Achieving local service targets through technology

Call for case studies from The Digital Inclusion Team The Digital Inclusion Team is working with De Montford University to develop an online portal providing inspiring examples of how technology is improving the lives of disadvantaged people and demonstrate how technology can help local authorities and their partners meet their targets set by central government. The portal will go live this summer. Aimed at practitioners in local authorities and their service delivery partners, the portal will raise awareness and encourage creativity in the use of technology to enhance social inclusion. It aims to help embed digital inclusion into partnership planning and Local Area Agreement performance processes. The portal will be updatable by users so will act as a forum to disseminate the many good ideas and projects that exist on the ground already but which have, to date, received low visibility. There is a short list of national indicators for which we have been unable to find case studies of projects with a digital dimension that might help to assist in achieving the target: The seven national targets for which there are gaps are: - NI 12 Refused and deferred Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO) license applications leading to immigration enforcement activity - NI 44 Ethnic composition of offenders on Youth Justice System disposals - NI 46 Young offenders access to suitable accommodation - NI 103 Special Educational Needs - statements issued within 26 weeks - NI 116 Proportion of children in poverty - NI 143 Offenders under probation supervision living in settled and suitable accommodation at the end of their order or licence - NI 197 Improved local biodiversity - active management of local sites Click here for more detailed descriptions of the indicators»

Intellect lends support to Pen Hadow's Arctic survey

Arctic Survey is a pioneering scientific expedition determining the lifespan of the North Pole ice cap Arctic Survey is a pioneering scientific expedition determing the lifespan of the North Pole ice cap. John Higgins CBE, Intellect Director General is giving the project Intellect's full backing, recognising that the technology industry has the potential to be a major part of the solution to climate change. Arcitc Survey combines a pioneering feat of human endurance with scientific discovery on a geographic scale most would think impossible in the 21st century, the first accurate mapping of one of the earth's largest geographical surface features - the North Pole ice cap. Such a surface survey has never been attempted, and the need for the information has never been greater. Current estimates for the North Pole ice cap's total disappearance vary from 100 years down to just 5. Partners in this project include WWF, the European Space Agency, the US Navy, the University of Cambridge and the UK Met Office. The highly experienced Survey team, led by Pen Hadow, will be hauling sledges and a specially-designed ice-penetrating radar, from Point Barrow in Alaska, across 2,000 km of disintegrating and shifting sea ice for over 100 days in temperatures down to -50°C, to reach the North Geographic Pole in June 2009. Want to find out more? Click here to visit the website»

'The blizzard of content'

Chapter 4 in the Capitalising on Convergence 2 series The fourth instalment of the 'Capitalising on Convergence 2' report looks at universal access to high quality content in a converged environment. Is public service content different in a converged world? What is content? In a converged world we believe the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Like many things when looked at through the prism of convergence, public service content goes from being something straightforward and intelligible to a tricky and multi-faceted entity. Download 'The blizzard of content'» Book your FREE place at The Convergence Conversation, 17 July 2008 'Is broadcasting dead or merely taking a break?'

Byte night 2008 Intellect sleeps rough to raise money for children's charity   This October will see Intellect's events team rough it out by braving the elements and sleeping out for one night in Potters Field near London Bridge. Whatever the weather, Intellect will be camping out in a bid to help raise £500,000 to support Byte Night, the industry's annual sleep-out in support of NCH which is the UK's leading provider of services for young people leaving care. Each year hundreds of individuals and teams from the technology and IT industries give up their comfy and warm beds for the night to support this worthy cause. Money raised from our events team will go towards keeping vulnerable young people off the streets by supporting them as they learn to live on their own. Intellect is working towards achieving its goal of raising £5,000 - but we need sponsors to reach this target. Please, we need your help to help those young people who don't have the choices we do. Click here to register for this year's Byte Night»

Perceptions of equal pay survey Intellect's Women in IT Forum programme issues survey     As part of Intellect's Women in IT Forum programme, and for the third year in a row, Intellect is issuing its 'Perceptions of Equal Pay Survey'.   The survey looks at the 'perceptions' rather than the 'reality' of whether women are being paid fairly, whether women feel appreciated by their company and how this impacts on their loyalty to the company they work for. It also studies the implications for the IT Industry regarding 'equal pay audits' or the lack of them. The results give us further qualitative data and a greater understanding of the perception of female employees within the IT Industry. Click here for further information on Intellect's Women in IT Forum. Take part in the survey»

Offshore futures survey Offshoring survey deadline extended - take part now!   Due to demand, Intellect's Outsourcing and Offshore Group has extended the deadline to take part in their innovative survey on the development of offshoring in the coming years. The survey gives you an opportunity to contribute to this thought-provoking investigation, which will inform a high quality white paper on the future of offshoring and its impact on the UK IT and services industry, and register to receive free expert analysis.  By completing the survey you'll automatically be entered into a free prize draw to win tickets worth £800 to Intellect's Sourcing Conference 2008, taking place on 18 September 2008. Take part in the survey»

Marketing and sales conference Demanding, dynamic, changing, challenging...     Across the decades, the disciplines of sales and marketing have had a somewhat interesting relationship. Do they go hand in hand? Can they work as stand alone fields? Does indeed the future lie with sales and marketing, or both? Book your place for Intellect's Marketing and Sales conference taking place on 08 September 2008. Who better to present the keynote speech than the speaker, writer and seminal thinker on sales and marketing issues, Professor Neil Rackham. Author of books such as 'SPIN Selling' and 'Major Account Sales Strategy', Professor Rackham has had three of his books on the New York Times best seller list, with his works having been translated into over 50 languages. Book your place today»

	Telehealth Group, update from NHS connecting for health 15/07/08 10:30-13:00 more» Dealing with IT contract litigation - how to get out alive! 18/07/08 08:30-11:.00 more» New NLP tools for success at work 21/07/2008 09:00-16:30 more» Intellect defence summer reception 21/07/08 18:00-20:00 more» Healthcare Group, healthcare in London after Darzi 23/07/2008 10:30-13:00 more» Transport Group, intelligent transport systems and services 23/07/2008 14:30-17:00 more» Advanced engagement with your prospects and customers 24/07/08 09:30-17:00 more» Financial Services Group, roundtable of Payment Services Directive 25/07/08 08:30-10:30 more» Capturing the hidden business deals 29/07/2008 09:30-17:00 more» Industry Leadership Lunch with John Pluthero, Executive Chairman Cable & Wireless Europe, Asia and US 07/10/2008 12:30-15:00 more»

Your feedback We welcome any feedback you may have regarding 'The Bulletin'. If you have any comments or suggestions for a particular news item to be covered, please send your ideas to communications@intellectuk.org   Tech stat challenge 'According to a survey of 8,000 executives by data centre networking company Brocade, UK businesses are the worst in Europe for embracing green IT say tech directors. But what percentage of IT leaders in the UK gave the thumbs down to their firm's environmental credentials? (a) 52 per cent (b) 58 per cent (c) 60 per cent (d) 64 per cent Sponsors Intellect would like to thank LogoTech Systems and The Catalyst Group for their sponsorship of our meeting rooms and SMS Ltd for their sponsorship of our networking area.

News in brief Thanks to Computing, BBC and silicon.com for the following snippets of news: Computing award for IT suppliers The deadline for entries for the Computing Awards for Excellence is Friday 18 July. The technology category is specifically aimed at innovative suppliers that provide the best quality and best value-for-money products and services - and our very own COO, Charles Ward, is one of the judges. Further information and download entry form» Fix found for net security flaw Computer experts have released software to tackle a security glitch in the internet's addressing system. Read the full story» Are banks going soft on e-crime? Banks are failing to pass on information about online fraud to police, according to a House of Lords committee. Read the full story» Funding secured for observatory Computer experts have released software to tackle a security glitch in the internet's addressing system. Read the full story»