IT for government and public sector
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News
03 Jan 2024
Artificial intelligence to the front in Sweden’s National Technology Strategy
Sweden focuses in on artificial intelligence in its latest far-reaching national IT strategy Continue Reading
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Feature
25 Oct 2023
Finland shows off its new 20-qubit quantum computer
Anybody who scoffs at Finland’s lofty ambitions in the field of quantum computing should remember that not only is the country home to one of Europe's most successful companies (Nokia), but it also houses Europe’s most powerful supercomputer (LUMI). Continue Reading
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News
10 Sep 2020
HMRC signs up Fujitsu for two years of user computing support
As it disentangles the Aspire contract, HMRC has been working directly with key IT suppliers, with this latest agreement providing managed desktop IT Continue Reading
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News
10 Sep 2020
Edinburgh council to create smart city operations centre
Edinburgh council extends an outsourcing agreement with CGI as it steps up its smart city programme Continue Reading
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News
09 Sep 2020
London councils to share technology procurement platform
A new technology procurement platform will help all 33 local councils in London diversify their IT supplier portfolios Continue Reading
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News
09 Sep 2020
Technology businesses vital to UK post-Covid economic recovery
Technology firms are set to play a larger role in UK’s post-Covid economy and are being encouraged to expand overseas after a strong year for digital exports Continue Reading
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News
09 Sep 2020
Abu Dhabi government launches peer-to-peer coding campus
Abu Dhabi government launches a specialist programming school that uses peer-to-peer teaching methods and gamification Continue Reading
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News
09 Sep 2020
Government publishes long-promised national data strategy
The government has published a national data strategy aimed at fostering innovation and increasing economic growth. It will also appoint 10 data fellows each year to work in the orbit of Number 10, and create 500 analyst jobs by 2021 Continue Reading
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News
08 Sep 2020
UK leads Europe in net zero venture capital investment
With the UK leading venture capital investment in net zero enterprises, Tech Nation have launched a new, government-backed scaleup programme to further develop the sector Continue Reading
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News
08 Sep 2020
Post Office Horizon IT scandal victims face further battles as government digs heels in
The government repeats that it won’t pay victims’ legal costs and confirms review into the scandal will not have the power to call witnesses Continue Reading
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News
08 Sep 2020
Matt Hancock announces £50m for healthcare AI projects
The NHS and industry must have a ‘symbiotic’ relationship, says health secretary Matt Hancock as he promises to improve the environment for innovation in healthcare and announces £50m in funding for a series of healthcare AI projects Continue Reading
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News
08 Sep 2020
CIO interview: Paul Neville, director of digital and ICT, Waltham Forest
The IT chief at one of the most digitally advanced London boroughs talks to Computer Weekly about the past, present and future of tech-enabled transformation in times of crisis Continue Reading
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News
07 Sep 2020
Experts slam government digital ID response
TechUK panel members say the government’s response to its digital identity consultation provides no concrete plan for moving forward Continue Reading
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News
07 Sep 2020
Court rejects request to exclude ‘11th hour’ US evidence against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange
Lawyers for Julian Assange say the US has introduced an 11th hour indictment against the WikiLeaks founder that provides additional grounds for his extradition Continue Reading
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News
07 Sep 2020
AI Summit 2020: Regulating AI for the common good
Speakers and panellists at the virtual AI Summit 2020 spoke about the tensions between cooperation and competition in the development of artificial intelligence Continue Reading
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News
07 Sep 2020
Government awards £32m funding for ‘pioneering’ health tech projects
Science minister Amanda Solloway will announce £32m in funding for six healthcare technology research projects, including artificial robotic muscular assistance and quantum imaging for monitoring Continue Reading
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News
04 Sep 2020
UK funds coronavirus research for vulnerable global communities
The £7.2m fund will support UK university research into supporting refugees and children affected by the global health crisis Continue Reading
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News
04 Sep 2020
Government should learn lessons from Brexit, says NAO
National Audit Office report finds government did not plan adequately for Brexit and needs to be better prepared to deal with uncertainty and improve communication, engagement and planning Continue Reading
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News
04 Sep 2020
Virtual London Tech Week is a sign of the future
London Tech week's virtual event is another sign of how the Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated digital transformation Continue Reading
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News
04 Sep 2020
Scottish government to spend £4m on creating five tech hubs
Following a review of the tech sector, the Scottish government is creating five technology hubs to support startups in the country, aiming to support 300 startups by 2025 Continue Reading
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News
04 Sep 2020
Major border disruption on the horizon as Brexit IT portfolio becomes ‘unmanageable’
The proliferation of new platforms and work behind schedule is among the list of concerns cited in a leaked memo Continue Reading
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News
03 Sep 2020
HMRC appoints Daljit Rehal as CDIO
Former digital and data chief at Centrica, Daljit Rehal, takes the helm at HMRC as chief digital and information officer Continue Reading
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News
02 Sep 2020
Guernsey to revamp digital local service delivery following double datacentre build-out
The State of Guernsey’s ongoing push to revamp how it delivers digital services to its citizens continues apace with the completion of two new datacentres on the island Continue Reading
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News
02 Sep 2020
Northumbria University suffers major disruption after cyber attack
Some exams cancelled as university appoints external specialists to investigate incident Continue Reading
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News
02 Sep 2020
UK to build commercially available quantum computer
The UK government is backing a quantum computing project that will provide businesses with access to the technology Continue Reading
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News
02 Sep 2020
Ethical and professional data science needed to avoid further algorithm controversies
BCS is calling for higher ethical and professional standards in algorithmic development to ensure public trust in future government information systems Continue Reading
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Opinion
02 Sep 2020
Sharing responsibility: Why we need to work together to keep the cloud secure
The education sector has been fundamentally altered by months of lockdown, with cloud services topping must-have lists for academic staff, but now it’s time to consider security Continue Reading
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News
02 Sep 2020
App integration means emergency services can identify caller location in three words
Capita integrates What3words app into its emergency services control centre platform to help respondents identify the exact location of people who need help Continue Reading
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Blog Post
01 Sep 2020
The subtle clues that show UK government is taking digital identity seriously at last (cough...)
The UK government has finally unveiled its response to the digital identity consultation that concluded a year ago this month, and along with that announced a new Digital Identity Strategy Board to ... Continue Reading
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News
01 Sep 2020
UK government unveils next steps in digital identity plans
Long-awaited response to July 2019 consultation highlights private sector demands for digital identity support from government Continue Reading
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News
01 Sep 2020
Norway’s corporates want government to support ‘herd immunity’ to cyber attack
Leading business organisations in Norway call on government to play a more active role in improving and coordinating the country’s cyber defences Continue Reading
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News
28 Aug 2020
University of Staffordshire recruits robots to get more out of its people
University staff were bogged down with administrative work, but will now have time to be creative Continue Reading
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News
28 Aug 2020
Office for National Statistics defines better cross-government data linkage
ONS review of data-linking practices across government is consistent with Cummings and Johnson drive to put data in command of government Continue Reading
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News
28 Aug 2020
New Zealand activates security services as DDoS outage enters fourth day
New Zealand government calls in its national cyber security agencies to help investigate a continuing cyber attack on the country’s financial systems Continue Reading
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News
28 Aug 2020
Interview: Frankie Kay, interim director general for data capability, ONS
The Office for National Statistics’ interim director general for data capability talks about how data plays an important role in the battle against Covid-19 and how the pandemic has unearthed new ways of collaborating Continue Reading
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News
28 Aug 2020
Benefit fraud: Underground trade in stolen identities revealed
A roaring underground trade in stolen identities is undermining the Universal Credit system and could potentially defraud it out of millions of pounds Continue Reading
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News
27 Aug 2020
Tech and telecoms advisory group set up to help trade negotiations
Department of International Trade launches new Trade Advisory Groups to guide trade negotiations with other countries Continue Reading
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E-Zine
27 Aug 2020
CW Nordics: Bergen’s tech hub seeks global success
Norway’s second-largest city, Bergen, is building a tech ecosystem that is beginning its development with a focus on the city’s industrial heritage. Also in this issue, read why now might be the time for businesses to consider how they will invest in outsourcing IT once the Covid-19 pandemic wanes. And read how Norway’s government has had to backtrack on a law that removed tax relief on energy consumption at datacentres that process cryptocurrency mining. Continue Reading
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News
27 Aug 2020
UK government publishes new insights on transport tech attitudes
The latest wave of the study investigates public attitudes on innovations such as autonomous vehicles and drones Continue Reading
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News
26 Aug 2020
Amazon UK boss to help select new government CDO
Outgoing Amazon UK boss Doug Gurr is on the selection panel to assess candidates for the government chief digital officer role, which offers a salary of up to £200,000 per year Continue Reading
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News
26 Aug 2020
DWP searches for talent as part of apprenticeship programme
The Department of Work and Pensions is looking for diverse talent to fill software and networking roles while developing skills on the job Continue Reading
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News
26 Aug 2020
Government must urgently prioritise digital identity, says tech sector
TechUK calls on government to make digital identity a focus of its digital strategy as the Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the ‘urgent need’ for digital IDs Continue Reading
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Opinion
26 Aug 2020
Digital identity must not remain the missing link in the UK’s digital strategy
The UK's digital economy is desperately in need of a viable digital identity strategy - to recover from the pandemic, the government cannot wait any longer to resolve this much-delayed issue Continue Reading
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Podcast
25 Aug 2020
Gig economy, summer special look-back – Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast
In this summer special episode of the Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast, Caroline Donnelly, Clare McDonald and Brian McKenna look back to pre-lockdown episodes, and reflect on the podcasting experience since. First, they discuss the gig economy through the prism of new bite-sized BBC comedy Mandy Continue Reading
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News
25 Aug 2020
Council to connect hundreds of its sites through wide area network
Local authorities invest in networking and contact centre technology through IT outsourcing contracts Continue Reading
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News
25 Aug 2020
Obituary: Lord Harry Renwick – a parliamentary pioneer for IT interests
Lord Harry Renwick, once a key influencer for technology policy in Parliament, and a long-standing friend of Computer Weekly, passed away this month Continue Reading
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E-Zine
25 Aug 2020
When algorithms don’t play fair
In this week’s Computer Weekly, we report on the auditing of algorithms to countervail bias. We examine what CISOs can learn from Covid-19. And in our buyer’s guide to modern software development, we assess how competent artificial intelligence is at building applications that deliver the best possible customer experience. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
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News
24 Aug 2020
Government makes digital leadership changes
The government has begun recruiting for a chief digital officer at permanent secretary level and Government Digital Service director general Alison Pritchard is leaving to join the Office for National Statistics Continue Reading
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News
24 Aug 2020
CCS to launch £800m NHS IT framework
Collaborative framework agreement will cover a range of IT management services for use by NHS Digital and other public sector health and social care organisations Continue Reading
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News
21 Aug 2020
Scottish government reveals broadband voucher scheme to make up project shortfall
Government reveals details of funding for Scottish residents who fall outside reach of its primary broadband project Continue Reading
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News
21 Aug 2020
SMEs outperform Q2 expectations but remain cautious about Q3 prospects
Small confidence boost for small to medium-sized enterprises puts tech investment back on the table over coming 12 months Continue Reading
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News
20 Aug 2020
Drop in number of students taking GCSE computing in 2020
The amount of students deciding to take GCSE computing in England drops despite an increase last year Continue Reading
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News
20 Aug 2020
Government launches anti-crime tech competition
Government seeks technologies that allow police officers to use less lethal means to stop violent or armed offenders Continue Reading
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News
19 Aug 2020
Scotland announces £15m investment to boost connectivity
Funding package aimed at improving internet access for 23,000 low-income households Continue Reading
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News
19 Aug 2020
Loan charge MPs urge chancellor to get HMRC to soften contractor settlements
Co-chairs of Loan Charge All Party Parliamentary Group write to Rishi Sunak to seek a fairer deal for contractors caught by HMRC’s disguised remuneration policy Continue Reading
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News
18 Aug 2020
Government scraps Public Health England
NHS Test and Trace boss Dido Harding will run a new National Institute of Health Protection dubbed “the best chance” of beating coronavirus by health secretary Matt Hancock Continue Reading
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News
18 Aug 2020
Department for Transport seeks industry views on autonomous vehicle technology
The government wants industry’s views on plans to use automation technology to take control of cars travelling at speeds of up to 70mph, keeping them safely in the lane on motorways Continue Reading
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News
18 Aug 2020
Northern Ireland Covid-19 tracing app reaches 250,000 downloads
In the two weeks since it went live, Northern Ireland’s Covid-19 test and trace app has been downloaded a quarter of a million times Continue Reading
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Podcast
18 Aug 2020
TikTok in peril, A-level and Scottish Highers algo fiascos – Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast
In this week’s episode of the Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast, Caroline Donnelly, Clare McDonald and Brian McKenna discuss the fortunes of TikTok, the A-level results, and the algorithm controversies in which they and Scottish Highers have been mired Continue Reading
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News
18 Aug 2020
HPE signs 12-month hybrid cloud-focused MoU with UK government
Hardware giant becomes the first non-cloud provider to sign preferential pricing deal with government’s Crown Commercial Service, as push to encourage public sector move to cloud accelerates Continue Reading
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News
17 Aug 2020
Coronavirus: Government faces renewed calls for extended support for self-employed
The second phase of the government’s income support scheme for the self-employed goes live today, prompting renewed calls for the eligibility criteria to be broadened so that more people can benefit Continue Reading
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News
14 Aug 2020
UK government investigates AI labour market
Survey will seek to discover new requirements and issues posed by artificial intelligence technology Continue Reading
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News
13 Aug 2020
CIO interview: Mark Gannon, director of business change and information, Sheffield City Council
Like many organisations, the coronavirus pandemic has accelerated digital change in Sheffield, and its IT leader is looking to build further on that momentum Continue Reading
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News
12 Aug 2020
EU and US start discussions on ‘enhanced’ Privacy Shield data-sharing agreement
Talks begin on a successor to the Privacy Shield EU-US data-sharing agreement declared unlawful in July 2020 – a decision by the European Court of Justice that left thousands of businesses facing legal uncertainty Continue Reading
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News
12 Aug 2020
Government awards funding for innovation projects
The funding for innovative projects forms part of the government’s plan to increase research and development spending, which it claims will aid the UK’s post-Covid-19 economic recovery Continue Reading
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News
12 Aug 2020
Police use of facial recognition found ‘unlawful’ in court
In a landmark decision, the Court of Appeal has ruled that South Wales Police’s facial recognition deployments breached human rights and data protection laws Continue Reading
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News
10 Aug 2020
Government launches digital identity checking pilot
More than a year after first announced, the government has launched a year-long pilot of its post-Brexit digital identity checking service Continue Reading
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News
10 Aug 2020
Gov.uk Verify continues to pose ‘notable risk’ to Cabinet Office
Government Digital Service put in place “unprecedented measures” in response to the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic and built several new digital services, but its Gov.uk Verify programme continues to “pose notable risk” to the department, according to Cabinet Office annual report Continue Reading
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News
07 Aug 2020
Data Standards Authority publishes guidance on government data sharing
The Data Standards Authority (DSA) wants government departments to use new open data standards when sharing data, with the aim of improving public services Continue Reading
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News
07 Aug 2020
Government should prioritise product-led startups, says UKTCG
UK Tech Cluster Group report calls on government to prioritise startups, provide test beds for digital innovation and establish programmes to enable tech careers for people who have lost their jobs due to Covid-19 Continue Reading
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News
07 Aug 2020
Government pumps £650m into Northern Ireland border
Funding for the Northern Ireland border includes £200m for a Trader Support Service and £155m to develop technology to support traders during post-Brexit transition period Continue Reading
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News
06 Aug 2020
If you hire foreign IT staff, ‘you’re fired’, Trump tells bosses in government-owned entities
Donald Trump has fired a pre-election warning to government organisations that give IT jobs to workers from overseas Continue Reading
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News
06 Aug 2020
TfL Go launched to support travel in London during pandemic
New tool aims to enable users to plan routes and comply with social distancing measures while using public transport Continue Reading
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News
06 Aug 2020
Planning system to get digital overhaul
Government proposal on reform of the planning system sets out plans for modernising the planning process though use of data, interactive online systems and collaboration with the property technology sector Continue Reading
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News
06 Aug 2020
NHS seeks new national data guardian for health and care
New national data guardian will take over the post from Fiona Caldicott, working to build trust in data use across health and social care Continue Reading
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News
05 Aug 2020
Netherlands investigates innovative privacy technology SSI
Dutch research organisation is looking into areas where self-sovereign identity technology could be used in society and business Continue Reading
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News
05 Aug 2020
Egypt’s datacentre plans take key step forward
Government lays the foundations for a datacentre industry with its new data protection law Continue Reading
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News
05 Aug 2020
Home Office drops ‘racist’ visa algorithm
The Home Secretary has pledged to stop using an algorithmic decision-making system to assess visa applications after migrant welfare and technology justice groups challenged the tool for helping to create a hostile environment for migrants Continue Reading
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News
04 Aug 2020
Police require radical reform to deal with 21st century challenges
Early findings from a major review of policing reveal forces are struggling to keep pace with the changing nature of crime Continue Reading
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E-Zine
04 Aug 2020
The UK’s $500m space technology gamble
In this week’s Computer Weekly we ask why the UK government is spending $500m on a bankrupt satellite technology company. After a European court quashes the EU-US data sharing agreement, we examine the implications for a UK-EU data protection deal after Brexit. And how have small cloud suppliers coped in the pandemic? Read the issue now. Continue Reading
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News
03 Aug 2020
Estonian police and border services need better IT to block criminals from becoming e-residents
Police and Border Guard Board of Estonia needs to improve its IT systems to stop criminals from becoming e-residents, says report Continue Reading
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News
03 Aug 2020
Economic Affairs Committee calls for Universal Credit reform
Lords Select Committee finds the design of the Universal Credit system is ‘failing millions of people’, including a ‘significant minority’ who struggle with the digital service Continue Reading
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News
31 Jul 2020
Experts launch digital skills project for civil servants
International tech education experts from 10 institutions across the world have developed an online education programme for public servants Continue Reading
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News
31 Jul 2020
Hancock: Better tech means better healthcare
The coronavirus pandemic has “catalysed” data-driven decision making in the NHS, according to health secretary Matt Hancock, promising a future NHS that “doubles down” on technological advances Continue Reading
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News
31 Jul 2020
Labour Party is latest victim of Blackbaud ransomware attack
Widening Blackbaud data breach ensnares the Labour Party as the cloud software firm continues to duck questions about its behaviour Continue Reading
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News
31 Jul 2020
US lawmakers grill big tech chiefs over market power
Sixth antitrust hearing sees CEOs of major technology companies face combative questioning from members of Congress over their market power and dominance Continue Reading
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News
30 Jul 2020
HMCTS video hearings service scrutinised in LSE report
Independent evaluation looks at user experience of video functionality for courts and tribunals Continue Reading
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News
30 Jul 2020
EC launches digital identity consultation
European Commission’s consultation will look at revisions to the eIDAS regulation, aiming to improve effectiveness and extend it to the private sector Continue Reading
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News
30 Jul 2020
How Broxbourne is evolving digital transformation beyond Covid-19
The small town of Broxbourne in Hertfordshire is building on work before and during the pandemic to advance its modernisation agenda Continue Reading
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News
30 Jul 2020
Treasury plans speedy approach to project delivery
Treasury will become the “new radicals” of Whitehall, taking charge of getting rid of legacy IT, making data-driven decisions and investing in data infrastructure Continue Reading
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News
30 Jul 2020
Tech sector calls on government to 'urgently' resolve delays in digital identity policy
Trade body TechUK has written privately to DCMS secretary of state to express industry frustrations and request ‘urgent needs’ are resolved to enable digital identity market in UK Continue Reading
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News
30 Jul 2020
Finland government funds work on potential quantum leap
Finland's government is committing money to the development of quantum computing technologies to potentially provide a giant leap for the nation's industries Continue Reading
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News
30 Jul 2020
List of Blackbaud breach victims tops 120
More than 120 education and third-sector organisations may have had their data compromised through the breach of Blackbaud’s cloud platform Continue Reading
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News
29 Jul 2020
Campaigners urge government to resist big tech lobbying pressure
Lobbyists for big tech, supported by senior US politicians, have rallied against stricter regulation of technology companies, and threatened the US-UK trade deal unless Britain scraps plans to levy a digital services tax Continue Reading
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News
29 Jul 2020
Schrems steps up pressure on Irish data protection commissioner on Facebook’s data sharing with US
Austrian lawyer is considering ‘other’ options if the Irish data protection commissioner does not make a decision by October on his seven-year-old complaint against Facebook Continue Reading
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Opinion
29 Jul 2020
Taking back control of government data mustn’t leave the public in the dark
Boris Johnson has quietly transferred control over government data to Number 10, without explaining why. The public deserves more involvement in how their personal data is being used, says Labour Continue Reading
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News
28 Jul 2020
De Montfort, KCL, Newcastle universities join list of Blackbaud victims
Embattled cloud services provider now has big questions to answer over its handling of data belonging to UK universities and charities Continue Reading
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News
28 Jul 2020
NCSC names national security expert Lindy Cameron as new CEO
New National Cyber Security Centre head joins from the Northern Ireland Office and has spent 20 years in government at home and abroad Continue Reading
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News
28 Jul 2020
UK government aims fintech industry at Africa
UK government is building fintech relationships with developing countries, beginning with a pilot programme in Africa Continue Reading
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News
28 Jul 2020
Councils get funding to build on Covid-19 digital progress
The latest council funding is intended to ensure continued modernisation in public services delivery Continue Reading
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News
27 Jul 2020
MI6 apologises after attempt to interfere with intelligence court
The UK Secret Intelligence Service, MI6, has apologised after attempting to persuade the secretary of Britain’s most secret court to withhold documents from senior judges in a case about crimes by undercover agents Continue Reading
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News
24 Jul 2020
Venture firm Public launches fourth GovTech accelerator
The GovStart 2020 accelerator programme is looking for innovators working on transport, health and workforce-related technology to help get more startups working on the delivery of public services Continue Reading