News

IT for government and public sector

• May 22, 2019 22 May'19

  HMRC's defence of IR35 online status checker tool likened to 'climate change denial'

  In an open letter addressed to chancellor Philip Hammond and HMRC's CEO Jon Thompson, the tax collection agency's defence of its IR35 online status checker tool, CEST, is likened to climate change denial, as calls grow for it to be scrapped

• May 21, 2019 21 May'19

  Sheffield’s network-of-networks goes beyond free Wi-Fi

  For the city of Sheffield, rolling out a free-to-use city Wi-Fi network has become about much more than just letting shoppers browse the internet. We find out more

• May 21, 2019 21 May'19

  GDS to ‘cajole’ departments into using voice-based services

  The vision of GDS director-general Kevin Cunnington is to get governments to roll out voice technology into major services by 2027

• May 21, 2019 21 May'19

  Capita’s NHS contract under review after patient records blunder

  Outsourcer’s health service deal in doubt following the latest in a “litany of failings”, with 160,000 patient records being wrongly archived

• May 21, 2019 21 May'19

  UC Expo 2019: Experts talk up future tech in unified communications

  Automation and AI are increasingly prevalent in unified comms, but do enterprises really need it?

• May 21, 2019 21 May'19

  Planned UK age verification checks risky for internet users

  Proposed controversial online age verification checks could increase the risk of identity theft and other cyber crimes, warn security experts, who advise parents to set technological boundaries and ensure their families are aware of risks

• May 21, 2019 21 May'19

  Cyber security scholarships on offer in Belfast

  Queen’s University Belfast is backing the cyber security sector with funding for master of science scholarships

• May 20, 2019 20 May'19

  UK leads in government AI readiness

  The UK is one of the best placed in the world to take advantage of related technologies for public service delivery, according to a study

• May 20, 2019 20 May'19

  London council trials Verify-based digital ID scheme for vulnerable citizens

  Programme under way at Tower Hamlets will allow residents to build a digital footprint and get better access to council services

• May 20, 2019 20 May'19

  DCMS shakes up BDUK with new rural full-fibre scheme

  The Rural Gigabit Connectivity programme will run for two years, trialling a new model for full-fibre broadband delivery – meanwhile, BDUK is getting a new name

• May 20, 2019 20 May'19

  Post Office applies to appeal damning judgment in first Horizon trial

  The Post Office has applied for permission to appeal judgments from the first trial in its IT-related legal battle with subpostmasters

• May 17, 2019 17 May'19

  École Hôtelière de Lausanne puts Amelia the robot at its core

  When Switzerland-based hospitality school EHL began to automate processes, it was met with staff inertia, but that all changed after its benefits became clear

• May 17, 2019 17 May'19

  Government digital leaders to receive salary boost

  The Cabinet Office revealed plans to increase the pay of some senior roles in an effort to compete with the industry

• May 17, 2019 17 May'19

  Identity custodians needed in digital era

  Digital identity systems will fail if they do not take humans into account, warns identity innovator, suggesting that a ‘digital guardian’ could help overcome most of these challenges

• May 17, 2019 17 May'19

  GozNym bust underlines cyber crime threat

  A criminal network using GozNym malware has been shut down in an international law enforcement operation, but others are still operating, underlining the need for vigilance, warns a security expert

• May 16, 2019 16 May'19

  Fujitsu sets out to restore trust in technology

  Trust in technology, how to recapture it, and how to ensure AI doesn’t overstep its bounds were the big messages on the opening day of Fujitsu Forum in Tokyo

• May 15, 2019 15 May'19

  UK government boosts AI Council with new appointments

  New recruits come from online-only retailer Ocado, the Independent Commission on Freedom of Information, and the Alan Turing Institute

• May 15, 2019 15 May'19

  UK pensions trust launches £1.5bn tender for digital services delivery

  The National Employment Savings Trust wants its new supplier to build innovations such as data analytics to services provided via digital channels

• May 14, 2019 14 May'19

  Footasylum steps up artificial intelligence to drive customer centricity

  Retailer Footasylum is placing its bets on cloud-based emergent technologies to accelerate automation and personalisation across the business

• May 14, 2019 14 May'19

  Public sector outsourcing spend plummets

  Private sector outsourcing dominated spending in the UK during the first quarter of 2019

• May 14, 2019 14 May'19

  Network Rail appoints Aidan Hancock as IT chief

  Former BP technology chief Aidan Hancock joins the rail company to lead its digital transformation efforts

• May 14, 2019 14 May'19

  Electronic ID in the Nordics – a model for other countries?

  Use of electronic identity schemes in Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark is far ahead of other countries – but why?

• May 14, 2019 14 May'19

  Councils urged to support 5G readiness

  Local authorities must do more to facilitate the roll-out of next-generation mobile connectivity, study finds

• May 13, 2019 13 May'19

  National Crime Agency calls for additional funding to tackle 21st century crime

  Organised criminal gangs represent the biggest cyber threat to the UK, and law enforcement has identified rogue servers hosted in the UK

• May 13, 2019 13 May'19

  HSBC hires Ian Bromwich as UK CIO

  New incumbent Ian Bromwich joins HSBC from Lloyds Banking Group

• May 13, 2019 13 May'19

  Security standard for surveillance cameras set for launch

  A long-overdue cyber security standard for the manufacturer of surveillance cameras is on track for an official launch in June

• May 13, 2019 13 May'19

  Health screening IT unfit for purpose since 2011

  National health bodies do not have full visibility of all the patients who need screenings, and a replacement system faces further delay, a new PAC report has found

• May 13, 2019 13 May'19

  More power for NHSX chief as top health service IT executive steps down

  Operations director at NHS England Matthew Swindells has handed over his IT duties to the chief executive at the new digital unit, Matthew Gould

• May 13, 2019 13 May'19

  Court of Appeal judge rejects Post Office request in Horizon IT case

  The Court of Appeal has refused the Post Office’s application to appeal a major decision in the Horizon IT trial

• May 10, 2019 10 May'19

  Government hints at biometric regulations

  Immigration minister says options are being considered around governance and oversight of biometric technologies use

• May 10, 2019 10 May'19

  Dutch businesses not yet implementing NIS Directive

  Little urgency to comply with the Network and Information Systems Security Act, which seeks to protect the Netherlands’ vital infrastructure and digital services from cyber attack

• May 10, 2019 10 May'19

  Home Office seeks immigration technology head

  The Home Office is looking for a suitable candidate to fill its newly created high-profile IT role, which will cover Brexit-related requirements around immigration technology

• May 09, 2019 09 May'19

  Home Office failing on Emergency Services Network, says NAO

  The delayed Emergency Services Network is slipping further behind schedule and is getting more expensive all the time – and the Home Office’s management of the project is to blame, says the National Audit Office

• May 09, 2019 09 May'19

  NHS Digital starts on multi-cloud push with VMware Cloud on AWS deployment

  NHS Digital has adopted a cloud-first strategy to ensure it has the correct infrastructure in place to support the online delivery needs of its service users

• May 09, 2019 09 May'19

  Northern Ireland generating cyber security knowledge and jobs

  Northern Ireland is establishing itself as an international hub of cyber security research and innovation, providing growing employment opportunities

• May 08, 2019 08 May'19

  Government 'cloud-first' policy under review by CCS and GDS

  Longstanding cloud-first policy set to be replaced by more "appropriate" guidance to reflect public sector's changing technology deployment habits, CCS confirms

• May 08, 2019 08 May'19

  MP sets out concerns over GP at Hand software

  Concerns raised over the robustness and breadth of the software underpinning Babylon Health’s app amid calls for an inquiry into the tool

• May 08, 2019 08 May'19

  Gov.uk Verify has 'failed users' and its leaders lack accountability, say MPs

  Public Accounts Committee slams government's flagship digital identity service after a ‘catalogue of problems’

• May 08, 2019 08 May'19

  Time to start thinking about AI regulation, says KuppingerCole

  Organisations and individuals should think about regulating artificial intelligence to avoid sleepwalking into a future regulated by these technologies, says analyst

• May 07, 2019 07 May'19

  Highways England trials self-driving trucks for roadworks

  A pilot is aimed at reducing project timescales and increasing worker safety, though vehicles are expected to take another two to three years to be fully operating

• May 07, 2019 07 May'19

  Technical error on Capita system puts Barnet council staff out of pocket

  A system error that led to Barnet council staff being incorrectly paid is the latest complaint about a back-office outsourcing contract with Capita

• May 07, 2019 07 May'19

  Greater Manchester invites bidders for public sector broadband

  £32m tender request will enable ultrafast full-fibre connectivity to more than 1,300 public sector sites in Greater Manchester

• May 07, 2019 07 May'19

  Tech manifesto calls on health secretary to ‘get basics right’

  Royal College of GPs says joining up IT systems is essential to enable innovation

• May 07, 2019 07 May'19

  Swedish government tells citizens to hoard cash in case of cyber attack

  Civil Contingencies Agency says cash is needed in case of emergencies such as technology failures and cyber attacks

• May 07, 2019 07 May'19

  HMRC begins deleting unlawful voice biometric data

  HM Revenue and Customs is to forge ahead with Voice ID despite beginning to delete the largest state-held voice biometric database gathered without consent after UK privacy and data protection watchdog issues order

• May 03, 2019 03 May'19

  Labour calls for creation of ministry for cyber security

  Shadow Cabinet Office minister Jo Platt accuses government of failing to provide leadership to fend off cyber risks

• May 03, 2019 03 May'19

  Police down two dark web markets

  Europol-supported coordinated law enforcement approach across Europe and the US was key to operations’ success

• May 02, 2019 02 May'19

  Lloyd’s of London unveils digital ambitions

  Reforms will include a split into two automated exchanges, which is expected to boost performance and savings while reducing cost of services to customers

• May 02, 2019 02 May'19

  Department of Health enhances medical innovation programme

  The Accelerated Access Collaborative initiative is expected to fast-track pioneering treatments and produce multimillion-pound savings to the NHS

• May 02, 2019 02 May'19

  Boots appoints former NHS IT executive as director of innovation

  Retailer Boots has enlisted Richard Corbridge, former chief digital and information officer for Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, to support its digital transformation initiatives