Date published: 01.09.08 - not release date

UK LOCAL AUTHORITY SPENDING ON CUSTOMER FACING E-GOVERNMENT TO INCREASE ACCORDING TO EZGOV EUROPE

...research from EzGov Europe shows that UK local authorities see e-government as key to improved delivery of local services and cost savings…

LONDON, United Kingdom - 6 August 2007 – A survey carried out for EzGov Europe, one of the market leaders in enabling successful e-Government, by Kable Research has revealed that local authorities in the UK see customer facing e-government initiatives as key to driving down costs and making efficiency savings to help compensate for cutbacks being made by central Government. According to figures from Kable Research, overall spending on e-government at a local level in the UK will be around to GBP1.4 billion over the next two years, or about 20% of total local government ICT spending, which represents a decrease of around 27% per year. However, spending on customer facing e-government initiatives is expected to grow from GBP 660 million in 2006 to GBP 709 million by 2008. The research carried out by Kable for EzGov Europe involved reviewing the status and plans of 63 of the 387 local authorities in England and Wales and looked at their attitudes to e-government spend and the drivers behind it.

In particular, the research showed that respondents were keen to introduce shared applications and web-based access to council services to help reduce costs. One respondent estimated that every £1.00 in savings made to front office processes would result in £ 8.00 in savings in back office rationalization and efficiency savings. At the same time funding for ICT initiatives as part of the overall budget provided by central government is set to fall in the next few years, so the proportion being spent on e-government will increase as budgets are reallocated locally to drive cost savings and efficiencies.

Some specific areas where e-government spending was expected to grow on a local level were in areas such as housing benefit, social security payments, transport and education, where the current penetration of e-government initiatives remains fairly low, as well as the whole area of back office integration between teams and departments.

Doctor. Scott Bryan, Associate Director at Kable Research, said: “This research has clearly shown that local authorities in the UK have seen the tangible benefits e-government brings. It enables councils to overcome the challenge of having to deliver more for less. Cost savings, improved customer service and more streamlined delivery of local services naturally result from well designed e-government. We have reached a turning point in how e-government is viewed. It is no longer that expense that central government has demanded they incur. It is a fundamental part of becoming a better council.”

Frank Moyer, Chief Executive Officer of EzGov Europe, said: “Local Authorities realise that they need to develop online government services to keep up with public demand for easier and more efficient access to services and information. They are also beginning to wake up to the huge cost of maintaining inefficient manual processes and legacy back-office IT systems to support the delivery of these services to the public.”


About EzGov Europe

Headquartered in London, UK, EzGov Europe is a worldwide leader in innovative solutions that enable eGovernment. A pioneer in the business of putting government services online, EzGov Europe provides the expertise, services and technology to deliver successful online transactional applications for government. Its customers are central, regional and local governments around the world, where its solutions drive more than 100 mission-critical transactional applications. Unlike many other offerings in the market, the distinct advantage of EzGov Europe solutions are in the flexibility and adaptability to the way government does business, rather than forcing government to adapt to them. Its track record is unmatched in the creation of electronic government solutions that are always on time and on budget. With offices in London, Birmingham and Amsterdam, EzGov Europe also partners with leading systems integrators to implement the platform and solutions for electronic government.

About Kable Research

Kable is a leading provider of public sector research, publishing and event services. The company helps suppliers to understand the government market better and to reach public sector decision-makers. Kable also helps public servants to make informed decisions about transformation and technology.

Kable offers a combination of subscription and bespoke research, online and print publications (including Government Computing and Smart Healthcare), and a series of conferences and exhibitions (including Government Computing Exhibition and Conference and Procurement Solutions for the Public Sector). The company also offers customised event, publishing and research services for both public and private sectors customers.

For more info visit www.kablenet.com or call +44 (0)207 608 8411

For further info about EzGov Europe, contact:

Michele Bayliss
Ascendant Communications
Tel: +44 (0) 777 937 2106
Email: mbayliss@ascendcomms.net