Scotland launches digital strategy

Scotland's government expects to significantly extend high speed broadband across the country by 2015. It hopes eventually to have higher speeds than the rest of the UK. The broadband target is part of the government's digital strategy, launched by culture minister Fiona Hyslop on 3 March. Titled Scotland's Digital Future: a Strategy for Scotland , the document says there is great potential for the Scottish government to work with other public sector organisations to deliver improved public services through digital technology. One example is the Scottish government-backed Customer First programme. According to the government, digital investment as part of Customer First has released more than £30m a year by allowing people to make online transactions. The Scottish government is currently exploring how to bring together information about public services effectively. Its DirectScot portal, currently in a prototype phase with a beta-site launch planned for 2011, aims to improve access to public services and information by providing a single convenient access point. A significant challenge facing the public sector in Scotland is how to preserve the immense and growing investment in digital assets over the long term, particularly as much public business is now carried out in digital form only. Hyslop said: "There is a clear role for the public sector in realising Scotland's digital future - widening access to services online, encouraging increased digital participation and coordinating the rollout of next generation broadband." UK digital champion Martha Lane Fox said: "Today's launch is another step forward in the Race Online 2012 ambition to achieve a networked nation. "I look forward to working with the Scottish government to help inspire, encourage and support as many new people as possible to get online by the end of the Olympic year." This article is published by Guardian Professional. For updates on public sector IT, join the Government Computing Network here.