News

IT for government and public sector

• March 29, 2018 29 Mar'18

  UK government secures public sector discounts on Microsoft cloud products to April 2021

  Government procurement chiefs have secured ongoing preferential pricing on Microsoft cloud products for the public sector through Digital Transformation Agreement

• March 29, 2018 29 Mar'18

  IR35 reforms: IT contractors express concerns over ‘inevitable’ private sector roll-out

  Research suggests IT contractors are resigned to the IR35 reforms being implemented in the private sector, and many fear an announcement to that effect will come this year

• March 28, 2018 28 Mar'18

  Home Office ‘over-promised’ on exit checks programme, report finds

  Chief inspector of borders and immigration calls on Home Office to re-establish exit checks project with proper data quality in place, but department rejects recommendation

• March 28, 2018 28 Mar'18

  Home Office issues guidance on tech to prevent identity fraud

  Advice highlights the benefits of using identity document validation to audit and share data on fraudulent documents

• March 28, 2018 28 Mar'18

  Government should take a ‘Lego brick’ approach to public services, report says

  Report calling for a radical reform of public services says government should open up, standardise processes and stop developing services that already exist

• March 27, 2018 27 Mar'18

  Case study: Berkshire NHS trust provides mental health support through social network

  Berkshire NHS is using its Support Hope and Recovery Online Network to provide 24/7 support and advice to service users struggling with mental health issues

• March 26, 2018 26 Mar'18

  UK government publishes export strategy for UK cyber security

  The government has published a guide for UK cyber security firms on how it plans to support their efforts to find and secure opportunities to export their products and services

• March 26, 2018 26 Mar'18

  Swedish study talks up benefits of artificial intelligence

  A major report has reassured Swedish society that artificial intelligence will be a positive force for change despite fears of job losses

• March 24, 2018 24 Mar'18

  Government must improve quality and awareness of childcare website, say MPs

  Treasury Committee says government should launch websites only when they can cope with the expected workload, after childcare website was down for 160 hours last summer

• March 23, 2018 23 Mar'18

  Private sector over-investing against nation-state attacks

  The creator of a routing technique that protects the domain name system says the money spent on guarding against nation-state actors could have been better used for other purposes

• March 22, 2018 22 Mar'18

  GP contract calls for increased digital uptake

  NHS England’s GP contract says practices must move to e-referrals by October 2018, and work on improving uptake of patients using online services to 30%

• March 22, 2018 22 Mar'18

  Privacy group calls for UK response to data exploitation

  Policy-makers need to respond swiftly to the Cambridge Analytica and Facebook data exploitation scandal, according to privacy rights group

• March 22, 2018 22 Mar'18

  CityFibre consumer broadband collaboration hits Peterborough

  CityFibre is returning to one of its earliest Gigabit City projects with Vodafone in tow to upgrade thousands of homes in Peterborough to gigabit-capable full-fibre broadband

• March 22, 2018 22 Mar'18

  Mayor of London kick-starts drive to make city top for AI

  London mayor Sadiq Khan commissions a study to look at improving the capital’s readiness for artificial intelligence

• March 22, 2018 22 Mar'18

  HMRC sets August launch date for customs IT system

  HMRC plans to begin a phased deployment of its Customs Declaration Service this August, with completion expected by early 2019

• March 22, 2018 22 Mar'18

  UK local councils favour hybrid cloud as legacy IT management needs persist

  Research into the IT buying habits of more than 300 local authorities in the UK reveals a growing appetite for using cloud, as councils continue to grapple with managing and maintaining legacy IT

• March 21, 2018 21 Mar'18

  Shared services project is about user needs, not tech, says strategy director

  If you’re hoping for the government’s shared services strategy to “break revolutionary ground” in terms of tech, you’ll be disappointed. It’s about serving user needs – not tech – says its strategy director Andy Helliwell

• March 21, 2018 21 Mar'18

  MoD to focus on SMEs to raise supply chain cyber security

  The Ministry of Defence continues to develop a joint initiative with industry aimed at raising the security posture throughout the UK’s defence supply chain, with increasing focus on SMEs

• March 21, 2018 21 Mar'18

  UK must hurry to agree science and innovation deal with EU, MPs say

  The Science and Technology Committee calls on government to urgently secure science and innovation deal with the EU to get clarity on funding, regulation and talent retention and recruitment

• March 21, 2018 21 Mar'18

  Popular culture key to giving cyber security much-needed boost

  The cyber security industry should turn to popular culture to raise awareness of the cyber threat to businesses and consumers and attract new blood to the field, says McMafia author

• March 21, 2018 21 Mar'18

  Danish government launches business-focused national digital strategy

  Denmark’s government has launched a plan to get more small businesses into the digital economy as it targets being a leader in advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence

• March 21, 2018 21 Mar'18

  WhatsApp co-founder calls time on Facebook

  Brian Acton has called time on Facebook following reports of the firm’s dealings with data mining firm Cambridge Analytica linked to the EU referendum and Donald Trump’s US election campaign

• March 20, 2018 20 Mar'18

  Croydon Council partners with Rainmaker to shake up its IT

  Croydon Council has employed digital transformation specialist Rainmaker to help it change the way it delivers IT over the next three years

• March 20, 2018 20 Mar'18

  Ofcom opens 5G spectrum auction

  Ofcom has opened the bidding in the auction of spectrum to support 4G and 5G mobile networks

• March 20, 2018 20 Mar'18

  Brexit is an opportunity to transform, says HMRC digital transformation director

  HMRC’s digital transformation director Brigid McBride on Brexit opportunities, using AI and robotics to improve services, and growing the API ecosystem

• March 20, 2018 20 Mar'18

  Think tank reports lifts lid on police cyber crime training

  UK think tank Parliament Street has lifted the lid on spending by police forces on training staff to deal with cyber crime and recommended greater collaboration in this regard

• March 19, 2018 19 Mar'18

  Wigan data breaches underline need to share threat intelligence

  Ongoing data breaches experienced by local authorities underline the need for greater sharing of threat intelligence, say security experts

• March 19, 2018 19 Mar'18

  NHS wants independent evaluation of GP at Hand service

  The NHS is looking for an organisation to undertake an independent review of the on-demand virtual GP app, allowing patients in London to access GP services using their smartphones

• March 19, 2018 19 Mar'18

  Southwark brings full-fibre broadband to council estates

  London’s Southwark Council has enlisted Hyperoptic to deliver FTTP broadband services across its housing portfolio

• March 19, 2018 19 Mar'18

  Russia compromised core router in US energy attacks

  Russian cyber attackers used a compromised core router in a series of attacks on the US energy sector, security researchers have revealed as the UK energy sector is placed on alert

• March 16, 2018 16 Mar'18

  Employers face hiring crisis as AI replaces mid-skilled jobs

  Artificial intelligence could replace two-thirds of existing jobs within 20 years, and employers will face growing difficulties recruiting skilled staff

• March 16, 2018 16 Mar'18

  IT contractors not a risk despite Snowden leaks, GCHQ tells court

  The government argues in the Investigatory Powers Tribunal that contractors with systems administration rights to computers holding GCHQ’s most sensitive intelligence pose no more of a security risk than the agency’s employees

• March 16, 2018 16 Mar'18

  Cyber criminals using complex financial system, study shows

  Cyber criminals are using a combination of new cryptocurrencies, gaming currencies and micro-payments to launder up to $200bn in ill-gotten gains, research has revealed

• March 16, 2018 16 Mar'18

  Tech won’t solve Brexit UK-Ireland border challenges, say MPs

  There is no evidence of any technical solution “anywhere in the world” that would help avoid physical infrastructure at the UK-Ireland border post-Brexit, according to the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee

• March 16, 2018 16 Mar'18

  Defence industry urges government to relax controls on crypto exports

  Trade body representing defence, aerospace and security companies calls on government to make it easier to export “non-contentious” cryptography to secure organisations against cyber crime

• March 16, 2018 16 Mar'18

  US blames Russia for cyber attacks on energy firms

  The US has blamed Russia for a series of attacks on energy sector firms, underlining the need to ensure critical infrastructure IT systems are up to date and secure

• March 15, 2018 15 Mar'18

  Coders feel responsible for impact of artificial intelligence on society

  The technologists building artificial intelligence algorithms should take responsibility for the technology’s impact on society, a survey finds

• March 15, 2018 15 Mar'18

  With auditability, deep learning could revolutionise insurance industry

  The likes of Google may be pushing deep learning in artificial intelligence, but it may not be the best approach for regulated industries

• March 15, 2018 15 Mar'18

  Online data can be used to create better housing for all, says Resi’s Depledge

  Alex Depledge, CEO of Resi, will speak at Datafest on how online data can open up architecture to more people – but she warns against over-hyping data science

• March 14, 2018 14 Mar'18

  Non-compliant G-Cloud suppliers escape spend data sharing fines, as MISO revamp gathers pace

  Freedom of Information request reveals G-Cloud providers are not being fined for failing to submit monthly spend data, as the CCS claims success with using other deterrent methods

• March 14, 2018 14 Mar'18

  Government setting up local planning group to support 5G roll-out

  Digital minister Margot James is building a new initiative to support collaboration on 5G mobile network roll-out at a local level, bringing together councils, landowners and industry to work on planning challenges and policy

• March 14, 2018 14 Mar'18

  Public sector IT buyers still neglecting to report G-Cloud savings, FoI request reveals

  Computer Weekly has learned that public sector IT buyers are still neglecting to self-report details of the savings they have accrued through using the G-Cloud framework

• March 13, 2018 13 Mar'18

  Stoke Council picks VX Fiber to light up fibre broadband network

  VX Fiber’s Open Access Platform will allow Stoke-on-Trent council to realise a return on its fibre investment while bringing gigabit broadband services to homes and businesses

• March 13, 2018 13 Mar'18

  Government hands out £95m for local full-fibre broadband

  The government has named the first recipients of a £190m tranche of funding to realise local full-fibre broadband projects

• March 13, 2018 13 Mar'18

  Government ‘unlawfully delegated’ bulk data powers to GCHQ, court hears

  Privacy International urges Britain’s most secret court, the Investigatory Powers Tribunal, to rule that the government illegally collected surveillance data from internet and phone companies until at least September 2017

• March 13, 2018 13 Mar'18

  Hammond delivers tech-positive Spring Statement

  Delivering his Spring Statement, the chancellor bangs the drum for UK tech businesses, confirms £25m for 5G testbeds, allocates full-fibre funding and highlights the need for digital skills

• March 13, 2018 13 Mar'18

  Government pumps £300m into tech and innovation for ageing society

  Business secretary Greg Clark announces plans to use £300m from the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund for new technology and research, such as artificial intelligence and genome sequencing

• March 13, 2018 13 Mar'18

  Public sector organisations ill-prepared for GDPR

  Public sector organisations in the UK need to do much more to comply with the General Data Protection Regulation rule on providing information to citizens about details held about them

• March 13, 2018 13 Mar'18

  Singapore tops global rankings on smart cities

  The city-state of Singapore was lauded for its efforts in tapping the internet of things to improve public infrastructure and services in a global study by Juniper Research

• March 12, 2018 12 Mar'18

  Digital for rural areas worth up to £26bn to UK economy

  A study commissioned by Amazon has posited that greater use of digital tools and services could be worth between £12bn and £26bn per annum to the UK economy