Challenges ahead

Digital services will be the most common form of interaction with the public sector for UK people in the next few years. Policies and approaches vary, but central, devolved and local government are all committed to increasing the use of online services.

The public sector also wants to make sure that people who struggle to use digital services do not lose out – by introducing different forms of Assisted Digital support.

The public sector’s move to digital services coincides with a growing number of new digital innovations in the commercial world. Already more information is exchanged via social media than by email. By December 2012, there will be more mobile devices than humans on our planet.

In this dynamic market, the greatest challenge for the public sector is to make sure that its digital services delivery is consistent with the user’s experience of mobile and online services that they use every day. If public sector services are seen as substandard, or not designed to meet the user’s objectives, they are unlikely to achieve the take-up required to deliver planned efficiencies.

How we help now?

In working with the public sector, Atos consistently demonstrates four key attributes: trust, innovation, an understanding of government and willingness to share risk.

A trusted partner

To support central and local government’s channel shift to digital by default services, Atos brings extensive experience of running high volume systems in both the public and private sector online space. Our public sector customers and service users trust us to deliver, securely and efficiently, to the highest service standards.

Most people in the UK carry an Atos provided identity of some kind, for example. It might be the identity they use to manage their premium bonds and savings, the identity they use to file their tax returns to government or the ticket they use to travel on the rail network.

We support more than 30 million MOT tests each year in conjunction with VOSA and support the booking of 50% of all referrals for initial hospital and clinic appointments in England via Choose and Book service.

Innovation behind multi-channel services

We provide industry leading capabilities to public services. Atos enabled Chiltern Railways to be one of the first organisations to offer train ticket sales via mobile phones, for example, winning awards for its achievement along the way.

Our ePassport security solution for the Swiss government uses advanced biometric capability to drastically reduce the risk of identity fraud. It is delivered in a user friendly but secure kiosk – similar to the many Atos kiosks used every day by UK consumers in their daily lives.

Atos Secure Internet Payment System (SIPS) is used by more than 20,000 web sites across Europe – making us the largest processor of online payment transactions in Europe. Systems on that scale require high reliability. They are also skilfully designed to meet the needs of their users.

Atos technology and design leadership will help to make sure that however people access public services – online, via mobile devices or via kiosks – they will receive a consistently good user experience.

Understanding government

We work closely with government and value our relationships. Atos is one of the top five suppliers of technology services to governments in Europe. We have many customers in UK central and local government.

Our experience ensures we understand clearly that while government can outsource services, it cannot outsource its reputation.

Wherever we work in the public sector, we apply government specific knowledge we have gathered from our experience (unique security requirements, policy impact and specialist IT strategies, for example). Our public sector know how is critical to our ability to de-risk and deliver success in the sector.

Willing to share risk

We recognise the special challenges in the public sector. So we support government customers who want to adopt commercial models that share risk and reward more equitably.

Many IT vendors are reluctant to share risk with government. They provide solutions to government using a commercial model where it is difficult for them to lose, even if the programmes they supply fail to achieve their objectives. In that model, government owns the success and the supplier owns the enabling technology.

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