Some of the UK’s biggest companies are today meeting 10 local councils to compete for a role in pilot projects aimed at delivering council services through digital technology. The success of the schemes will ultimately determine the way in which £14.5bn of government ICT money is spent over the next few years.
BT, Microsoft, O2 and Alfred McAlpine are amongst the companies who will be hearing about the councils’ pilot schemes, which aim to deliver services such as access to medical advice and guidance on job applications through new ICT channels like text message, IPTV and wireless broadband. The success of these schemes will help shape Government investment and policy in future.
The summit, hosted by Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) at the Royal Garden Hotel in London, will feature councils including Birmingham and Shropshire. The 10 councils are part of the Government’s Digital Challenge competition.
Angela Smith MP, Minister for e-government, said: “This summit proves that it’s no longer just ICT companies keen to partner with local authorities and widen access to digital services. Increasingly businesses in sectors like construction and retail are looking to help us tackle digital exclusion, and make services open and available to everyone, regardless of location, mobility or language. We are also seeking to encourage innovation amongst smaller businesses to ensure that the entire range of industry is engaged in this project to maintain democratically healthy, inclusive communities.
“The schemes being piloted in the Digital Challenge competition will have a transformational effect on local government and ensure that in future, across England, council services are built around the needs of the citizen – allowing them to choose how, when and where they use these services.”
Steve Cocliff, Managing Director – Electricity & Telecoms within Alfred McAlpine, said: “We believe that the Digital Challenge initiative is pivotal in changing the landscape of public sector ICT services and how local authorities interact with the local communities. There is a real opportunity to develop open platform networks that can deliver today’s services and have the flexibility and capability to deliver tomorrow’s services. In such a rapidly changing sector where demand for faster and more flexible mobile services is constantly increasing, it is imperative that the public sector has some real choice in developing services that do not require significant year on year capital investment.”
“Alfred McAlpine is committed to exploring network infrastructure solutions for local authorities that brings about tangible benefits for the public sector and the wider community.”
Mike Short, Vice President - R+D, O2 Group and Chairman Mobile Data Association, commented: "I believe that businesses of all kinds need to take into account the digital technologies which will revolutionise our lives over the coming years. The Digital Challenge is a great opportunity to illustrate the power of technology as a way of staying in touch with citizens in a more digital world. Why should local government be left behind when industry is deploying these technologies now?"
Terry Smith, Senior Director, Public Sector, Microsoft, said: “Today, only 6 percent of the world’s population is online, which means that 94 percent of the world lacks the access and more importantly the skills they need to participate in the knowledge economy. We are determined to dramatically improve those statistics—one person at a time. Working to tackle digital exclusion requires a degree of consensus and collaboration between all sectors, and we are very pleased to be able to be part of the Digital Challenge and to partner with communities across the UK to ensure our economy and society continues to build cohesion and prosperity.”
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Notes to editors
For further information on the Digital Challenge and the ten national finalists please visit www.digitalchallenge.gov.uk
The Digital Challenge sets the vision for and takes the next bold and radical steps in creating a digitally enabled society. The Digital Challenge provides a unique incentive for a region, city or similar sized area to drive forward the use of technologies to better meet the needs of its local community and individual citizens. Any local authority, in partnership with other authorities, public sector organisations, industry, intermediaries and the third sector, could take part in the Digital Challenge competition.
The Digital Challenge Top Ten Finalists are:
- The Virtual District of Stratford-upon-Avon - Stratford on Avon District Council
- City and Rural Communities Using IT - Birmingham City Council (Lead Authority) & Shropshire County Council
- My Norfolk - Norfolk County Council on behalf of the Norfolk Ambition County Strategic Partnership
- Sunderland – Where people matter - Sunderland City Council
- Success Through Diversity Enabled by Digital Innovation - Ealing Council
- Connecting Bristol – Building Momentum for Change - Bristol City Council on behalf of Connecting Bristol and the Momentum Group
- Connected Nottingham - Nottingham City & Nottinghamshire County Council
- STREAM – Transforming Neighbourhoods - Kingston Upon Hull City Council
- Digital MK - Milton Keynes Council
- One-Manchester - Manchester City Council, in partnership with Tameside MBC
