Friday 3 September 2010

Directgov Review

Martha Lane FOxQuestion 1: Central Government’s objectives in digital delivery

In my view the government's objectives in digital delivery should be improved efficiencies, enhanced customer service levels and increased economic benefit. A leaked NHS Review (TechEYE.Net, 6 Aug 2010) claims one third of 4,121 NHS websites failed to meet accessibility standards. However it is the volume, not quality, of these sites which concerns me most. Users are sensitive to opportunity cost when consuming media. Their preference is for quality content delivered from a recognised brand made available through multiple channels (Communications Market Report 2010, Ofcom).

I would argue: There should be a government brand which identifies trusted content or services which meet agreed standards of accessibility, usability and security.

This would allow third-parties to provide digital services and websites on behalf, or funded independently, of government. However the proliferation of websites, identified by the NHS review, has an opportunity cost for customers. A website which fails to win an audience, or funding, in the private sector is removed. There needs to be comparable mechanisms in the public sector which closes failing channels.

To identify how the government should engage with customers online I would apply the tests of efficiency, service level and delivery: If information can be distributed, or transactions completed, online at lower cost than offline a case should be made for digital delivery.

Many customers choose not to engage with Digital Britain. Fixed broadband remained static in 2010 at 65% of households (Ofcom). The report also records clear differences between the media choices of older(+55) and younger consumers (16-24). There must be clear evidence the intended consumers of digital services or content are active users. If a new channel is proposed ongoing costs of marketing the service must be included.

Question 2: Who should do what?
The salient question for government should be, who can deliver this content or service most effectively to the user? Engagement with young people might be effectively undertaken via social networks, travel information distributed via context aware mobile devices, consultation through hyper-local sites maintained within local communities. The role of government, in an environment where customers use multiple channels to meet discrete needs, is to ensure content and services meet agreed standards of accessibility, usability and security.

Question 3: Sharing the platform
Any platform, provided by Central Government, must compete on cost and functionality with third-party solutions. Government should not raise artificial barriers which prevent the public sector from benefiting from innovation and cost efficiencies.

Question 4: Trends in digital delivery
The key trends I would identify are mobility, knowledge management and brand extension.

Tuesday 24 August 2010

Public achieves 'more for less'

Ofcom's Communications Market 2010 Report provides an annual snapshot of how we consume media in the UK.

I was struck by multiple findings which demonstrate the public is sensitive to the opportunity costs of media consumption. Spending half their waking hours engaged in media and communication activities consumers have adopted multi-tasking and convergent devices to compress over nine hours activity into a single day.

Consumers reduce costs by selecting triple play services (voice, broadband and TV) however price is not the only driver. Half of all users sited 'the convenience of dealing with one supplier' as an additional factor in this choice. Further evidence for consumers' sensitivity to opportunity cost is provided by the stagnation of internet telephony. Skype offers cost savings over fixed line telephony but the complexity and limitations of the service reduces its attractiveness to consumers.

The opportunity for broadcasters, advertisers and service providers is to fill the 4.5 hours per day not spent communicating with other people. Ofcom found limited appetite, beyond social networking, for user generated content. Consumer preference is for quality content from a recognised brand available through multiple devices.
The Communications Market Report (Ofcom, 2010) provides compelling evidence that fewer public service channels with stronger brands could achieve 'more for less'.

Tuesday 18 May 2010

Brand wars


The latest Fiat 500 is a Windows car.
The pearlescent dashboard conceals a brain designed by the accountants of Microsoft. Not that I'm complaining the eccentric voice controls add to the retro charm.
Microsoft's mission is to 'help people throughout the world realise their full potential'. Quite reasonably the car believes I could improve my driving technique. Alarmingly it does this by turning off the engine when I pull put into traffic. A very Microsoft solution which I've ignored by switching off the computer but what if intelligent devices could learn?
Dr Arkin, of the Georgia Institute, has developed an Ethical Architecture which enables pilotless drones to share data on the destructive effects of their weapons with other machines. The intention is to limit civilian deaths, creating a machine consciousness which will participate in the attack decision of human operators. The drone analyses the consequences of its actions and learns from its mistakes.
The Fiat experience suggests Microsoft's values would pervade their 'software conscience'. We could speculate an Apple or Google AI would be guided by alternative views. 'Why join the navy if you can be a pirate' Steve Jobs. 'Some say Google is God. Others say Google is Satan. But if they think Google is too powerful, remember that with search engines unlike other companies, all it takes is a single click to go to another search engine'. Sergey Brin.