Cloud computing 'may miss government targets'

59 per cent of the IT staff surveyed for the report said they were "undecided" on whether to use government app store CloudStore to buy cloud services. This is despite The G-Cloud plan, which calls for 50 per cent of new government IT spending to move to cloud computing services by 2015.

G-Cloud aims to reduce government IT costs by £200 million per year, offering cut-price IT services such as email, word processing, enterprise resource planning and electronic records management that meet government standards.

"Smart Savings 3, G-Cloud Progress," was commissioned by VMware, a company that makes cloud software, to test IT employee attitudes to government-approved cloud computing facilities. The reluctance of tech bods to purchase CloudStore services could mean the government misses its target.

"Some of these are good reasons – if a department is locked into a long term contract then that's a problem," said Andy Tait, VMware's head of public sector strategy and former deputy G-Cloud director. "But there is also an element of cultural resistance as this is a change to the way things are done."

Is business ready for the BYOD trend?

The report concludes that the average number of connected devices per knowledge worker is expected to reach 3.3 by 2014, up from an average of 2.8 in 2012. IT managers are balancing security concerns with productivity benefits. New global stats estimate that total devices and connections on the internet will grow from 10.3 billion in 2011 to a whopping 18.9 billion in 2016.

Most IT leaders (76 per cent) told the pollsters that BYOD was "somewhat" or "extremely" positive for their companies, with improved productivity the top benefit cited in the results. They also felt it gave their team greater job satisfaction.

Neil Sutton, Vice President Global Portfolio, BT Global Services, said: "Cisco's findings tally well with the latest BT research, which found that 82 per cent of companies across 11 countries allow their employees to bring their own devices to work, or will do so within the next two years.”

Mobile technology can revolutionise a business

Geoff Ellingham is head of IT for Your Homes Newcastle told The Guardian that new hardware helps make their staff more efficient. They worked with software provider NDL to overhaul their system by where previously residents reported problems directly to them via an on-site office and they carried out other duties such as block inspections.

“The last thing we wanted was a complicated back office system,” he said. “The technology provided by the software house we used allowed us to build the screens and interfaces we needed quickly and easily, as well as ensuring they fitted our needs exactly. The system is known in technological terms as ‘agnostic’, which means we are not tied into a single operating system or device so our options for the future are open.”

He said that the firm expect to save £1.1 million a year through this project, after the costs associated with the project have been taken into account. Technology also works in terms of the location of their mobile workforce: there has been a recruitment freeze in place for some time and the vast majority of displaced employees have been reallocated to other posts within the organisation.

IT overhaul helps repairs firm manage bookings

“We've since introduced telephone call backs and flexible appointments, and created an "optimiser" tool, which automatically schedules work by trade skills and postcode to reduce fuel costs, carbon footprint and travel time for our staff,” he said. “Despite rising fuel costs, we have managed to remain within our allocated budget for our property services.”

Ideas come from internal communications, including an employee panel who make suggestions on managing the vans and scheduling repair work.

One Vision Property Services (OVPS) was set up in September 2010 and the company has decided to reject outsourcing and bring the maintenance service back in-house. In just over 18 months of trading, their profits stand at £7.5 million, which will be invested back into parent company One Vision Housing. They have a full order book for the next five years and newly established company Sovini will be looking for work with companies outside the housing sector for the first time. Having an effective engineer scheduling software system in place surely helps it to make a success of the model.

“In the next few months, our Housing will remain our bread and butter, but it's exciting to take the opportunities the private sector offers,” Mr Broadbent said. “We're eager for Sovini to spread its wings away from One Vision's core housing work.”

Direct Line opts for SaaS based HR system

The insurer, which owns brands such as Churchill and Green Flag, is being divested from RBS as part of RBS’s £45 billion bailout agreement. In advance of this divestment, Direct Line has been keen to establish its own standalone HR system and has opted for a cloud-based solution.

The group has a workforce of around 16,000 and is the UK’s largest insurer in terms of the number of policies it has on its books. The firm is hoping to head for an IPO later this year and the cloud based HR system is part of the process to reaching this stage, claims the firm’s HR director, Mark Martin.

The current HR system is integrated with RBS’s system and the new HR function is an essential stage in its independence. Mr Martin told Computing.co.uk that the decision to turn to the cloud was “all about configuration.”

He explained, “You have to go for core processes. Let's focus on the employee experience.

"I was brought in to lead the separation and to create a bold new system. We obviously worked very closely with RBS IT."

US research could provide insight into UK service desk software trends

The 2012 Technology Value Matrix for Workforce Management survey found that many of the providers in the US are moving their focus away from more traditional services such as payroll solutions, and towards services that help to improve the productivity of mobile workforces.

These kind of services can be used by any firm that manages a workforce of engineers or staff that work on the road and need to use work planning software and engineer scheduling software each day. These service will optimise each mobile worker’s day and will help boost profits for employers.

Nucleus Research’s vice president of research, Rebecca Wettemann, explained, "Companies are moving from old workforce management solutions like time clocks and back-office automation to cloud and mobile solutions that drive greater employee productivity."

The same trends are taking place in the UK workplace, with more staff working remotely and using mobile devices to plan their day.

Planned maintenance partnership struck

The work is being carried out under a limited liability Partnership between Willmott Dixon and affordable housing firm Acis. The jobs set to be completed by Willmott will include routine gas safety inspections and other planned works and repairs.

The contract will last for a further five years and is worth £25 million. Valeria Waby, the chief executive of Acis, said that the firm was “excited” about the joint venture. She added that the partnership, “Will bring the focus and drive necessary to support our team in delivering a major programme of home improvement we’ll undertake alongside our ongoing property care services.”

Mick Williamson, Willmott’s MD, added that the firm will invest in equipment and systems to help their staff fulfil their roles to the best of their ability. Firms that carry out planned maintenance often invest in service desk management software to help with work planning and mobile workforce management.

Service Desk and IT Support Show is a success

Diversified Business Communication UK took over the running of the popular trade show last year, after buying it from VCM Events. The show is a major event in the IT support and service desk software provider calendar.

Laura Venebles, the event manager for the show, said, “The reaction to the show this year has been incredible.

“The Service Desk and IT Support Show truly is the biggest and best platform for uniting this industry and this year there was a genuine sense of one community coming together to connect, support, share and learn from each other.”

The organiser also claimed that 4,495 people from the industry attended, while it achieved an exhibitor re-book rate of 72 per cent.

This year’s event took place on 24 and 25 April and included 40 seminars and six keynote speeches. Some of the major trends being discussed at the event included cloud computing, emerging technologies and mobility. These issues are perhaps more relevant to many firms this year due to pressures to offer flexible working during the 2012 Olympics.

Skanska uses remote management software to cut costs

Skanska is aiming to cut 20 tonnes of carbon emissions per year, while saving itself £50,000 by using remote workforce management tools. The technology will be installed for use in 300 company servers, and will be used by over 4,000 staff.

The work management software will save as much as 40 hours of travelling time each week, or in mileage terms, this equates to an impressive 1,000 miles.

Skanska’s director of IT, Steve Cooper explained why the technology is so useful to the firm: "Our staff could be 300 miles away in Scotland one week, and in London the next. Having them travel to further still to receive technical assistance or deliver sensitive files is, quite simply, not an option.”

Mr Cooper added that the processes save the firm valuable time and money and can be trusted to do the job as well as a member of staff. He said, “These processes are quick, seamless and secure, saving my staff an immeasurable amount of time. It's critical to the overall performance of our business too, as without it, we wouldn't be able to provide the level of support that we do now."

Software forum offers IT implementation advice

Those who are not already members can pay a one-off fee of £100 plus VAT to attend. If you are a BCS member, this fee will also get you a year’s membership to the itSMF UK.

There will also be an opportunity to talk about software, bringing vendors, consultants and potential buyers together under one roof to discuss product selection and implementation. You can also get ideas for improving customer service via technology. Event sponsors include Service-now, Hornbill; Cherwell; Marval; Serena and FrontRange.

itSMF UK CEO Ben Clacy said: “We’re really looking forward to this new event, which takes place at a crucial time for our members, many of whom are re-examining their choice of software tools and facing some key decisions for the future. We hope that the Forum will provide the information they need to make these decisions more easily.”

Email events@itsmf.co.uk to secure your place.