber bullying and disinformation during the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic

• April 22, 2020 22 Apr'20

  Coronavirus: Banking and mobile sectors collaborate to stop text scams

  Initiative aims to protect 50 genuine brands and government organisations from being impersonated by cyber criminals

• April 22, 2020 22 Apr'20

  Coronavirus: Swedish college implements digital plans early

  Work done by a Swedish medical school over the past few years to prepare digital education options is paying off as lockdown forces it to close physical classrooms

• April 22, 2020 22 Apr'20

  IR35 private sector reforms: Treasury ignores sub-committee’s plea to delay April 2021 start date

  Despite the Finance Bill Sub-Committee claiming it would argue for the IR35 reforms to be delayed even if there were no pandemic, HM Treasury remains committed to revised April 2021 roll-out date

• April 21, 2020 21 Apr'20

  Border Force awards £3.1m contract to Capita

  The contract with the Home Office's law enforcement agency will see the implementation of 4G and satellite infrastructure