Mobile Media Is Key

Capital Ambition’s “London Mobile Portal Event” at Prospero House (241 Borough High Street), on Tuesday, was a “sell-out”. There were excellent presentations from Geoff Connell on the PSMP (which I understand is to be rebranded “MyLoBo”), Gill Elderfield on Mobile DirectGov, Gary McFarlane on “Blue Badge Finder” and accessibility, Hans Grefte on ReportIT, and Vince Tooke on TfL’s perspective on the future of mobile information services.

The presentations, except for Gary’s (which I believe is to be added) are on the London Councils site at http://www.londoncouncils.gov.uk/capitalambition/events/event.htm?pk=62 There is an excellent short video about the “BlueBadge Finder” and “BlueWatch” applications at http://www.bluebadgefinder.com/ These will shortly be featured on the PSMP. Gary highlighted the overwhelming advantage of mobile portals for people with disabilities. Whereas 32% use a PC, 85% use mobile ‘phones.

In her presentation, Gill demonstrated that mobile media is key. Over 30% of the UK population are using mobile media every month, and the latest year-on-year growth of mobile search is 36%, compared with just 8% for PCs.

Following coffee, discussion groups were formed to consider the general mobile portal requirements of Londoners, and collaborative opportunities and next steps. Each group presented its feedback, which is providing the initial content for a new GovX Collaboration Space (membership required) to continue to discuss and develop ideas.


The Identity & Passport Service published its Safeguarding Identity Strategy two weeks ago. This is an important and overdue contribution to the Information Assurance and Security agenda, which I urge IT professionals to familiarise themselves with; not least, because it’s among the tools we have to better inform the public about what identity is and why it’s important to protect it. There’s a useful timetable of next steps on pages 26/ 27.

Ian Cooper helpfully summarised, among other things, the “key selling points” in the Socitm Futures GovX Space; I hope he doesn’t mind my plagiarising his summary:-

In future, everyone should expect to be able to:

• register their identity once and use it many times to make access to public services safe, easy and convenient;
• know that public services will only ask them for the minimum necessary information and will do whatever is necessary to keep their identity information safe;
• see the personal identity information held about them – and correct it if it is wrong;
• give informed consent to public services using their personal identity information to provide services tailored to their needs; and
• know that there is effective oversight of how their personal identity information is used."


“Northgate passes public sector 'late payments' on to own suppliers.” No (further) comment.


I forgot to mention that, at last week’s Local CIO Council, I resigned and nominated Geoff Connell as my successor, which was agreed.


On Monday, I wrote to Glyn Moody & Charles Eales with regard to the debate that was to have happened on Tuesday night, saying “in the circumstances (of my impending retirement) I would prefer that you continue with the planned debate in private. I will not be in a position, or think it right to, influence any decisions in Newham going forward... Obviously, you must deal with any reporting from the meeting in whatever ways you think fit”. Glyn replied to let me know that he was just drafting an e-mail to Charles about how to take things forward, and Charles later replied to say Glyn had cancelled the meeting, but still planned to write a piece on Open XML and the ISO process, but offered sight of the article before publication, and to include a Microsoft response – which seems very fair.