Civil servants at the Department of Work and Pensions were told today they are to get all-new new computer gear as the much criticised organ bids to slash £1bn from its annual expenditure through modernisation.

An internal email, kindly forwarded to the Reg, advised staff the department was going to be the government's "early adopter" of an all-VoIP phone network too.

Given the DWP's recent record on implementing IT, the wisdom of it leading the charge will undoubtedly be closely monitored.

The new Fujitsu-Siemens desktop machines will feature a 17" LCD widescreen, faster processors to crunch all those Child Support Agency snafus and, er, "powerful speakers". As our correspondent points out: "With regards to flat-screen monitors being ordered, this was advised LAST tie when new equipment was being ordered, but they didn't listen so now power bills are through the roof and many buildings need to have the air-con on full blast 24/7 to counteract the heat pumped out by 1200 CRTs!"

The gear is coming from "realigned" contracts with BT and government IT hooverer EDS, despite the problems at the CSA. Software is going to be delivered as a service in the new deal, paid for monthly rather than in a one-off product charge.®

Related stories

• Exclusive Gov u-turn sinks EDS's Indian outsourcing plans (5 November 2007)
• CSA 2.0: defaulting dads to have travel, ID, life switched off (8 June 2007)
• DWP told to come clean on IT (15 March 2007)
• IT waste extracted from UK.gov (31 January 2007)
• DWP ditches £141m IT programme (5 September 2006)
• DWP embarrassed by prisoner overpayments (21 August 2006)
• So farewell then, Child Support Agency (24 July 2006)
• Commissioner overrules DWP on ID report (12 June 2006)
• EDS to stay at CSA (17 February 2006)
• DWP's computerised call centres 'in meltdown' (25 November 2005)
• EDS re-inks deal worth £2.6bn with DWP (25 August 2005)
• Government IT contracts can make you cry: official (12 April 2005)