CTS supports IT contract exit programmes
The Common Technology Services (CTS) team in the Government Digital Service has begun to build up a knowledge base of documents and tools to support departments in exiting major IT contracts.
Iain Patterson (pictured), director of CTS, said it is working with departments to identify major exit programmes, provide early support, reduce risk and accelerate technology transformation across government.
“With this constantly evolving knowledge base we can provide smaller programmes with the advice and capability they need to help themselves,” he said. “It will continue to grow as we work with more exit programmes, learn lessons and identify the best practice that is already happening out there.”
Leeds chooses Civica for tenant services
Leeds City Council has agreed a partnership worth more than £2 million with software provider Civica to implement an integrated housing management system.
It will include the use of the Abritas Housing Needs solution integrated with Civica’s Hosing Cx to provide a 360 degree view of tenant and employee interactions. The company said it will also support mobile working and help to improve data quality.
The council is a major provider of social housing with 57,000 properties.
Half of London boroughs plan IT refresh
More than half of London’s boroughs are planning to replace their IT infrastructure, according to the results of a series of freedom of information requests by cloud-as-a-service company HyperGrid.
It said that of the 30 boroughs responding, 53% are currently planning and an infrastructure refresh and a further 20% have already begun the implementation.
In addition, 16.5% cited outdated infrastructure as their biggest IT challenge, and 43% said they would consider a consumption or subscription based model.
Surrey Uni develops new password system
The University of Surrey has developed an ‘all in one’ password system named Pass∞ that will allow users to use their face, eyes or fingerprints – alongside or instead of word based systems – on work or home computers.
It said the technology will allow users to generate much more complicated but still easy-to-remember passwords. Other features include high modularity and backward compatibility so that minimum or even no changes are needed to add new or reconfigure existing user authentication modules.
The university has filed a patent application and is now working on market research with tech transfer specialist Crossword Cybersecurity.
Image from GOV.UK, Open Government Licence v3.0
