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Will the government finally get IT right? |
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Because here at Meantime we believe they've been getting it wrong for years.
In recent weeks, as the main parties looked for somewhere to cut costs in order to locate the billions they need to save, they alighted on IT as a strong contender for saving money. And who can blame them? Government's track record on IT is appalling. Huge overspends on systems that fail to deliver, with just a handful of large suppliers carefully tying up the market to their benefit, and decidedly NOT to the advantage of both government and tax payer.
It's clear to see why government has had enough of IT, spending billions on projects that are either abandoned or, once delivered, don't meet the requirements. But it's obvious, to us at least, why that happens. The way government buys IT from its chosen few providers is back to front. Rather than insisting on a specification, with each part of the project broken down into manageable releases, a multi-million, sometimes billion, pound contract is agreed BEFORE the international IT providers send in their negotiators to decide what will form part of that contract - think of it like handing over £5,000 to B&Q for a new kitchen, then sitting back and waiting to find out if that includes cooker and fridge, nuts and bolts, or just a few worktops.
Here at Meantime, we think that's crazy. Add to the protracted negotiations - AFTER the contract has been signed - the fact that the longer the project, the more legislative changes will affect it over the development cycle, and you have a specification nightmare. Is it any wonder projects go over deadline and over budget?
At Meantime, we never embark on a project without providing a detailed specification BEFORE any contracts are signed, ensuring that everyone involved has a clear grasp of what is going to be delivered, on what date and at what cost. And we pride ourselves on delivering on time, on spec and to budget every time.
Government must not turn its back on IT; it will be more vital than ever over the next few years. What it does need to do is to learn how to buy IT, including being a bit more discerning about those suppliers from whom it buys. Government needs good IT more than ever. Civil servants need to be freed up from manual processes and administration, to focus on serving the public, and that is exactly what a good IT system will do, as our many clients will testify.
Find out why everyone who buys IT - be it an SME or the government - should insist on a full specification in this issue's special report. And read Fenner's thoughts on government IT in his blog.
The team at Meantime |
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Fenner's links
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| Microsoft's online documents |
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| Those of you who don't want to splash out on Office 2010 (although we'd highly recommend it) may want to take a look at Microsoft's online office suite. It's free to use and is regarded as being superior to Google's equivalent offering. In addition to being able to create documents in the standard Office formats, it's also easy to share documents. |
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| Is business starting to embrace RSS? |
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| Even regular web surfers and long-term Internet users often look uncertain when RSS gets mentioned. This very useful yet underemployed tool in the web developer's toolbox is ideal for giving customers and clients an 'at a glance' picture of what's happening on your site or with your products. We're belatedly developing a feed for the news items on our site but the BBC have provided this handy guide to explain RSS and how to use it. Having a go is the best way to see how it might work for you. |
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| Facebook beware |
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| While Facebook has achieved domination in its marketplace that Bebo could only have dreamt of, it's worth remembering that despite their size and vast user base, Facebook only started turning a profit last year and is still too weak a proposition for an IPO, given its weakness around income and huge costs. Bebo, bought two years ago for $850M is about to be sold for less than $10M. |
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| Apple not so Flash? |
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| Many people buying Apple goodies such as the iPhone and iPad have been bemused to find that Adobe's Flash is not supported. After all, it's used by many, many websites. The following link is to Steve Jobs' blog on why Apple took the decision. Those of you with an allergy to irony ought to avoid Mr Jobs' argument against Flash on the basis that it is a proprietary technology |
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| Portable applications. |
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| If you're in any creative industry and find yourself in front of clients with only their machine available, you'll probably wish you had your own software to hand. The next best thing might be these applications which can be run off a USB drive. |
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If you'd like to comment on any of the content in this newsletter please get in touch - we'd love to know what you think.
From the team at Meantime
Meantime Information Technologies Ltd
w: www.meantime.co.uk
t: 01539 73 77 66
a: 1, Riverside Business Park, Natland Road, Kendal, LA9 7SX
Registered in England and Wales. Company Reg No. 2589414 |
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Latest News |
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| Meantime appoints new developer |
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| Danny Davies is the latest, very welcome, addition to our team - read all about him in our press release.... read it here... |
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| Skip the spec, blow the budget |
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| Too many companies are happy to hand over big bucks for IT before they know what they're getting - find out why it's so important to insist on a full specification before the contracts are signed in our special feature... |
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Links |
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