GDS chief indicates platform is in final stages of assessment, with Notify and Pay approaching public beta
The GOV.UK Verify identity assurance service will hopefully go live by the end of this month, according to the head of the Government Digital Service.
Stephen Foreshew-Cain told UKAuthority at the techUKPS2030 conference that the platform is currently in its live beta phase and undergoing a service assessment. He said he expects it to move into live in the next couple of weeks.
The 'go live' target was originally set for April, but the confirmation of the eight certified companies that will authenticate individuals' identities was only completed in the course of the month
Janet Hughes, the programme director for Verify, recently indicated in a blogpost that going live would not be a dramatic change, but that “it's part of an ongoing gradual process of developing and scaling up the service”.
She said that about 20 central government services are expected to connect to the platform this year, with more to follow further on. About 10 have used it in public beta.
Foreshew-Cain added that the other two platforms on which work is well advanced are approaching their public beta stage. For Notify, which will keep people updated of their transactions with government, it should be “very shortly”; while for Pay, which will handle e-payments, the move is a couple of months away.
Image from GOV.UK, Open Government Licence v3.0
