News

IT for government and public sector

• 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

• April 21, 2020 21 Apr'20

  Government launches online financial support platform for business

  Businesses will be able to use the government’s online support finder tool to discover what sort of financial support is available to them during the Covid-19 pandemic

• April 21, 2020 21 Apr'20

  CIO interview: Theo Blackwell, CDO for London

  Digital and data are transforming the way London runs – from transport to public services. The first ever chief digital officer for London explains how his team are going about it

• April 20, 2020 20 Apr'20

  Dutch organisations address business email compromise fraud

  Public-private partnership in the Netherlands works to break the chains used by fraudsters to carry out BEC attacks

• April 20, 2020 20 Apr'20

  CIO interview: Jason Oliver, IT director, University of Sussex

  Imagine taking a year to formulate a digital transformation plan – then having to implement much of it in two weeks when the coronavirus hit. For the Sussex University IT chief, there’s even more to do now

• April 20, 2020 20 Apr'20

  Machine learning to help hospitals predict Covid-19 demand

  The system developed by NHS Digital and the University of Cambridge will support hospitals in England in handling upcoming demand for intensive care beds and ventilators

• April 17, 2020 17 Apr'20

  Government investigates perceptions about data sharing of health and social care

  A project has been launched to find out about citizen understanding around data uses, and how perception may have been affected after the Covid-19 outbreak

• April 16, 2020 16 Apr'20

  St Albans council integrates systems in effort to streamline processes

  The council of St Albans has implemented a unified digital platform to streamline how citizens interact with its services, as well as its own decision-making processes

• April 16, 2020 16 Apr'20

  Coronavirus: Nordic digital educators collaborate with authorities amid pandemic

  Nordic education technology startups are supporting education establishments in offering continued education during the Covid-19 crisis

• April 16, 2020 16 Apr'20

  DWP turns to Government Gateway to support Universal Credit claims

  Existing users of HMRC’s digital identity system can use their credentials to apply for benefits, in a move designed to ease bottlenecks caused by Gov.uk Verify performance problems

• April 16, 2020 16 Apr'20

  NHS Wales to get free security services during coronavirus pandemic

  NHS Wales Informatics Services enlists Thales to help it face down security threats and let its teams focus on the Covid-19 coronavirus crisis

• April 15, 2020 15 Apr'20

  House of Commons reports progress on virtual Parliament

  Plans to take certain proceedings online are on track but ‘bumps along the way’ are expected, according to the Speaker of the House of Commons

• April 15, 2020 15 Apr'20

  Coronavirus: Nordic authorities use tech in fight against Covid-19

  Nordic government organisations are working with private technology firms in the region to support their efforts to contain the coronavirus

• April 15, 2020 15 Apr'20

  Tech firms, academia and charities unite to deliver 4G tablets to Covid-19 patients

  The Life Lines project aims to keep critically ill patients connected when they are being cared for inside intensive care units across the UK