Capita acquires gamification player G2G3

Capita is not usually one for making 'left-field' acquisitions. But it has stepped way outside its usual BPS territory with its latest acquisition of simulation and virtual environments developer G2G3 Group Ltd.

Capita is paying an undisclosed sum for G2G3, which employs 26 people in Edinburgh, and ‘designs immersive simulations, virtual environments and organisational change management programmes for corporations in the UK and overseas’. Apparently, G2G3 has developed simulations for the likes of Thomsons Reuters, DHL, BBC, ServiceNow and global IT players like HP, IBM and Microsoft.

Capita’s intention is to pool G2G3 into its justice and secure services division, which focuses predominantly on blue light emergency services sectors i.e. the Police, ambulance and fire services. Capita’s takeover of the Fire Service College in March 2013, and subsequent £200m ten-year training BPS contract (see here), is going to be a test bed for the technology, to simulate scenarios like a large fire, a riot, a nuclear emergency or a terrorist attack, as part of the training Capita provides to senior police, ambulance and fire officers.

While the term ‘gamification’ might sound a bit left-field to a BPS provider, we can see that simluation for training purposes might be of use to Capita.

Of course this deal about driving out the costs of training for Capita and the client, by replacing live training scenarios with virtual ones. And Capita has committed to deliver £30m back to the taxpayer in the first few years via the sale of the college. But we wonder what impact simluated or virtual training will have on the morale, and more importantly performance of front line emergency services personnel.