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Richard Steel
Currently president of local government IT managers group SOCITM, Richard Steel is also the CIO for Newham Borough Council, the East London region which will host the 2012 Olympics. Formerly he worked with large city banks, but having made the switch to the public sector, he has not looked back. A keen blogger and enthusiast of British sports cars, Steel is a regular speaker on issues surrounding the CIO role in the public sector. A full profile of his career can be read here
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August 03, 2009
Signing off
It is time to retire my Blog
Today is my last working for Newham and so, for now at least, after well over 300 entries since starting at the beginning of 2007, it's time to...
Posted by: Richard Steel
July 30, 2009
Under a cloud
Defined what we mean by “Unified Communications"
Wednesday started with a self-inflicted headache after I attended, on Tuesday evening, 2e2's annual reception hosted by Lord St. John of Bletso on...
Posted by: Richard Steel
July 27, 2009
Continuing my Swan Song
Digital telephony convergence/ security will also be on the agenda
Geoff asked me to review ICT pay and allowances in the light of the present economic environment, so that's what I've been doing, this week, and...
Posted by: Richard Steel
July 16, 2009
Too much flexibility
Our recent response to the Digital Britain report
On Monday Glyn Moody wrote in Linux Journal of his having agreed with Microsoft to cancel the planned discussion of the OXML ISO standardisation...
Posted by: Richard Steel
July 12, 2009
Reinvigorating public sector unified communications
We should focus on the long-term UC requirements
There's been a lotin the computer press, this week, about Google's announcement that it will launch its "Chrome Operating System". E.g. "Google OS...
Posted by: Richard Steel
July 08, 2009
Mobile Media Is Key
Capital Ambition’s
Capital Ambition's "London Mobile Portal Event" at Prospero House (241 Borough High Street), on Tuesday, was a "sell-out". There were excellent...
Posted by: Richard Steel
July 06, 2009
Moving on
A lot can change in a year
Friday's combined Central & Local CIO & CTO Councils meeting was mainly about ICT and the Operational Efficiency Programme. How can we cut...
Posted by: Richard Steel
July 03, 2009
Dining with the father of the web
Whatever your views about national ID cards and a�database state�, joined-up public sector infrastructure remains a key service enabler
I've had one or two conversations with Microsoft and Buying Solutions colleagues about what was to happen to the PSA09 licensing deal. The...
Posted by: Richard Steel
July 02, 2009
Help beat this Microsoftie
Engage more proactively in driving Government transformation
Here's an interview with Phil Pavitt, who will shortly be moving to the HMRC, which I'm expecting will be one of the most transformative events in...
Posted by: Richard Steel
June 28, 2009
Investing in our future
Earlier this week, Richard Carde (by teleconference) John Stockwell and I were involved in a discussion with Andre Tytheridge (2e2) about progress...
Posted by: Richard Steel
June 25, 2009
Short enough to be a tweet
It's great to see that Martin Ferguson and others are continuing a lively Socitm Blog. For me, this represents the best means of keeping...
Posted by: Richard Steel
June 23, 2009
Information, innovation & improvement
The problem with e-Government was always that Government somehow created the impression that this was the opportunity for a supplier "feeding...
Posted by: Richard Steel
June 20, 2009
An important customer service channel
On Tuesday 7th July there's to be a London Public Mobile Portal event at Prospero House (241 Borough High Street), which will include presentation...
Posted by: Richard Steel
June 18, 2009
All change
The racing at Le Mans was great, with Peugeot diesels winning for the first time, and a great performance from a new Aston Martin LMP1 Team, but...
Posted by: Richard Steel
June 10, 2009
Another sleepless night please
24 hour challenges of the government CIO
We're used to the occasional story of how, after 50 years, a war-time letter eventually finds its way to the intended recipient. Well I think I've...
Posted by: Richard Steel
June 05, 2009
Musical chairs
Top CIOs on the move in London
Congratulations, Phil Pavitt on your move to the HMRC. Thanks for the great work at TfL. I hope we can sustain and build on that, and continue a...
Posted by: Richard Steel
June 04, 2009
Taking a break from strategy...to strategise
I'm on a mission to evangelise ICT as our saviour from recession
I see that the Government has committed to funding research into ultra-fast broadband. This can't be about squeezing still more capacity out of...
Posted by: Richard Steel
May 29, 2009
Safety in numbers
Sad news and the positive side of insourcing - it works
Today, along with a number of other Newham colleagues, I was at the funeral of Paul Bull, our Printing & Reprographics Manager who had bravely...
Posted by: Richard Steel
May 27, 2009
Onwards and upwards
The budget is looking pretty healthy
Well, I completed a first draft of updated Newham ICT Strategy, yesterday, but I'm anticipating a lot of feedback requiring more work on detail......
Posted by: Richard Steel
May 20, 2009
Please don't put the kibosh on transformation
Transformational Government strategy must be guided by an over-arching vision of public sector security
The Cabinet Office published its annual Transformational Government Progress Report, last week. It has produced this useful poster to highlight...
Posted by: Richard Steel
About the author
Richard Steel
Currently president of local government IT managers group SOCITM, Richard Steel is also the CIO for Newham Borough Council, the East London region which will host the 2012 Olympics. Formerly he worked with large city banks, but having made the switch to the public sector, he has not looked back. A keen blogger and enthusiast of British sports cars, Steel is a regular speaker on issues surrounding the CIO role in the public sector.
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