One big contract

Some IT companies will benefit from Martha Lane Fox's report on the Government's next steps in online engagement with citizens - but many more will lose. The logical consequence of massive centralisation of systems is fewer flowers flourishing, with a turn to one big provider of software. Who will it be ? Last month Francis Maude signed a memorandum of understanding with Steria, the Paris-based IT specialists, already a key provider to many Government departments (also feeling their way round finance services for the BBC). But was it an understanding simply that their existing contracts would be protected, whilst a new lead provider is appointed - or that, from now on, they are in charge ?