An advert was placed today (29 February) in the OJEU and the MOD Contracts Bulletin seeking expressions of interest for a Strategic Partner to support the delivery of the DCNS Programme. This is the MOD’s ICT Services Acquisition Change Programme that aims to deliver the next generation of contracts for ICT services for the MOD. (more…)
This morning, we published the Software as a Service group’s case study digest – http://www.intellectuk.org/component/content/article/136/7895-report-saas-case-studies-report . So why did we do it?
Days before the Mobile World Congress (MWC) begins in Barcelona, Everything Everywhere has announced an urban 4G/LTE trial and significant network upgrade. (more…)
Intellect is helping MOD engage industy with the DCNS programme. The following is a direct extract of the most recent Blog from Cdre Jamie Hay RN who is the DCNS Programme Director:
Welcome to my first blog as the DCNS Programme Director. I am delighted to have the opportunity to lead the DCNS Programme – there can surely be few other programmes in Defence that will impact every single member of the Armed Forces and MOD Civil Service!
How we all work, now and in the future, depends on the successful delivery of the changes and future ICT services that we are charged to deliver.
My predecessor has very successfully set the scene on how we are going to meet the challenge to reduce costs, provide more integrated services to users and be more agile to meet the unpredictable needs of the future while making the most of the very rapid development and innovations in the ICT sector. My theme now is that we move at pace to implement our new model for ICT services acquisition. Our priority must be to ensure that we have our new commercial arrangements in place for transition of our current ‘Big 5′ to meet their current contract end dates. It is also important that all our DCNS Programme workstreams continue to move together at the pace needed so we achieve this transition in such a way that we move rapidly on the journey to becoming an agile Services Delivery organisation. There is much to play for, particularly in working with other public and private sector organisations which have embarked on a similar journey and in working closely with the other change programmes in the Defence Transformation Portfolio so that we stay in step with them and seize the opportunities that will arise along the way. It will be an exciting ride and we are in this together as ‘one team’!
On the theme of ‘pace’, top of my in-tray this month is to address the questions arising from the Business Case submissions taken by the Investment Approvals Committee in late December. We are working closely with COM Joint Enablers and CDM on this. On the theme of ‘one team’ a number of events will be taking place to further develop how the ISS Programmes team works, both internally and externally, so that we use everyone’s expertise, experience and energy to deliver as quickly, effectively and efficiently as we can as we move to the ‘cutting metal’ stage.
Understanding what the obstacles and drivers are to the uptake of technology-enabled payments systems is increasingly important to tailoring these solutions so that they solve specific social and economic challenges – and are not merely the application of technology for technology’s sake. You solve a problem of sufficient magnitude and you increase demand for that solution. This discussion was the central theme of last year’s inaugural Payments Council/Intellect ‘Driving Change in Payments Conference’, which saw over 180 representatives from banks, technology innovators, mobile operators, consumers, retailers, charities, the public sector and others meet in Central London in a conference that was the first of its kind. Now, as we start the lead up to the second conference on the 03 May 2012, interest from attendees has already started to mount – in part because these challenges remain present but, one year down the line, we are starting to see the development of payments solutions that are focused on solving a specific problem or challenge.
Barclays have, in recent years, been regarded by many as one of the most innovative of the retail banks when it comes to pushing through what it sees as demand-led innovative payment services. Think contactless cards which Barclays were the first to roll out in March 2009. However that is now three years ago – a lifetime in the evolution of payments technology. Whilst other organisations such as RBS, Lloyds, and HSBC have now also rolled out contactless cards, one could argue that efforts might now be better spent exploring how to move away from plastic, and how to embrace what many could argue to be its natural successor, the smartphone. (more…)
David Willetts MP receives a copy of the "Bootstrap Recovery" report at the tech showcase
The word technology is rarely far from the lips of many Government ministers these days, so Intellect was pleased to be able to showcase a handful of tech companies in the heart of business policy, the Department for Business Innovation and Skills. (more…)
Vince Cable has recently written a letter to David Cameron and Nick Clegg urging the coalition government to come up with a plan for the UK’s industrial future and stated “we can’t predict the economic cycles and market-driven competitive forces of the future. But we can think a decade or two ahead”. Mr Cable also wants the government to develop a strategic partnership with the advanced manufacturing sector and to explore issues around finance and skills to ensure that Britain’s digital and creative industries can throw up the next Google or Intel. We couldn’t agree more. (more…)
“There is something important missing: a compelling vision of where the country is heading beyond sorting out the fiscal mess; a clear and confident message about how we will earn our living in future.”
This was the frank admission in a letter from Vince Cable to the Prime Minister and Nick Clegg which appeared in last week’s FT (£). The business secretary also urged the coalition to look beyond the electoral cycle and adopt a more strategic long-term approach which looks 10 to 20 years ahead. At the heart of this approach is nurturing emerging industries whilst also anticipating potential structural threats to key existing industrial sectors. (more…)
The long awaited and much anticipated technology, equipment and support for UK defence and security white paper was finally published on 01 February 2012. Intellect is pleased to see it, especially as our members had put forth significant time in participating in the consultation process. The paper, interestingly titled ‘National security through technology’, covers a lot of ground in 65 pages. It is intended to be a high level guide to how HM Government (HMG) will procure national security capabilities until the next strategic defence and security review (SDSR) in 2015. Below are our views of how some items in the paper will affect the defence and security ICT industries.
