Troubled computer company EDS is tipped to take “a big slice” of the multi-billion-pound ID cards contract to produce and supply biometric cards for every Briton by 2008.
The US IT contractor is reportedly engaging in behind the scenes negotiation with officials at the Home Office charged with delivering one of the biggest government technology deals ever.
Disclosures obtained by The Business and The Observer suggest ministers are alarmed over the likely selection of EDS, following IT disasters at the Inland Revenue, the Department for Work and Pensions and the Child Support Agency.
Despite past performance, executives at Electronic Data Systems say they are confident the company can bounce back to manage the biometric cards programme after winning similar “smart card” schemes with London Underground, the US government and the Ugandan government.
***“ID cards are a competency of EDS,”*** said Doug Hoover, managing director, EDS UK. “We feel that we have some solutions and some capabilities. It is safe to say we would look at it.”
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excellent. hands up, anybody who can't see this one coming. this ought to offer no little reassurance to those who have no desire to see such a system implemented here.
i think that anybody daft enough to take doug's words at face value is a prize buffoon and should be made to personally underwrite the coming fiasco to the tune of however many billions of taxpayer's cash this particular pantomime going to swallow up..
The US IT contractor is reportedly engaging in behind the scenes negotiation with officials at the Home Office charged with delivering one of the biggest government technology deals ever.
Disclosures obtained by The Business and The Observer suggest ministers are alarmed over the likely selection of EDS, following IT disasters at the Inland Revenue, the Department for Work and Pensions and the Child Support Agency.
Despite past performance, executives at Electronic Data Systems say they are confident the company can bounce back to manage the biometric cards programme after winning similar “smart card” schemes with London Underground, the US government and the Ugandan government.
***“ID cards are a competency of EDS,”*** said Doug Hoover, managing director, EDS UK. “We feel that we have some solutions and some capabilities. It is safe to say we would look at it.”
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excellent. hands up, anybody who can't see this one coming. this ought to offer no little reassurance to those who have no desire to see such a system implemented here.
i think that anybody daft enough to take doug's words at face value is a prize buffoon and should be made to personally underwrite the coming fiasco to the tune of however many billions of taxpayer's cash this particular pantomime going to swallow up..
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