There are no great surprises in the new UK Government ICT Strategy published by the Cabinet Office. As was expected, despite the last Government ICT Strategy being published in January 2010, the new Government was keen to publish a new strategy during its ‘watch’.
The strategy, set out by The Rt Hon Francis Maude MP, Minister for the Cabinet Office, essentially formalises the many announcements made since the Coalition Government came to power (and some made by the previous Government) and provides additional detail on how and when the changes will be implemented.
We won’t have long to wait for a Strategic Implementation Plan (Summer 2011) and all of the planned actions have been given delivery timescales of between six months and two years. Important to note though, that doesn’t mean we should expect measurable results in these timescales, just that the fundamental foundations for change will have been put in place. Not that the strategy only focuses on the short-term. There is a recognition that Government must keep up with fast-moving technology innovations in the commercial world. Indeed, Ian Watmore was yesterday quoted in a BBC article saying that his "personal" view was that Apple products, which he said he used at home, should also be used more in Government!
TechMarketView subscribers can read our in-depth analysis of the strategy in HotViews Extra.