2024 in public sector tech: AI, small cells and digital twins
All the technology headlines you should have seen from the past 12 months, gift wrapped.
2024 will forever be remembered as a big one. Few calendars have witnessed more global elections, and on UK soil even less have delivered results with such a convincing mandate for change. The same, of course, can be said over the pond in the USA.
Honing in on local, rather than central governance, and change has been the only real constant. This year, we’ve seen the dawning realisation that we now live in an age of hacking and cybersecurity threats on a previously unimaginable scale – hence the focus is now on how data is used, stored and distributed at a council level.
We’ve also seen an exponential rise in digital twins. These closed environment replicas of real world IT infrastructure allow for reform to be implemented, tested and assessed for impact without the risk of actually going live, and from the NHS to Calderdale Council, the results have been impressive.
Artificial intelligence [AI] has been the biggest story of 2024, though, as public services and sector organisations look to machine learning as a means of driving greater levels of efficiency. The main issue is that skills gaps prevail, and risk setting progress back significantly, while procurement processes are outdated, often overly complex and frequently stand in the way of using smaller, more innovative companies in favour of larger firms.
Beyond all that, we saw more and more areas look to connectivity solutions for hard to reach demographics, for example through digital exclusion initiatives, while many highly urbanised areas such as Manchester have begun experimenting with small cell mobile technologies in a bid to overcome congestion at peak times and in busy localities.
That’s the overview, but what about the month-to-month? Ahead of the silly season finally kicking into action and many of us heading off for a week or two of well-earned leave, we’ve trawled through the last 12 months to bring you the biggest, most innovative and important public sector technology stories our news team have covered since January. You can find them all below.
25% drop in emergency admissions from care homes thanks to app
Opinion: Bolstering cybersecurity defences in local authorities
DWP ‘digital confidence’ study offers insight into effective online service provision
Cybersecurity lessons from Leicester City Council, MP and Electoral Commission attacks
Children’s relationship with online world – new Ofcom report
Skills gaps leave government departments in weak buyer position
Ofcom publishes draft codes of practice on children’s safety online
AI doctors ‘significantly’ improve hospital patient outcomes
Insecure password led hackers to 440,000 Hackney Council files
Glasgow City Council looks to artificial intelligence for traffic management
Stockport Homes, Virgin Media O2, TSA enhance Digital Voice switchover telecare
Why switching from VPNs to ZTNA could protect the public sector
Regulatory Innovation Office established by Science Secretary
Opinion: Cybersecurity best practice – how councils can navigate the risks
Half of Scottish local authorities have plans for assistive tech telecare
National Databank access expands to overcome digital exclusion at Christmas
Information Commissioner publishes review of two-year public sector technology trial
Image: The Chaffins via Unsplash
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