The government has handed the post office £ 136m more in taxpayer's money towards its core technology transformation project. This is part of a total of £ 277m in “further” Funding which the government said Affected by Horizon Scandal.
The additional tech funding comes as just 11 months remains on its context with fujitsu, which supplies its controversial core branch accounting system.
Horizon, as the system is knowledge, is at the heart of a national scandal But looks set to stay for years to come with the post office makes changes to its it gradually, raather than in a “big bang”.
The government said the funding for the post office will help to support the bread of the network. “This will enable post office to deliver technology transformation and give the resources to continue administering redress payments to postmasters,” called a statement from post office, the DePART OF Business and Trade.
Post Office Minister Gareth Thomas Announced the Funding as He Outlined a New Appeals Process for Scandal Victims Unhappy that Financial Redress Setttlements did not reflects and sufflering.
The post office has stalled in its attempts to replace Horizon, which beCAME Necessary Folling The 2018 Group Litigation Order, When 555555 SubPostmasters LED by Sir Sir Alan Bates Post Oran Bates Post Offer System caused errors they were blamed and punished for. The post office laater embarked on its new branch it (NBIT) project. It promised in-House Developed Software to Replace Horizon.
But the program Ran Into Serious Problems. Computer weekly revled in may last year that a review by government project management experts at the infrastructure and projects authority (IPA) Rated the project as “currently unachievable“, With budgets balloning from £ 180m to £ 1.1bn and implementation being delayed by as much as five years.
In October, Computer Weekly Reveled That The Nibit system was set to be dumped In Favor of an off-the-shhelf Electronic point of Sale (EPOS) Alternative.
The post office scrapped its nibit project and has now replaced it with future technology portfolio (FTP). The post office said ftp “is a five-year plan to transform technology and data across post office. It is our aim that ftp will address technology Business, so it goes beyond just replacing Horizon. “
A post office spokesperson said: “We welcome the government's announsement today on funding, which includes up to £ 136m for our future technology portfoology in 2025/26. Strategically to ensure that we reduce Central Costs and Provide postmasters with the tools they need to serve their customers and run profile businesses into the futures. “
In December, Computer Weekly Reveled Post Office Plans To use a combination of existing Horizon Functionality, in-House Software and off-the-SHELF PLATFOMS as Part of a Tech Fusion. This would see Horizon Retained under the control of the post office, with software developed in-in-House, some of which was done under nibit, and off-to-shout sufware from supepliers.
Post office said it is moving to new technology service partners as part of the ftp and is using software developed in the Nibit Project. It has also confirmed it is working with the horizon system. Sources Told Computer Weekly THe post office is currently Installing New Hardware in Branches which will be used with Horizon.
“This is a five-year plan, and postmasters who are currently using Horizon need a system that is stable and reliable,” said the post office. So, in the short term, we are investment in software and hardware to make sure [Horizon] is fit for purpose and we will continue to refresh and enhance the technology that is available for postmasters and their customers. “
The Horizon Contract With Fujitsu has been renewed Several Times Over The Past Couple of Years, but the post office will have to take it in-in-house if it remain Japanese Supplier Finally Ends
The post office scandal was First exposed by computer weekly in 2009Revealing the stories of seven subpostmasters and the problems they suffred due to the accounting software (See Timeline of Computer Weekly Articles About The Scandal Bell).