Salesforce, Deloitte try to flog contact-tracing wares to a UK public sector that's already got a £12bn test-and-trace system

Salesforce has teamed up with sprawling consultancy Deloitte to peddle COVID-19 contact-tracing software to UK local authorities. This is despite the UK government already pledging to support local authorities with a £12bn test-and-trace system that Deloitte helped build for an undisclosed sum, along with Serco and Sintel. …

[macjules]

Shocked?

You shouldn’t be. I have seen Deloitte marched off the premises of a client only to reappear under the guise of a ‘competing contractor’ for exactly the same job several weeks later.

Kill it. Kill it with fire is how you deal with the Deloitte Hydra.

[UCAP]

Re: Shocked?

Better still, nuke it from orbit - its the only way to be sure

[Teiwaz]

Sounds like...

Conspiracy to defraud the public purse or somesuch, (IANAL).

What with plagues, retreat of the ignorant masses to superstition and science denial, flat earths and entrenched political divides, we're already halfway back to the medieval, what's another fraudster trying to sell 'London bridge' a dozen times.

[Anonymous Coward]

Rumour has it that local test-and-trace teams using local nhs & other health/social service personnel are

out-performning the Serco-run national operation by a wide margin because, who'd have guessed it, they're local.

Presumably this is an attempt to level the playing field by making them use the same "support" system.

[tip pc]

“ Rumour has it that local test-and-trace teams using local nhs & other health/social service personnel are

out-performning the Serco-run national operation by a wide margin because, who'd have guessed it, they're local.”

Government actually wants local track and trace precisely because they are local.

National track and trace by Serco etc was/is needed as there was no other provision at the time.

[Anonymous Coward]

"Government actually wants local track and trace precisely because they are local"

Can you back that up?

Because a cynic might suggest that "private sector good, public sector bad" Tory dogma took precedence over doing the right and obvious thing: expanding and supporting the existing public health test-and-trace teams.

I can't wait for the taxpayer value-for-money analysis on the £12bn spend.

[Potemkine!]

Are you.... local?

[Kane]

"Are you.... local?"

There's nothing for you here!!!!!

[two_cents]

We've learnt from our mistakes....

... and this time we'll get it right. Pinky promise!

[SloppyJesse]

Re: We've learnt from our mistakes....

We've earnt from our mistakes....

FTFY

[RM Myers]

Deloitte trying to double dip - why not?

Just because you milked Bessie the cow yesterday, doesn't meant you can't milk her again today. Obviously, Deloitte sees the UK government as a cow with full udders, which can be very uncomfortable for the cow, and is trying to "ease" the pain.

I suppose a more appropriate analogy might be a "pig eating at a trough", but I think Crapita already has a trademark (service mark?) on that phrase.

[Kane]

Re: Deloitte trying to double dip - why not?

"pig eating at a trough"

Big man, pig man

Ha, ha, charade you are

You well heeled big wheel

Ha, ha, charade you are

And when your hand is on your heart

You're nearly a good laugh

Almost a joker

With your head down in the pig bin

Saying 'Keep on digging'

Pig stain on your fat chin

What do you hope to find

Down in the pig mine?

You're nearly a laugh

You're nearly a laugh

But you're really a cry

[Anonymous Coward]

Consultancies!!!

Typically on a win win.

When consultancies start talking to management stupid changes that only benefit the consultancies follow.

I assume they offer their services initially for free and then rake it in subsequently.

Consultancies also like to provide resource to their customers by way of enthusiastic teenagers with no experience and commanding bonkers day rates.

[Tempest]

Re-Inventing the wheel. A fully functional Track & Trace is operating in many countries

Google and Apple swallowed their respective egos and cooperatively developed Track & Trace software. IT IS SITTING IN YOUR HAND PHONE NOW.

All that is required is a for a national organisation to establish a minimal support infrastructure.

On my Android hand phone, my App shows the nearest infection is over 100 kilometres away in Da Nang. When I venture into the larger cities I can alter the map scale and see any infections with 500 metres.

There is little to be done to implement the scheme, just a will to serve the population - something the present government is unwilling to do to help the people.

[Anonymous Coward]

Kudos to the civil service

Generously accepting years of declining pay (in real terms) has made a real difference to the lives of these struggling consultants who’d otherwise barely be able to afford a second Maserati. Your kindness will ever be forgotten.

[Caff]

excel based

hmm looks like that covid tracking system needs an upgrade...

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-54412581?fbclid=IwAR1tp2yEvxu5YT7-odOPACf1fy_k-0R1nD8eDGM0YiJ-foCVZHD1BbtbRxo