| Google reminds us why Project Ara could be a smartphone revolution Apr 4th 2014, 14:13, by Hugh Langley 
Will Google's module phone project truly revolutionise the industry? While you're placing your bets, Google's teased a new video that may help sway your opinion. Project Ara is a phone you'll be able to upgrade by simply sliding parts in and out. There are three models in development, including a 6-module Mini and a 9-module phablet. What's particularly interesting is that the team decided the modular structure shouldn't be hidden, and thus Ara embraces a rather Tetris-y design. It looks a lot better than it sounds. Piece by pieceMeanwhile, 3D Systems is working on Ara to let users personalise the blocks themselves, making for a fully customisable experience. There first Ara development conference will take place on April 15 and 16, where more secrets about the project will be disclosed. Right now, Google's hoping to launch the phone in 2015. For the time being, you can check out the new video below. YouTube : www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Q1JzJadgHY       |  | Week in Tech: Microsoft rebuilds while Amazon gets fired up Apr 4th 2014, 10:53, by TechRadar 
Comebacks are funny things. Sometimes you get an Elvis 68 Special or, more recently, Prince doing guerrilla gigs in London. Other times you get Axl Rose, full of pies. So we've got good news for anyone who feared this year's Microsoft Build conference would be more Axl than awesome: the Microsoft we've seen this week is fighting fit and wearing its skinniest trousers. We should have known, because last week's launch of Office for iPad showed how new boss Satya Nadella is already changing the company: Microsoft wants to be awesome on everything, whether it runs Windows or not. That doesn't mean Microsoft is giving up on Windows, of course - and this week we saw the latest moves to undo the damage of the original Windows 8 launch. Build delegates were treated to details of Windows 8.1 Update 1 - Nadella's new broom clearly hasn't reached whoever names Microsoft's products yet - which runs on more modest hardware, boots directly to the desktop, and should be less annoying for desktop and laptop users. It isn't perfect, but it's an awful lot better. If Microsoft had shipped it rather than Windows 8.0, the world might be a happier place. Microsoft's vision is of a single ecosystem across all kinds of devices, and we saw more of that this week: DirectX 12 graphics and Windows apps are coming to the Xbox One, and the latest Kinect is coming to Windows. For our money the most interesting new technology was Windows Phone 8.1, which introduces Cortana. Cortana, named after the Halo character, is a very impressive virtual personal assistant that's a kind of cross between Siri and Google Now. As Michael Rougeau explains, Cortana will be a beta at first but "Microsoft plans to unleash the full version in the US, the UK and China in the second half of 2014." Windows Phone has a new flagship too: the Nokia Lumia 930. Michelle Fitzsimmons has the specs: "It's packing Windows Phone 8.1, of course, and features a 5-inch Full HD display. The PureView camera rings in at 20MP. It features optical image stabilization and Zeiss optics. An HD 1.2MP wide-angle camera is affixed to the front." Fitzimmons also has the skinny on Windows Phone 8.1. The new Action Center lets users get notifications from any app and personalisation is a key theme. There are new apps too, including Skype, Calendar and a clever new keyboard called Word Flow - it's rather like Swype and holds a world record for typing speed. It's all looking great and will roll out in the next few months. Dub dubMicrosoft's not the only one with new phone software on the cards: Apple announced the dates for WWDC 2014 to cries of "iOS 8! Mavericks 2! iPhones and iPads and iWatch!" - tune in on June 2 for the official news. Another giant had new toys to talk about this week, too: Amazon. There isn't a pie Bezos's blockbuster business doesn't want its fingers in, and the latest pie it wants is streaming TV. The new Amazon Fire TV is coming for Chromecast and taking aim at Apple TV. "It's elegant, powerful and scary for the competition," Scott Alexander says. It's more powerful than its competitors, it has a massive selection of content - not just Amazon Instant Video, but also Netflix, Hulu Plus and, soon, streaming music - and it's a games console too. Amazon has clearly been studying the competition. "Almost every aspect of the Fire TV improving or refines the aspects of the Roku, Apple TV and Chromecast that currently vex consumers," Alexander says. "Roku, Apple and Google are all probably feeling a little nervous today, and with good reason. Jeff Bezos doesn't like to compete, he likes to dominate. And this box has the potential to do just that." For now it's US-only, but as Amazon put it: "We're a global company with global ambitions, so stay tuned."        | | blip: Easter in WA will attract double demerits penalty for mobile use Apr 4th 2014, 01:58, by Farrha Khan 
Western Australian drivers, heed this warning: you will now get hit with double demerits for using your mobile phone during long weekends. Currently, across Australia, being caught using your phone while driving will leave you with 3 demerit points less, coupled with a fine - long weekend or not. According to the ABC, the classification of mobile use as a double demerit offence in the WA occurred after the state government consulted with the Road Safety Council. WA residents will now lose 6 demerit points along with a fine during long weekends, so before the Easter break rolls around, we suggest you pick up a car mount for your smartphone. Actually, we suggest all Aussie drivers pick up a car mount if you haven't already. More blips!Here are some more informative blips! Well, at least more fun!        | | Sony Xperia Z2 Compact already on the way? Apr 3rd 2014, 21:36, by Chris Smith -470-75.jpg)
Less than three months after launching the big-spec, smaller-body Xperia Z1 Compact smartphone at CES, Sony is apparently well on the way towards launching the sequel, with a new device arriving at the FCC. The US regulator has taken possession of a model called the SO-04F, which is reportedly a Japanese version of its next mini handset. The original handset was dubbed SO-02F. The FCC listing shows off a handset that's slightly larger than the current device, with a 127.6mm x 65.5mm body. That would lead to a 4.5-inch display, compared to the 4.3-inch 720p screen on the original Z1 Compact. There's no news on other specs, but the first Compact was a big-hitter with a 2.2GHz quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM and a 20-megapixel camera. Upgrade cityThe Z1 Compact aimed to offer as few compromises as possible for those seeking the top hardware specs without the pocket-busting 5-inch displays of the flagship models. Such an early follow-up would be far from surprising given Sony's knack for upstaging its flagship devices on a regular basis. The new Sony Xperia Z2 was launched at MWC 2014 in late February, just five months after the waterproof Xperia Z1 made a splash in September 2013. How would you like Sony to improve with the Xperia Z2 Compact? 1080p display? Processor parity with the full-size device? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.        | | Apple's speech recognition pioneer scoop may be to Siri's benefit Apr 3rd 2014, 21:20, by klee 
Apple might be feeling some pressure from Cortana's big reveal at Microsoft Build as it's bought a speech recognition pioneer to help improve Siri. Apple quietly acquired Novauris Technologies, a company specializing in the automatic speech recognition field, which originally spun off from the team that developed Nuance's Dragon naturally speaking software. TechCrunch reported that the Cupertino company actually bought Novauris last year but the purchase wasn't publicly announced until now. Since last fall, the Novauris team has apparently been working to improve Siri, Apple's speech-based personal assistant. Before the acquisition, the Novauris team was already working on its own large vocabulary, automatic speech recognition technology to access information stored on mobile devices or remote servers. This same system is likely being integrated into Siri for an improved version we might see come with iOS 8 at WWDC 2014. The best virtual secretaryApple confirmed it did purchase Novauris with TechCrunch, however the iPhone maker noted, per usual, that it buys smaller technology companies from time to time but has no interest in discussing the purpose or plans behind the acquisition. What comes from Apple bulking up its team of voice recognition experts remains uncertain, but it's becoming clear that Apple's virtual assistant is lagging behind the competition. With Google Now on Android and now Cortana on Windows Phone 8.1, it's becoming clear a digital assistant needs to do more than understand a voice commands and reply with punchy one-liners. The software also needs to learn to adapt to schedules and lifestyles. Google Now cards already predict information you need ahead of time such as commuting times and spotting restaurants around the corner. Cortana, meanwhile, made its debut overshadowing Windows Phone 8.1 with its ability to plug into third-party apps – an ability Siri doesn't have.        | | Galaxy S5 Zoom leak shows less bulge and more megapixels Apr 3rd 2014, 20:02, by Michael Rougeau 
The goal of Samsung's Galaxy S Zoom variants is to combine a dedicated camera and phone so the one device can replace two of yours, and the Galaxy S5 Zoom might actually accomplish that. The latest leak, from Gotta Be Mobile, shows a smartphone with a much smaller camera housing than its predecessor, the Galaxy S4 Zoom. Does that mean you might be able to carry around the S5 Zoom without needing a separate holster for it? One can certainly hope, and that's exactly how it looks in this image. More megapixelsA smartphone with an advanced camera is great, but it's only really useful if it's as portable as a regular smartphone. The reduction in size here is the logical measure for Samsung to take. That said, this S5 Zoom photo leak is unsubstantiated at this time. The source who leaked this image also reported that the Galaxy S5 Zoom will sport a whopping 20-megapixel camera with 10x optical zoom, up from the Galaxy S4 Zoom's 16 megapixels. And previous rumors have credited the S5 Zoom with a 4.8-inch displays of unknown HD resolution, NFC, and Android 4.4: KitKat. Meanwhile the new Zoom's durable counterpart, the Samsung Galaxy S5 Active, is rumored to be heading for at least two US carriers.        | | Sony Xperia Z2 soars to trio of carriers Saturday, though probably not one near you Apr 3rd 2014, 18:19, by JR Bookwalter -470-75.JPG)
The launch of any new smartphone is newsworthy, but when it's the follow-up to one of Sony's most popular Xperia models, the arrival is likely to be hailed by Android fans even in far-off places. Sony Mobile Singapore announced on its Facebook page this week that the manufacturer's latest Xperia Z2 smartphone will be touching down at three different carriers this Saturday, April 4. The new handset will be available in Singapore this weekend from M1, Singtel and Starhub, which will all be offering a free Sony Smartband wearable for each customer who picks up an Xperia Z2, while supplies last. While the announcement likely comes as good news to Xperia fans, exactly how much the devices costs remains a mystery until launch, when each of the three carriers will reveal pricing details. 
World tourAccording to Sony Mobile's Singapore website, the Xperia Z2 will be available locally in May unlocked and carrier-free for SG$998 (about $790, £476, AU$856) through Sony Stores and Sony Centers. On March 31, Sony announced plans to bring the Xperia Z2 to North America, but curiously left Americans out of the picture with its plans to launch on Canada's Bell network. The US delay appears to stem from manufacturing problems that have kept the Xperia Z2 from rolling out globally as quickly as Sony would probably prefer, much to the frustration of Xperia fans everywhere. Sony launched the Xperia Z2 at this year's Mobile World Congress, following up the success of the earlier version with a tasty new 5.2-inch model a mere five months after debuting the Xperia Z1.        | | Wireless networks could be Google's next mobile experiment Apr 3rd 2014, 18:15, by klee 
Google Fiber has proven to be a extremely popular little venture for the search company and soon it might also start its own wireless network. The Information reports that Google Executives have discussed their recent hopes to offer a full-fledged wireless service in areas where Google Fiber internet and TV service already exist. Two sources that sat in on these discussions revealed existing Google Fiber customers in locations like Kansas City, Missouri could also get mobile voice and internet access. There were not further details on whether this service would be included for no extra charge or when this Google mobile network would roll out. However, the two sources said the company was interested in buying large chunks of existing mobile networks and reselling them to customers. Google purportedly spoke to Verizon in early 2014 as well as Sprint early 2013. If Google were to undertake the venture, it would essentially become a mobile virtual network operator like AT&T or T-Mobile. Tying it all togetherThe Information speculated Google's wireless network would primarily depend on Wi-Fi access from its Fiber network. Meanwhile, the service would only rely on carriers when the connection is unavailable or insufficient. Currently Google supplies its Fiber network to only a few states including Kansas City, Provo in Utah, and Austin, Texas. Mid-February, the company announced new plans to potentially expand the program's reach to 34 new cities. Even before the reports of this new mobile network, Google has been a big proponent of more Wi-Fi access. Previously, the Mountain View company partnered with Starbucks to add more 7,000 high-speed Wi-Fi hotspots around the nation. New frontiers for Google?Google isn't afraid to take on new ventures as proven with Google Glass and the entire Android platform. Since breaking into the into smartphone world in 2008 with the first version of Android, Google has taken a greater hand in shaping its mobile platform including selling devices with vanilla versions of Android directly from the Google Play Store. Building up its own mobile wireless network would just be one more way for Google to cement the Android experience down to the network service. Via The Verge        | | Wireless networks could be Google's next mobile experiment Apr 3rd 2014, 18:15, by Kevin Lee
Google Fiber has proven to be a extremely popular little venture in the US for the search company and soon it might also start its own wireless network. The Information reports that Google Executives have discussed their recent hopes to offer a full-fledged wireless service in areas around the US where Google Fiber internet and TV service already exist. Two sources that sat in on these discussions revealed existing Google Fiber customers in locations like Kansas City, Missouri, could also get mobile voice and internet access. There were no further details on whether this service would be included for no extra charge or when this Google mobile network would roll out. However, the two sources said the company was interested in buying large chunks of existing mobile networks and reselling them to customers. Google purportedly spoke to US telco Verizon in early 2014 as well as in 2013. If Google were to undertake the venture, it would essentially become a mobile virtual network operator. Tying it all togetherThe Information speculated that Google's wireless network in the US would primarily depend on Wi-Fi access from its fibre network. Meanwhile, the service would only rely on telcos when the connection was unavailable or insufficient. Currently, Google supplies its fibre network to only a few US states, including Kansas City, Provo in Utah, and Austin, Texas. Mid-February, the company announced new plans to potentially expand the program's reach to 34 new cities. Even before the reports of this new mobile network, Google has been a big proponent of more Wi-Fi access. Previously, the Mountain View company partnered with Starbucks to add more 7,000 high-speed Wi-Fi hotspots Stateside. New frontiers for Google?Google isn't afraid to take on new ventures, as proven with Google Glass and the entire Android platform. Since breaking into the smartphone world in 2008 with the first version of Android, Google has taken a greater hand in shaping its mobile platform, including selling devices with vanilla versions of Android directly from the Google Play Store. Building up its own mobile wireless network would just be one more way for Google to cement the Android experience down to the network service. And if the model is successful in the US, Google could look at way of moving into markets outside of the US. But for something like this to come to Australia is a far off vision - it shouldn't be forgotten that we're still waiting on the government-run NBN rollout, and course MVNOs haven't had much success over the last year in Australia. Via The Verge   | | Early view: Nokia Lumia 930 vs iPhone 5S Apr 3rd 2014, 17:43, by James Rogerson 
Nokia Lumia 930 vs iPhone 5SThe Lumia 930 is set to be Nokia's next true flagship with a premium build, impressive specs and slick performance. The iPhone 5S ticks those same boxes though and with the might of Apple behind it the Lumia 930 might struggle to compete. Still, with each new handset and each new software release Windows Phone seems to get better, and with the Nokia Lumia 930 it might have reached the point where it can go toe-to-toe with the iPhone 5S in specs and features, if not in sales. Headline featuresThere's no one stand out feature on the Nokia Lumia 930 but it's aiming to deliver the complete package of high end specs (a quad core processor and Full HD screen), beautiful design and a high performance camera (20MP Pureview). The iPhone 5S could be said to have all of the above but it also includes a fingerprint scanner, which makes unlocking the phone and authorising purchases a lot faster and easier, without sacrificing security. 
Then there's its M7 motion co-processor which, as the name suggests, is a secondary processor used to track your motion. It's always on but as that's its only job it uses minimal battery, while most phones would have to engage their main processors to track steps and other movements. So it's a real boon in combination with fitness apps. On paper then the iPhone 5S has a lot more to shout about, but only if a fingerprint scanner and motion processor are of any use to you. Some people are bound to get a lot of use out of them, but we'd wager many users will barely use either after the honeymoon period. ScreenThe Nokia Lumia 930 has a 5 inch 1080 x 1920 AMOLED display with a pixel density of 441 pixels per inch and ClearBlack technology for enhanced contrast. 
The iPhone 5S has a 4 inch 640 x 1136 IPS LCD display with a pixel density of 326 pixels per inch. So the Lumia 930 is both bigger and sharper with an improved contrast ratio. Apple's colour reproduction is impressive, but there's no doubt the iPhone 6 needs to pack in a bigger screen. DesignWhile most Lumias go in for a thoroughly plastic aesthetic the Lumia 930 follows the lead of the Nokia Lumia 925, with an aluminium frame giving it a much more premium look. There's still a whole lot of plastic around though as the back is polycarbonate and at 137 x 71 x 9.8mm and 167g it's on the chunky and heavy side. But there's no denying that it's a good looking phone, with a design worthy of its flagship position. 
The iPhone 5S has it beat though. Its two-tone aluminium and glass design is as iconic as it is premium and at 123.8 x 58.6 x 7.6mm and 112g it's both slim and light. Both phones are eye catching and the popularity of the iPhone 5S perhaps even works against it here. While Apple's flagship is well put together, it also looks like everyone else's phone - it's certainly the better looking of the two but Nokia has always liked playing the 'different kid' since it's gone down the Windows Phone route. UIThe Nokia Lumia 930 is rolling up with Windows Phone 8.1 and despite the minor number increase it's actually a substantial improvement over Windows Phone 8. This is largely thanks to the debut of the impressively personable Cortana voice assistant and a much needed Action Centre, which is a pull-down menu listing notifications and giving you quick toggles for various settings. 
The iPhone 5S runs iOS 7.1, which should be familiar to anyone who's used a recent iDevice, but it gives iOS a much needed visual overhaul, makes it slicker than ever and adds a Control Centre, giving you fast access to settings toggles, from Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, to brightness, a flashlight and a whole lot more besides. We're still getting to grips with Windows Phone 8.1 so stay tuned for our full review, but it's certainly made a positive first impression, while iOS 7 is easily the best version of iOS yet. CPU and RAMThe Nokia Lumia 930 certainly doesn't skimp on specs. It has a 2.2 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor and 2GB of RAM, all of which means it should be a high performance device - although not quite in the league of the Samsung Galaxy S5 or HTC One M8. The Apple iPhone 5S has a 1.3 GHz dual-core Apple A7 processor and 1GB of RAM, which doesn't sound nearly so impressive. Apple would argue it's packing a 64-bit chip while the Lumia 930 is only 32-bit - however, with not much RAM behind it this is largely a spec for the future. In any case the 5S is a more than capable device. It remains to be seen how well the Lumia 930 will stand up in practice but the iPhone 5S can cope with any task you can throw at it. CameraWith a 20 megapixel snapper the Nokia Lumia 930 is clearly aimed at camera fans. The fact that it has optical image stabilisation, a Carl Zeiss lens, dual-LED flash and a bunch of shooting modes doesn't hurt either. 
That's all backed up by a 1.2 megapixel front facing camera and 1080p video recording at 30fps, complete with the ability to record in surround sound. The iPhone 5S can't compete in megapixels as it only has 8, but each individual pixel is a little bigger, so they let in more light. Plus it has a dual-LED True Tone flash which ensures colours are more accurately replicated than with a conventional LED flash and it has a 1.2 megapixel front facing camera and can shoot slow motion 720p video at 120fps (alongside the expected 1080p at 30fps). BatteryThe Lumia 930 has a fairly large 2420 mAh battery, with a quoted 3G talk time of 15.5 hours, which is pretty good, but not class-leading. If anything the iPhone 5S is likely to be slightly worse for battery life. It has a 1560 mAh unit which Apple reckons can provide 10 hours of talk time on 3G, but in our time spent reviewing it we weren't convinced it could even manage that. Of course whether Nokia's battery claim turns out to be any more accurate remains to be seen. PriceThe Nokia Lumia 930 is set to retail for roughly £360 / 434 Euros / $599 / AU$648 SIM free before taxes and subsidies when it launches in June, but with VAT added we'd be surprised if it comes out at much less than £400 in the UK. The iPhone 5S starts at around £485 / $649 / 590 Euros / AU$829 SIM free if you shop around, while it's £549 / $649 / 699 Euros / AU$869 if you buy it direct from Apple, so either way it's quite a bit pricier. Early verdictThe choice between the iPhone 5S and the Nokia Lumia 930 really comes down to a choice between iOS 7 and Windows Phone 8.1, because in all other ways these are both similarly top flight devices. There are other differences of course, the Nokia Lumia 930 might tempt those looking to take a lot of pictures for example, while the iPhone 5S has a fingerprint scanner and motion co-processor in its favour. The important thing is that Nokia and Microsoft might finally have the all-singing all-dancing flagship they need and as an entry point to Windows Phone the Lumia 930 looks pretty hard to beat, while it almost goes without saying that for iOS fans the iPhone 5S won't disappoint.        | | Analysis: Windows 8.1 Update and Windows Phone 8.1: The business take Apr 3rd 2014, 16:00, by Désiré Athow 
Build 2014, Microsoft's developer forum, started with a bang as Joe Belfiore, Microsoft corporate vice president of the Operating Systems Group, announced updates for both Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8. Windows 8 got a first update to Windows 8.1 and the latter has now been updated to Windows 8.1 Update (or Update 1 as we'll continue to call it). Windows Phone 8 got an upgrade to WP 8.1. Back to square one?One might suggest that Windows 8.1 Update 1 was introduced solely to cater for the one big challenge that could discourage businesses and enterprises from moving away from Windows XP. That is the poor user experience when using a mouse and a keyboard, still the preferred input peripherals in the overwhelming number of organisations. It's therefore not a surprise that Windows 8.1 Update marks the return of the desktop. Users will now be able to boot directly to the desktop rather than the tiled Start screen. Users will also be able to pin Windows Store apps directly to the taskbar and a refreshed version of the Start menu is also expected to be rolled in in a subsequent, yet-to-be-announced update. Microsoft also mentioned an Enterprise Mode Internet Explorer (EMIE), featuring an extended Mobile Device Management feature set, easier deployment (including enabling Enterprise Sideloading for any domain-joined Windows Pro PC or tablet) and better hardware support - especially for low-specced devices. A Windows Springboard series blog entry entitled Windows 8.1 Update: The IT Pro perspective, provides with more details when it comes to rolling Windows 8.1 Update to a wide range of existing platforms. Note that the size of this update ranges from 300MB to 700MB and will be available for Windows RT (ARM) as well as the Windows 8 (x86 and x64). Mobilily comes in different flavoursThe other big announcement of the night was Windows Phone 8.1, which as expected, complements nicely what Windows 8.1 is offering. Both are likely to be pitched together to companies as a seamless, natively integrated ecosystem. Devices using Windows Phone 8.1 can also be used as a second (or third) display. Handy given that some of them like the Nokia Lumia 1520 are big enough to be used as, say a notification or a Skype screen. Enterprising moveA blog post by Microsoft's Erwin Vissser mentions other enterprise-grade capabilities like a built-in MDM client, improved security, S/MIME for Secure Encrypted Email, Assigned Access, enhanced App management, Certificate Management, Enterprise VPN and Wi-Fi. As a standalone product though, Windows Phone 8.1 doesn't bring much to the table. Microsoft has improved integration between Windows on both phones and PC. Little things like theme colour or apps downloaded will sync across Windows 8.1 and Windows Phone 8.1. The big announcement though is for developers, who will now be able to code apps that run across all Microsoft platforms (PC, tablets and smartphones) regardless of whether they are x86 or ARM-based thanks to the new Visual Studio 2013 Update 2 RC development suite. The plan, as Kevin Gallo of Microsoft puts it succinctly, is to get Windows applications to run on anything from the Xbox One to "Internet of Things" devices using a common runtime, which will expand the reach of developers to desktop users.        | | Vodafone dials up UK investment with 150 new stores Apr 3rd 2014, 14:00, by Stu Robarts 
Vodafone has announced that it will open 150 new shops and create 1400 new jobs across the UK over the next 12 months. The move will bring Vodafone's investment in the UK to £1 billion during 2014. Vodafone, which was recently identified as the worst of the UK's four major mobile providers in a report by Rootmetrics, is one of the biggest mobile providers in the UK and serves over 19 million UK customers. The company is aiming to provide indoor and outdoor 2G, 3G and 4G coverage to 98 per cent of the UK population by 2015. The newly opened shops will bring the total number of Vodafone outlets in the UK to over 500. The company is also looking to develop its work with partners organisations as a means of delivering its services. UK workforceVodafone's UK Chief Executive Jeroen Hoencamp said in a statement that the firm wants to maintain a high-street presence. "Our £100 million retail investment this year will increase our ability to serve our customers better with highly skilled personal advice and support in 150 brand-new locations," said Hoencamp. UK Prime Minister David Cameron acknowledged his support of the investment. He said: "This is a fantastic vote of confidence in the UK workforce from a company investing for the future to harness the next generation of digital services."   | | Computer system project failure puts NHS 24 helpline on life support Apr 3rd 2014, 10:10, by Nick Farrell 
A £27 million BT/CapGemini computer project which was supposed to help NHS patents get better care has ground to a halt. The Scottish Herald is reporting how a technology package for NHS 24 should have been ready to use by more than 700 frontline staff across four major call centres last autumn, is broken and is unsafe to deploy. What this means is that an easy-to-remember freephone number for NHS 24 has been delayed and there is still no date for introducing the IT system, which was intended to provide a better service, increase efficiency and save money. NHS24 NHS 24 handles about 1.5 million calls from patients every year. The service wanted a new computer system for managing interactions with patients BT provided the hardware and Capgemini was responsible for the software. The system was expected to make calls with patients swifter and give NHS 24 more flexibility to adjust the way it works. The continuing costs of running the technology were also set to be lower, saving money. The introduction of the system has been delayed after "various issues" were identified during tests which made it "unsafe" to deploy. InvestigationLabour health spokesman Neil Findlay has lodged a series of questions in the Scottish Parliament about circumstances at NHS 24 and has called on Holyrood's Health Committee to investigate. He is worried that no one knows what additional costs are being incurred by the taxpayers. We do not know how long the delays are and what the consequences for the service are of such delays. The Scottish Government has lent NHS 24 more than £20 million in the past two financial years to prevent the service from going into the red as it has invested in the new system.   | |
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