How ready is the UK for the Public Sector Network?

Cisco's PSN readiness report shows just 13 per cent of public bodies have joined the network

Some 69 per cent of public sector IT budget holders are aware of the Public Sector Network (PSN), but just 13 per cent are using it, according to a PSN preparedness report released by Cisco today.

The PSN will be a single, secure telecommunications infrastructure created according to a set of security protocols that suit all public bodies including the health service, the police and schools.

The report questioned 150 IT budget holders working across each of these areas on their attitudes to the PSN.

Despite the small numbers shown to be implementing the technology, a further 57 per cent are quite or extremely likely to adopt a PSN over the next two years, according to the report.

And many of the remaining budget holders are likely to be won over once they understand the ramifications of joining the PSN - since a significant 87 per cent said that communication and collaboration with other government bodies could be improved.

The government estimates that potential savings from the PSN will be £651m. And with 77 per cent of public sector organisations needing to deliver more services at less cost, there is likely to be hugely increased uptake going forward.

Adopting a PSN would see the reduction of duplication within the back office as well as the opportunity to procure contracts collaboratively, meaning the bodies sharing would benefit from economies of scale.

Rod Halstead, managing director of the public sector at Cisco, said: "There are so many different network providers with their own protocols currently, and the public bodies have their own security standards too; it's a very fragmented network.

"For example, the police deal with a lot of information that meets security standard IL3 [impact level 3]. This means that information is subject to very high security requirements. The police might want to share information with schools but because of the different security level requirements they are not able to."

Similarly, within a local authority of 8,000 staff, only 20 will need any form of security requirement - their requirements are very different from those of the police or the health service.

"Adoption of the PSN is really just sensible rationalisation and standardisation of the network," Halstead added.

That just 13 per cent of potential adopters have taken up PSN so far is as much to do with them waiting for contracts to run out as a lack of awareness of the benefits of the technology.

Rocco Labellarte, director of operations at Northamptionshire Council, a body is currently tendering for a PSN contract, argued that adoption of a PSN and shared network services can be done piecemeal.

Labellarte said: Network contracts tend to run over three to five years, so waiting for a neighbouring service providers' contract to run out can be a nightmare. If they establish the PSN-ready protocols, they can connect with other service providers when they have upgraded too."

According to Halstead, however, there are still two potential hurdles for the uptake of PSN and shared services more generally. These are the fact that public sector bodies do not have money to invest upfront and will need to have a longer-term business case agreed; second, a state of political inertia in some quarters may mean some bodies are reluctant to hand over control of their networks.

The PSN was fully endorsed by ex-government CIO John Suffolk, and is expected to be endorsed by the new CIO Joe Harley, who is due to release a new government ICT strategy imminently.