back to article Capita still squats on top of the UK's software and IT services heap

Even in its darkest hours, Capita still clung to its status as the top UK supplier of software and IT services (SITS) for 2017 – though largely because its next nearest rivals played a stinker. Shiny new Capita boss to UK.gov: I know you are but what am I? READ MORE Everyone's favourite outsourcing badass – Capita for the …

  1. Zog_but_not_the_first
    Facepalm

    Shirley...

    "Capita still clung to its status as the top UK supplier of software and IT services (SITS) for 2017 "

    Missing an "H"?

  2. Tom 7

    Massive losses you say?

    Do I smell another government bailout on the wind? That would be a nice collection of shit software that could go tits up without some govmnt help if the contractor points out the huge wholes in the contract they got the idiot in charge to sign

  3. jms222

    Chisholm trail

    Our council had contracted Carillion to manage https://www.greatercambridge.org.uk/transport/transport-projects/chisholm-trail/ along with Tarmac. Luckily Tarmac have taken over their part (i.e. the actual work) but guess who the council have got in to do "management".

    The local Chisholm Trail has been discussed for decades (along with re-opening Chesterton Sidings as Cambridge North which has finally happened) and should be great when done.

    I regret not standing up at the last local meeting I went to and asking that without meaning any disrespect to the people present what does the council intend to do when Capita go the way of Carillion.

    1. Death_Ninja

      Re: Chisholm trail

      Ironically, Carillion were actually a demerged part of Tarmac...

    2. Korev Silver badge

      Re: Chisholm trail

      The local Chisholm Trail has been discussed for decades (along with re-opening Chesterton Sidings as Cambridge North which has finally happened) and should be great when done.

      Are they still talking about reopening Cherry Hinton station too? Or even turning the "Misguided Bus" into a proper railway again?

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Chisholm trail

      I regret not standing up at the last local meeting I went to and asking that without meaning any disrespect to the people present what does the council intend to do when Capita go the way of Carillion.

      Regardless of who does it, if I read your link correctly, it involves the spewing of over £8m of public money to open a 3.5km foot and cyclepath. Apparently this will link two railway stations (!), and Addenbrookes Hospital and reduce congestion and pollution. Maybe all the nurses on twelve hour shifts can cycle to work, as they won't be able to afford the hospital car park changes anyway?

      Anybody thinking that this money will cut congestion is thinking with their rectum. All the local foot and cycleways I can think of have had the same spurious eco-logic, all have been barely used, and the money spent has simply evaporated. Really is about time the public sector stopped pissing money up the wall on eco-junk. I'd guess half the money's gone on shite like feasibility studies, impact assessments, public consultations using loaded questions, and the marketing graphics that all use twee little picture of a parent and child cycling side by side, because (after all) it is about the children.

      1. davenewman

        Re: Chisholm trail

        Since Cambridge has the highest proportion of journeys made by cycles in the UK, how can cycle tracks not be used? Any evidence for your claim that they aren't used? In Oxford, with the second highest rate of cycling, the cycle paths are heavily used to get past the standing traffic of those idiots who insist on bringing cars into the centre instead of using the park and rides.

  4. Crisp

    How do you get a job with these people?

    I imagine writing software is a lot easier if it doesn't actually have to work.

  5. macjules

    Correction..

    Everyone's favourite outsourcing badass – Capita for the absence of doubt – misappropriated £3.484bn from UK taxpayers

    There, FTFY

  6. kyndair

    outsourcing, making the world a worse place one deal at a time*

    *where the outsourcing is required to ensure day to day business not some specialized help required on an occasional basis

  7. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    should start calling it Capitaint.

    haw haw

    i'll get my coat.

  8. }{amis}{
    Pirate

    The Institution?

    I have to wonder about Capata their reputation as a bunch of corrupt pirates has long been established, at this point, there can be nobody who deals with them who is not aware of this fact so why are they being hired?

    I feel at this point they are being hired as the government's hatchet men after all with their reputation what's one more scandal?

    1. Aristotles slow and dimwitted horse

      Re: The Institution?

      "there can be nobody who deals with them who is not aware of this fact so why are they being hired?"

      It's a very good point, and one that needs answering. I can only imagine it's due to either laziness or baksheesh, or... because by the time these Government initiatives come to the actual procurement and tendering process they are already massively behind the timescales as stated in any party manifesto, annual budget or such like - so it's easier and quicker for Mr. Civil Servant to select them as a known quantity (albeit a shit one) rather than anyone else; because anyone else new would have probably been throttled by all of the procurement red tape and bureaucracy by that point.

      I'd also imagine that despite what the ITT Procurement rules actually say, Capita probably have a distinct advantage in preparing tender responses and access to key Government persons that they have leveraged from other engagements.

      I'm probably wrong though.

    2. Zippy's Sausage Factory

      Re: The Institution?

      I have to wonder about Capata their reputation as a bunch of corrupt pirates has long been established, at this point, there can be nobody who deals with them who is not aware of this fact so why are they being hired?

      In my experience, government thinking goes as follows:

      5. They have three years of audited accounts, therefore they are eligible.

      4. They are not the most expensive option, therefore they are not overcharging.

      3. They are not the cheapest option, therefore they are providing a quality service.

      2. If something goes wrong, we can take them to court instead of holding elected officials to account.

      1. Everybody else is using Capita, therefore they must be the best.

  9. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Capita, Civica, Northgate all of a muchness.

  10. John Smith 19 Gold badge
    WTF?

    "The plan to do "fewer things better" –

    How about doing 1 thing well.

    That would be a start.

    Maybe.

    I'm not sure there is one thing they do well (apart from generate the paperwork needed to run government con-tracts).

  11. N2

    The Crapita winning formulae...

    Bid really low

    Deliver crap, usually late

    Explain that it will take more time & money to fix

    client is so deep in it, they agree

    repeat above two steps as required

  12. EnviableOne

    when will they learn

    C(r)apita, DXC, IBM, Accenture, Tata Consultancy Services, Sopra Steria, De-merged Capita, and De-merged Xerox

    S2D2

    All fail to deliver and mostly just re-contract to sub-contractors

    if HMG went straight to the sub-contractors they'd save money

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