Road body mulls IT overhaul

The government body responsible for operating, maintaining and improving the road network is overhauling IT systems to cut costs and improve service, in a contract worth up to £100m.

The Highways Agency (HA) is considering replacing desktops, mobile devices and servers, as well as its service desk and network, when two key contracts come up for renewal next year.

A spokesman says IT services have to be flexible and accommodate future needs such as shared services or Transformational Government requirements, a strategy to use technology effectively to improve services (Computing, 21 June).

‘Two contracts for IT service provision are due for renewal next year, and this presented an opportunity to align or combine a number of other contracted services,’ he said.

‘The aim is to improve service results and coverage in more cost-effective ways.’

The HA has a mix of off-the-shelf and bespoke IT services at 10 offices around the country, and the future contract is likely to require the integration of new services with existing systems.

The revised five-year contract, valued at between £50m and £100m, will take effect in April 2007 and cover all IT provision except roadside technology.

Forrester Research senior analyst Euan Davis says there is a growing trend to outsource all network services to a limited number of vendors.

‘Previously, different vendors were responsible for different aspects of a service, but convergence means vendors can provide the whole contract,’ he said.

‘Many vendors would be licking their lips at such a lucrative contract, even though selling services to government departments is often a complex and problematic process.’

Davis says the HA could improve efficiency by cutting the number of vendors supplying its IT services, and that the need for shared services was most likely a response to Chancellor Gordon Brown’s call for government agencies to cut IT costs.

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Further reading

GPS test may ease congestion

HA announces roads IT plan

IP network plan to link UK roads