Industry news

A new report has revealed that three quarters of healthcare CIOs lack confidence in the UK government to deliver innovative IT services.

The report comes as the government seeks to generate efficiencies from public sector services through IT innovation, this has included a policy of being digital-by-default and moving from paper to digital records.

A report titled Use of New Technologies in the NHS by Xirrus found that 74 per cent of respondents said that they were either ‘not very confident’ or ‘not confident at all’ in the government’s potential to deliver healthcare innovation from IT.

The report found that respondents were concerned about the process of IT integration, how data is to be shared and the standardisation of data.

Scottish government focuses on mobile services to drive patient care

Digital strategy at heart of public savings in 2014

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has attacked the renewal of a contract for the cleaning up of Sellafield nuclear reprocessing site after failures to deliver on targets.

The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) have been criticised for renewing a contract with Nuclear Management Partners Ltd (NMP) for a further five years, even though costs have risen under the contract.

The PAC said costs had risen to "astonishing levels" that clean-up costs at the complex rising from £67.5bn in 2013 to an £70bn, with overall poor progress and a failure to deliver on targets.

PAC chair Margaret Hodge said: “We are not confident that taxpayers’ interests are being protected in the contractual relationships between the private companies involved in managing and operating the Sellafield site.”

John Clarke, chief executive officer at the NDA, said that lessons had been learnt: “Both NMP and the NDA now have a much better understanding of the issues and complexities that exist at the site and the challenges that lie ahead.”

Nuclear supply chain receives £13 million investment

Centrica pulls out of energy infrastructure expansion

A poll has revealed that small businesses are frequently being paid late by larger organisations.

51 per cent of respondents to a poll carried out by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), who provided services to large businesses, said that they were paid late.

Research from the FSB found that late payments reduced profitability for 34 per cent of respondents and restricted business growth for 29 per cent.

John Allan, national chairman of the FSB, said: “Small businesses simply can't be expected to lend interest free to their large customers, which is in effect what extended payment terms and late payments results in. This is as much a policy issue as it is a cultural problem within UK business.”

Francis Maude announces SME purchasing plan

David Cameron pledges to cut red tape for small businesses

India’s outsourcing IT exports are expected to rise by between 13-15 per cent according to new predictions published by the National Association of Software and Services Companies (Nasscom)

industry lobby group.

Nasscom have said that they expect IT outsourcing exports to rise by 13-15 per cent over the fiscal years starting in April, with total exports expected to reach $99 billion in value over 2014-2015.

The predictions are based on the improving global market and expectations of future investment by businesses on competitive technology.

Nasscom Chairman, Krishnakumar Natarajan, said: “Clearly compared to what we saw in the industry 12 months ago to now, we are seeing a far more positive momentum in our major markets".

Tech Mahindra report three-fold profit jump

Bangalore keeps outsourcing top spot in latest poll

Dyson has announced a planned investment of £5 million in an Imperial College London robotics lab.

Dyson has maintained a relationship with the lab since 2005 but the planned investment will be the first time the lab has received funding of this scale.

The vacuum cleaner technology company has created past prototype robotic cleaning devices in the past, with competitor companies having since launched robotic vacuum cleaners such as the Roomba.

Sir James Dyson said: "My generation believed the world would be overrun by robots by the year 2014. We now have the mechanical and electronic capabilities, but robots still lack understanding”.

Amazon buys Kiva Systems for $775m

Three unions have moved to challenge the justice secretary Chris Grayling over plans to privatise the public sector procurement service, saying that the move breaches rules against forced labour supervision privatisation.

Unions Unison, Napo and the GMB are reporting the justice secretary to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) over the delivery of the community payback programme managed by Serco, in which offenders carry out unpaid community work.

The ILO convention states the: “convention prohibits all forms of forced or compulsory labour, which is defined as "all work or service which is exacted from any person under the menace of any penalty and for which the said person has not offered himself voluntarily." The ILO standard also prevents workers under court orders from being put at the disposal of private individuals, companies or associations.

Unison general secretary Dave Prentis said: “the UK government first breached the convention over 12 months ago when they put Serco in charge of community payback in London".

"The government is rushing through its probation privatisation plans with undue haste, and this breach of international labour regulations will be just one of the catastrophic results."

Francis Maude announces SME purchasing plan

The Cabinet Office has replaced multiple licences within different departments with one cross-government licence, under a three-year arrangement.

The new licence is expected to reduce current costs by 65 per cent with total savings of £1.1 million per year.

Savings will be generated from reduced administration and allow departments to leverage the public sectors position to negotiate as one large customer.

Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude said: “As part of our long-term economic plan, this Government is tackling wasteful spend across Whitehall. Last year alone we saved taxpayers £3.8 billion but hard-working people expect us to do more.”

Whitehall departments move to share information across government

Government places £100 million ITO contract limit

The U.S. has moved to take action against India and its enforcement of a local content requirement for its solar programme.

The U.S. has said that it would take India to the World Trade Organisation surrounding its domestic contented requirements for solar products.

The move follows failed talks and increasing pressure on the U.S. administration from trade groups and the rise in complaints from U.S. businesses surrounding the perceived one-way trade barrier as India exports heavily and takes advantages of work visas loopholes.

The U.S. International Trade Commission will discuss complaints surrounding India’s trade position over this week.

Indian IT outsourcing exports predicted to grow by 13-15%

Indian IT market expands off exports

NHS Scotland has been given the go-ahead to nominate a preferred bidder for the development of a Scottish Wide Area Network (SWAN).

The go-ahead comes after BT attempted to prevent NHS Scotland from continuing the bidding process after failing to be selected for the contract, with the telecoms giant complaining that: “the tender process was flawed” and failed to recognise the most “advantageous bid”.

NHS Scotland will be able to proceed with the procurement process after the courts found in their favour, with the preferred bidder expected to be a combined partnership between Capita and Updata.

BT has moved to appeal against the decision with a further hearing due for the 11th February.

A spokesman for the procurement body, National Services Scotland (NSS), described the procurement process as being “fair, robust and thorough”.

“The court has today upheld NSS’ request to have the suspension lifted and allow and award of contract to be made”.

Scottish government focuses on mobile services to drive patient care

NHS Scotland looks to replace legacy child health surveillance systems

Ed Davey, the energy secretary, has urged the energy regulators Ofgem to investigate the main six energy companies, regarding high profit margins.

Mr Davey has asked Ofgem to look into whether the high profit margins posted by the six main UK energy providers should be subject to a market investigation.

Mr Davey made comments indicating that energy companies should be broken up, if they had abused their market position, during the BBC’s Today programme: "There could be a number of remedies, including the breakup of some of these companies if they have abused their market power."

Labour spokesman on energy and climate change, Jonathan Reynold, said: "If the government wants to be taken seriously on energy bills, nothing less than a price freeze and action to stop these firms from overcharging in the future, as Labour has proposed, will do."