July 7, 2010 by Matt Thomas
A recent release of figures under the Freedom of Information act has revealed that the government is spending up to £40,000 on applications for the Apple iPhone. Information released suggests that tens of thousands have been spent on development for the gadget, to improve governmental procedures.
Applications which have been developed include a tool to assist jobseekers in finding work, and software developed for the Foreign office which provides travel advice. Just weeks after the government announced they would be slashing expenses incurred due to poor website management, the data revealed has surprised industry experts. The Central Office of Information recently announced that the government had spent over £100m on website development and maintenance last year.
When asked by the BBC to comment on the expenditure incurred by iPhone application development, the Home office refused to comment, saying that this would contravene security protocol by revealing too much information.
The DVLA have commissioned the most expensive application for the iPhone – a tool which shows people how to change a wheel. This has cost £40,000. The DVLA commented: “We want to make it as easy as possible for motorists to renew their car tax, tell us about a change of address or update their driving licence, meaning they stay safe and legal to drive. This would also bring benefits for DVLA, for example by reducing the number of reminders that need to be sent out. We considered how an application could help with this but no final decisions have been taken and the app, for now, is still in development.”
Other areas of mass expenditure include the NHS, who have developed a drink tracker and smoking cessation application. The Jobcentre have spent over £32,000 on application development.
The government have announced that any future spending on iPhone applications will be subject to strict controls.
Related posts:
