News

IT for government and public sector

May 06, 2003 06 May'03
Training firms sue education department

IT training companies that were pushed to the brink of closure by the failure of the government's flagship Individual Learning...
May 02, 2003 02 May'03
MPS slam Criminal Records Bureau IT systems

The IT systems provided by outsourcer Capita to the government 's Criminal Records Bureau may not have been fit for purpose, it...
April 29, 2003 29 Apr'03
Eurim wants your views on e-security

IT directors are being urged to work with the government and suppliers to develop a practical action plan to make the internet a...
April 29, 2003 29 Apr'03
IT has direct effect on councils' performance

With the 2005 e-government deadline looming, an in-depth report from the Society of IT Management has highlighted the link...

April 28, 2003 28 Apr'03
Government needs to boost UK IT industry, admits e-commerce minister

E-commerce minister Stephen Timms has admitted to Computer Weekly that the government needs to do more to reverse the decline of...
April 22, 2003 22 Apr'03
HP wins Swedish govt deal

Hewlett-Packard (HP) has signed a contract with the Swedish government to provide approximately £181m worth of hardware,...
April 17, 2003 17 Apr'03
NHS chooses information providers

The National Health Service has signed up three information providers to create a new national health information extranet.
April 16, 2003 16 Apr'03
Vigilance keeps Iraq war cyber attacks to minimum

Anticipated threats of widespread attacks on the internet during the Iraq war failed to materialise, the US government's cyber...
April 14, 2003 14 Apr'03
Technology advances may lead to laws on minimum security levels

The government needs to start planning now for developments in computer technology that will pose new threats to the UK's...
April 14, 2003 14 Apr'03
Government to pay compensation to training firms hit by ILA fiasco

Damning report prompts about-turn on failed training scheme.

April 11, 2003 11 Apr'03
Defra outsourcing bid slammed in parliament

A former local government computer chief has launched a fierce attack on the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs'...
April 10, 2003 10 Apr'03
EC accuses France of hindering cable internet providers

The European Commission has accused the French government of giving France Télécom an unfair advantage over cable companies...
April 09, 2003 09 Apr'03
Former Bush official blasts US government cybersecurity

US President George W Bush's former cybersecurity advisor blasted the efforts within the federal government at congressional...
April 09, 2003 09 Apr'03
UK slipping down e-government league tables

Whitehall must rapidly drive up use of its online services to maintain its position in the front rank of global e-government,...
March 26, 2003 26 Mar'03
US government faces clash over data mining

Privacy groups have demanded that the US Congress halt the creation of a federal database of airline-passenger profiles until...
March 21, 2003 21 Mar'03
Belgian consortium heads race to run .eu domain

The European Commission is consulting its 15 national member governments over a draft decision to pick a Belgian-led consortium...
March 20, 2003 20 Mar'03
Interest in war stalls government websites

The beginning of hostilities in Iraq and the potential increased threat of terrorism has led to a surge of interest in UK...
March 19, 2003 19 Mar'03
UK defence systems get £5bn overhaul

The government is about to announce a £5bn, 10-year overhaul of the UK's defence IT systems.
March 19, 2003 19 Mar'03
Inevitability of war puts US on high alert

The US government has raised its terrorism alert level and has stepped up security for all the nation's critical infrastructure,...
March 12, 2003 12 Mar'03
NHS IT chief threatens to exclude whistleblowers

IT suppliers critical of the £2.3bn national IT programme have been told not to talk to the media.
March 06, 2003 06 Mar'03
Judge rules Rambus destroyed evidence

Chip designer Rambus destroyed material evidence relevant to the US government's antitrust case against the company, the chief...
March 05, 2003 05 Mar'03
Poor IT implicated in NHS waiting list debacle

Poor IT systems are contributing to major errors in the reporting of hospital waiting lists, according to the Audit Commission,...
February 25, 2003 25 Feb'03
Treasury legislation to protect IT infrastructure 'unnecessary'

Plans by the government to introduce legislation to tackle the effect of a major electronic attack on the UK’s financial markets...
February 20, 2003 20 Feb'03
Government urged to encourage silver surfers

A report from the National Audit Office has urged the Government to boost the number of older people using e-government services...
February 13, 2003 13 Feb'03
Data watchdog slams entitlement card scheme

The information commissioner has warned that government proposals for a voluntary identity card scheme may breach data and...
February 11, 2003 11 Feb'03
Fujitsu bankruptcy risk over courts IT contract

The future of Fujitsu Services, one of the biggest IT suppliers to the UK government, was potentially at risk as losses mounted...
February 10, 2003 10 Feb'03
3G - The revolution waiting in the wings

The telecoms giants have spent billions of pounds on getting pieces of paper from the government, Tony Blair has taken time off...
February 07, 2003 07 Feb'03
Warning over ID cards

The government's proposals for a national electronic identity card are overly complex and risk failing to win acceptance from the...
February 07, 2003 07 Feb'03
Government urged to defend Microsoft users

Anxious IT leaders are calling on the Government to defend their rights in response to Microsoft's new licensing terms as fears...
February 07, 2003 07 Feb'03
New Act opens PFI deals to public view

Government departments cannot hide behind confidentiality clauses
February 05, 2003 05 Feb'03
Doctors still in the dark about NHS IT strategy

Only one in three doctors believe the government's £5bn investment in NHS IT will deliver a significant improvement in patient...
February 04, 2003 04 Feb'03
Blair: Public services "in technological dark ages"

In his first major speech on e-government for two years, prime minister Tony Blair reaffirmed the government's £6bn investment...
January 31, 2003 31 Jan'03
France Télécom funding probed

The European Commission launched an in-depth investigation into a €9bn credit line offered by the French government to its...
January 29, 2003 29 Jan'03
No sign of searchable register

A government project to create a nationally searchable electoral register is still gridlocked a year after the system was due to...
January 27, 2003 27 Jan'03
US Senate blocks government data-mining plan

The US Senate has put the brakes on a much-criticised US Department of Defense (DoD) data-mining project until Congress can...
January 27, 2003 27 Jan'03
Post Office awards £650m IT contract

The Post Office has awarded a £650m contract to Fujitsu Services to provide part of the IT backbone behind the government's new...
January 24, 2003 24 Jan'03
CA offers contract details in accounting probe

Computer Associates International is co-operating with a request from the US government for contracts with 10 of its customers,...
January 23, 2003 23 Jan'03
Government signs £15m deal for Transport Direct portal

The Department for Transport has awarded a £15m, three-year contract to a consortium of companies led by SchlumbergerSema to...
January 23, 2003 23 Jan'03
BT delivers IP network to Bavarian government

The Bavarian State Government has awarded BT Ignite a contract to restructure its entire telecommunications network. The contract...
January 16, 2003 16 Jan'03
NHS calls on SAS for anti-fraud initiative

The National Health Service is to unveil plans to develop sophisticated computer systems to tackle losses estimated at more than...
January 16, 2003 16 Jan'03
US govt spent $2.9bn on IT security in 2002

Despite warnings of lax security and loose management of information technology investments, the US government spent at least...
January 07, 2003 07 Jan'03
US trade groups hope for IT depreciation incentive

High-tech trade groups in the US are hopeful that a government economic stimulus package, due today (Tuesday), will include an...
January 07, 2003 07 Jan'03
Online retail suffers setback as trust scheme is scrapped

A government-backed online trust scheme, set up by the Consumers' Association to boost confidence in online shopping, will be...
December 20, 2002 20 Dec'02
WorldCom wins US government contract

WorldCom has landed a 10-year contract to provide data communications services to the US Department of State.
December 19, 2002 19 Dec'02
Investment backs up IT agenda

2002 could go down in history as the year when the Government finally took the public sector IT bull by the horns.
December 19, 2002 19 Dec'02
Concern grows over cybercrime

Computer security took on a new importance in 2002 as governments and the private sector began to grapple with the lessons and...
December 19, 2002 19 Dec'02
Bush signs e-government bill

US president George Bush has passed a bill designed to simplify and streamline government information and services on the...
December 18, 2002 18 Dec'02
US cybersecurity plan comes under fire

A panel of experts yesterday delivered a report to the US president calling the government's incessant focus on public/private...
December 12, 2002 12 Dec'02
Plan to ease traffic congestion with IT could leave departments in a jam

The results of a government review into easing road traffic congestion could present a formidable challenge for IT departments in...
December 11, 2002 11 Dec'02
Government must take security responsibility, says Microsoft

Governments, rather than the private sector, need to take responsibility for securing critical national computer and...
December 05, 2002 05 Dec'02
Web site will help councils to meet targets

The Web site at the heart of the Government's national strategy for local e-government - www.localegov. gov.uk - launched last...
December 04, 2002 04 Dec'02
IT giants push certification standard for security professionals

Leading technology companies and the US government have released new certification standards for IT security professionals.
December 03, 2002 03 Dec'02
ElcomSoft case goes to trial in US

After a flurry of dismissal motions and delays, the US government's high-profile case against Russian software company ElcomSoft...
November 29, 2002 29 Nov'02
HP wins six European government contracts

Hewlett-Packard (HP) has secured six government IT contracts across Europe with a total value of over $500m (£321.8m).
November 27, 2002 27 Nov'02
Key NHS IT project falls short of Gateway goals

A health service IT project that was highlighted by the prime minister at last week's E-summit has run into trouble with the...
November 27, 2002 27 Nov'02
Government steps up e-shop campaign

The Government this week launched a safe Internet shopping guide after research revealed the major factors that are affecting UK...
November 27, 2002 27 Nov'02
Government seeks IT specialist for e-voting post

The Electoral Commission is looking to appoint a high-profile IT specialist to oversee scrutiny of the Government's £10m...
November 21, 2002 21 Nov'02
Law to address convergence of comms systems

The Queen's Speech setting out the Government's legislative programme for the coming Parliament promised a Communications Bill...
November 20, 2002 20 Nov'02
Court grants US government more snooping powers

A US federal appeals court has granted law enforcement officials extended domestic spying powers, allowing them to conduct a...
November 14, 2002 14 Nov'02
ITU chief: 3G auctions were heavy tax on telecom

The British and German governments helped drive the telecoms industry into its crisis, according to the head of the United...
November 14, 2002 14 Nov'02
Revenue staff want quality from winning IT supplier

IT professionals at the sharp end of the Inland Revenue's £7.6bn tender for its IT services have urged the Government to listen...
November 14, 2002 14 Nov'02
US government renews major WorldCom contract

The US government, is to renew a major telecommunications contract with WorldCom..
November 13, 2002 13 Nov'02
Cable & Wireless announces £800m restructuring

Cable & Wireless is restructuring its global data services division to focus on its core enterprise and government customers, a...
November 07, 2002 07 Nov'02
Whitehall in talks with Capita about ILA fee

The top civil servant in charge of the Government's flagship IT-based Individual Learning Accounts (ILA) scheme has told MPs how...
October 20, 2002 20 Oct'02
Government security experts urge Whitehall to adopt US cryptography standards

The Government's leading IT security advisors are to recommend that Whitehall departments adopt a US cryptography standard that...
October 16, 2002 16 Oct'02
Staff e-records a model for NHS

The Health Service's £325m pay and personnel system could serve as a model for developing other key NHS IT projects, such as...
October 10, 2002 10 Oct'02
Digital signatures key to e-voting success

Digital signature technology should be employed as part of the Government's planned electronic-voting pilots in next year's local...
October 10, 2002 10 Oct'02
Socitm e-government deadline warning

Public sector IT managers' organisation Socitm has warned local authorities not to miss the boat for the next round of...
October 09, 2002 09 Oct'02
Singapore telcos repeat call for 3G delay

Singapore mobile operator StarHub has called on the government regulator Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) to abolish a...
October 07, 2002 07 Oct'02
UK backs FBI bid to fix top 20 IT security holes

The UK government's National Infrastructure Security Co-ordination Centre (NISCC) has welcomed shareware security tools rolled...
October 01, 2002 01 Oct'02
Getronics sells US government services unit

IT services company Getronics has sold its US Government Solutions subsidiary to DigitalNet for €224m (£140.5m), the company...
September 25, 2002 25 Sep'02
The devil is in the detail of NHS IT procurement

IT industry body Intellect has given a cautious welcome to the Government's procurement strategy to overhaul NHS IT but warned...
September 23, 2002 23 Sep'02
US groups fight domestic snooping powers

A coalition of civil liberties groups in the US have asked a court to uphold a decision to reject government moves to expand...
September 18, 2002 18 Sep'02
US government to unveil cyber defence strategy

The US government will launch its national cyber defence strategy today (18 September), and give private companies and IT...
September 17, 2002 17 Sep'02
US prepares for Iraq cyber war

The US government is to roll out its national cyberdefence strategy tomorrow (18 September) amid fears that a war against Iraq...
September 11, 2002 11 Sep'02
CBI: boost security or face tougher laws

The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) is pressing businesses to take IT security more seriously or risk facing government...
September 10, 2002 10 Sep'02
IT infrastructure a lot more secure, promises Government

The UK is prepared for an attack on its critical national IT infrastructure, government agencies promised today, despite calls...
September 09, 2002 09 Sep'02
New fabrication plant planned for Shanghai

Contract chip maker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSMC) plans to seek Taiwanese government approval for plans to build a...
September 06, 2002 06 Sep'02
China blocks AltaVista search engine

The Chinese government has blocked Chinese Internet users from using AltaVista's search engine, less than a week after it blocked...
September 05, 2002 05 Sep'02
Benefit fraud Web site failing to deliver, say Conservatives

A Government Web site set up to catch benefit cheats has had little impact on tackling the problem, according to David Willetts,...
September 05, 2002 05 Sep'02
Government must learn from the private sector

Experts have warned that the Government should take a leaf out of the private sector's book when delivering online services for...
September 05, 2002 05 Sep'02
New charges coming in WorldCom case

The US government plans to add additional charges and possibly new defendants to its case against the officials behind WorldCom's...
August 21, 2002 21 Aug'02
Revenue admits tax site needs more users

The Government has admitted that its £17m investment in online tax returns will only be justified if more people can be persuaded...
August 15, 2002 15 Aug'02
Lib Dems: Nirs2 deal too inflexible

The Liberal Democrats have added their voice to criticisms of the Government's relationship with key IT suppliers.
August 15, 2002 15 Aug'02
AOL dealmaker ousted amid finance probes

David M. Colburn, head of America Online's (AOL) business affairs unit, has left the company amid US government investigations...
August 08, 2002 08 Aug'02
OECD publishes cyber-security guidelines

The 30-member inter-governmental Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has updated its principles on...
August 07, 2002 07 Aug'02
NHS IT tsar will be named soon

The appointment of an "IT tsar" to deliver the Government's ambitious NHS IT plan is imminent, the Government confirmed this...
August 07, 2002 07 Aug'02
Report urges e-voting caution

A report from the Electoral Commission has urged the Government to be cautious of using e-voting in a general election.
August 01, 2002 01 Aug'02
IT professionals back call to reform Computer Misuse Act

More than 100 IT professionals have signed a petition calling for the Government to review the Computer Misuse Act.
July 29, 2002 29 Jul'02
WorldCom loses US government aviation contract

The US Federal Aviation Administration has dealt WorldCom an untimely financial blow by rejecting it for a multibillion-dollar...
July 25, 2002 25 Jul'02
Audit Commission calls for more e-government support

Despite last week's £511m cash injection from Whitehall to boost e-government strategies, a report from the Audit Commission...
July 18, 2002 18 Jul'02
US government backs new Windows 2000 security tool

Microsoft Windows 2000 users can now use a new benchmarking tool designed to let them more easily configure security settings on...
July 17, 2002 17 Jul'02
Bush harnesses technology against terrorism

US president George Bush has outlined plans to harness the government's use of technology to detect and prevent terrorism.
July 11, 2002 11 Jul'02
Entitlement card scheme poses security challenge

The success of the Government's proposals to introduce entitlement cards will hinge on its ability to meet the security...
July 09, 2002 09 Jul'02
Falun Gong group hijacked Chinese satellite

A spiritual movement banned in China managed to hijack a Chinese government-owned communications satellite in June, disrupting...
July 04, 2002 04 Jul'02
Big salary awaits NHS IT tsar

NHS insiders believe that the "IT tsar" due to be appointed to deliver the Government's new NHS IT plan could be paid as much as...
July 04, 2002 04 Jul'02
Online tax return Bill opposed

Opposition MPs have opposed government plans to force companies to file tax returns electronically by 2010.
July 03, 2002 03 Jul'02
Valid archive retrieval goes online

Valid Information Systems launched a Java-based e-government information system at the Oracleworld conference in Copenhagen last...
June 27, 2002 27 Jun'02
Councils win e-government handouts

More than 60 councils can expect a share of almost £50m for e-government projects to provide better online services through...
June 24, 2002 24 Jun'02
Infineon files complaint against Korean chip rival

German chipmaker Infineon Technologies has accused the South Korean government of keeping Hynix Semiconductor, a rival...