However, there are some clear challenges for the next government – possibly the greatest for a generation – and IT can provide many of the solutions.

The most obvious of those challenges is restoring growth to the British economy. With a disgraced and more highly regulated financial services industry, politicians will search for recovery in new sectors. How we present our industry will be vital to securing sympathetic policies.

A paper that Intellect recently submitted to the chancellor suggests that about five per cent of the government’s current expenditure is on IT. However, intelligent use of IT can help deliver huge potential savings to the other areas. Freeing up public servants from routine tasks and allowing them to focus on more high-value and fulfilling activities can improve productivity significantly. It is fair to say that IT in government suffers from some significant image problems. However, efforts to reduce the government’s deficit should provide an opportunity to demonstrate the value of IT.

Perhaps the biggest challenge will be to reduce the UK’s carbon emissions. The IT industry has its part to play in minimising our use of resources through measures such as improved energy efficiency. However, we can make a much greater impact on the world if we focus on IT as a way to enable people across the world to do business in a more resource-efficient manner.

This perspective was backed up by the European Commission, which recently estimated that IT-enabled improvements in other sectors could save about 15 per cent of total carbon emissions by 2020, with particular benefits for building and construction, transport logistics and energy use.

Written by John Higgins

Computing, 09 Dec 2009

John Higgins is director general of Intellect. Read the blog at http://intellect.computing.co.uk