IT suppliers generally positive about government IT strategy

Concerns remain around the contract size limit, open source and skunk works

Moves have been largely welcomed

A report from tech analyst Techmarketview argues that 82 per cent of key IT suppliers to government are positive about the coalition’s bid to reform the place of technology in government.

The coalition has said it will make IT central to the government’s drive to increase efficiency.

However, there are still concerns in some areas. The Telegraph reported that Techmarketview researcher Georgina O’Toole cited these problems as: “The proposed £1m contract size limit, the increased use of open source software and the creation of an experimental 'skunk works'."

The government has said it will use more small businesses and outsource more functions as part of a new approach to IT. The move has largely been welcomed, although it has yet to be fully implemented.

Other plans include a move towards collaborative procurement, with framework collaboration company Buying Solutions being moved into the Cabinet Office-based Efficiency and Reform Group, which has central oversight of government spending. There is also focus on shared services and the G-Cloud.

Other proposed measures include potentially reducing the size of the contracts to £100m, outsourcing the IT management of back-office activities such as HR and accounts, and involving more smaller companies.

Smaller contracts and suppliers would also see a move towards multi-sourcing, a system requiring flexible contracts that will ensure co-ordination and integration of ordinarily competing supplier's activities.

Such a system is currently being run by the Department for Work and Pensions, which outsources IT management of its desktop, network, datacentre and applications to different suppliers and manages the relationship between them.