The amount spent on information technology by governments globally is set to grow 6.5 per cent annually to $557.3 billion in 2022 as they accelerate spending on digital transformation amid the pandemic, US research firm Gartner has said.
Modernising the existing IT infrastructure and applications as well as digital government transformation will remain high government priorities in the coming months, the Connecticut-based consultancy said in its latest report.
Other areas of investment include spending to improve customer and employee experience, strengthen analytical capabilities and scale operational agility.
“Governments will continue to accelerate investments in digital technologies to respond and recover from the continuing evolution of public health uncertainties due to the Covid-19 pandemic,” Irma Fabular, research vice president at Gartner, said.
“The disruptions caused by the pandemic have also reinforced a key digital government tenet, which is public policy and technology are inseparable."
The Covid-19 economic assistance funding packages – such as the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act announced in March and the $955.7bn Next Generation EU fund agreed to in July last year to support European Union member states hit by the pandemic – will drive the funding, Gartner said.
The funding will focus on areas such as digital enablement, including support for sustainable growth, social programmes, cyber security education and digital inclusion.
Next year, governments will allocate 64 per cent of total IT spending to services and software to boost “responsiveness and resilience” of public services.
The IT services will see the largest outlay among six sectors highlighted, totalling $203.9bn or almost 37 per cent of the total spending, the report said. The remaining $353.3bn-plus will go towards upgrading software, telecom services, internal services, devices and data centres.
Covid-19 has amplified the need for governments to rapidly scale IT infrastructure to respond to the unprecedented public demands. Gartner estimates that by 2025, more than 50 per cent of government agencies will have modernised critical applications to ensure a robust resilience and agility in their operations.
“Governments are rethinking their public cloud strategies to accelerate IT modernisation, improve efficiencies and increase data security,” Ms Fabular said.
The pandemic has also intensified the need for adopting citizen digital identity as a critical element to digital government transformation.
“Digital identity is moving beyond authenticating citizens online and signing remote transactions … to raise the chances for greater adoption of digital identity, governments must treat privacy, security and user convenience as critical success factors,” Ms Fabular said.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
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GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
What is blockchain?
Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.
The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.
Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.
However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.
Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
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'How To Build A Boat'
Jonathan Gornall, Simon & Schuster
more from Janine di Giovanni
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Transmission: seven-speed automatic
Power: 400hp
Torque: 560Nm
Price: Dh234,000 - Dh329,000
On sale: now
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
LILO & STITCH
Starring: Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Maia Kealoha, Chris Sanders
Director: Dean Fleischer Camp
Rating: 4.5/5
Kat Wightman's tips on how to create zones in large spaces
- Area carpets or rugs are the easiest way to segregate spaces while also unifying them.
- Lighting can help define areas. Try pendant lighting over dining tables, and side and floor lamps in living areas.
- Keep the colour palette the same in a room, but combine different tones and textures in different zone. A common accent colour dotted throughout the space brings it together.
- Don’t be afraid to use furniture to break up the space. For example, if you have a sofa placed in the middle of the room, a console unit behind it will give good punctuation.
- Use a considered collection of prints and artworks that work together to form a cohesive journey.
