G-Cloud spending predictions 'buoyant', finds Toplevel survey
Suppliers and government are more optimistic about G-Cloud spend for 2015 compared with last year, according to the latest MarketMeter Survey from cloud-based public sector case management software specialist Toplevel. Just over three-quarters of public sector respondents to the survey (76.5%) predicted a spend of between £300m-£600m or more, while 64% of G-Cloud suppliers voted for these top spending prediction brackets. Last year's survey found only 21 percent of government respondents and 10 percent of suppliers expected G-Cloud spend to exceed the previous top bracket of £100 million. These optimists have been proven right after Peter the Cabinet Office recently revealed that G-Cloud sales would top £200m by June. However G-Cloud sales to date have been weighted toward the centre, with central government responsible for 78 percent of sales by value and the wider public sector generating 22%, said Toplevel strategy director Jane Roberts. "The real challenge for the G-Cloud lies in reaching out to thousands of other government organisations, challenging established practices and convincing these organisations that the Cloudstore is for them." While the service's latest iteration, G-Cloud 4, now has 999 suppliers, up from 708, there is a need for it to evolve to attract still more service providers, Roberts said. Contracts are currently limited to two years and were described as 'heavyweight' and 'onerous' by survey respondents. "These views mirror those raised in an open letter to the Government penned by suppliers on 9 January which praised the G-Cloud concept but also called for contracts to be extended to three years." Latest estimates suggest total Cloudstore sales for 2013-14 will be between £106m-£150m compared to £18.2 million last year, the report finds. Large contracts were awarded during the year from the Home Office, HM Revenue and Customs and the Cabinet Office with local councils also starting to buy-in to the concept, with the London Borough of Hounslow Council and Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council among those placing large orders.
Pictured: G-Cloud spend 2013-14 (millions) from Toplevel MarketMeter Survey
Toplevel: www.toplev.com
Lack of mobile technology 'costing UK police £221m', study finds
Britain's police are wasting time on the beat as a result of not being able to access systems and records they need outside the station, leading to unnecessary costs of £221m a year, according to a new study from O2 and the Centre for Economic and Business Research (Cebr). The report reveals that a total of about 180 hours a year per officer are wasted because they have to return to the office to create reports and access records; make unnecessary follow-up visits as a result of poor access to key information and communication tools during a primary visit; or revisit tasks taken on external visits because they do not have the necessary tools to undertake them away on location. It was published to mark the launch of a new service from O2 and Capita, which allows officers to access crucial information on the move using digital technology. O2's Blue Light Managed Mobility solution includes a range of smart devices, account management, connectivity and mobile device management (MDM) which officers need to work securely. As part of the package, O2 is also distributing Capita's SmartWorks app and platform, which provide officers with access to back-office systems, including record management systems and the Police National Computer.
O2 Criminal Justice and Emergency Services: www.o2.co.uk/enterprise/sectors/public-sector/criminal-justice-and-emergency-services
Poor data management and analysis "single biggest threat" to non-profits
Some 96% of Not-for-Profit (NFP) organisations, including charities and membership bodies, are struggling to manage and exploit the terabytes of data they hold about their members and supporters, according to research published today by business software firm Advanced Business Solutions.
The report shows nearly all non-profit organisations are struggling to effectively collect and analyse valuable data which, as a result, threatens to erode hard-won loyalty. Three-quarters of surveyed NFPs do not have the time, skills or funds to resolve these issues, threatening their long-term success, it finds. Almost all (96%) of respondents say they could make better use of the data they already have. However, most say they do not have accurate data about organisational effectiveness, marketing effectiveness, service users or projects, their members and/or supporters, employees and even finances. Data management and storage methodologies vary widely between organisations and many face a daily struggle to report in a consistent and effective way. The report also reveals that the trend of incremental technology investment has left NFPs with a tangled network of disparate systems that are not integrated. "An inability to manage data to gain a competitive advantage is the single biggest threat facing NFPs right now," says Simon Fowler, MD of Advanced Business Solutions. "Organisations that can extract behavioural insights from customer data and transform them into 'sticky' services, will be in a stronger position to attract new supporters, as well as engage and retain existing audiences." The research was carried out by sourceforconsulting.com.
The choices not-for-profits need to make about data: www.advancedcomputersoftware.com/collateral/abs/register.php?doc=advancednot-for-profitreportfinal.pdf
