IT business in British post office scandal benefitting from outsourcing in Canada

January 29 2024

Very last 7 days, a senior executive from IT outsourcing company Fujitsu admitted that the enterprise had a “moral obligation” to assist compensate victims of the Post Business IT scandal in the United Kingdom. Fujitsu was responsible for Horizon, the IT technique at the centre of the scandal. But at the similar time Fujitsu’s role in this appalling scandal is remaining exposed, the firm is continuing to earnings from governments outsourcing IT providers, which includes governments in Canada.

Countless numbers wrongly accused of fraud because of to flaws in Horizon method

In the 1990s, a selection was taken to use a P3 privatization scheme to establish a new IT technique for the post places of work in the United kingdom. A Fujitsu subsidiary that was then acknowledged as ICL acquired the P3 deal to develop the program recognised as Horizon.

Significant problems with Horizon meant that many sub-postmasters were being demonstrated as owning income shortfalls when in point their publications had been balanced. Neither the Submit Office or Fujitsu acknowledged that there ended up difficulties with Horizon. As a substitute, over 3,500 sub-postmasters were wrongfully accused of fraud. More than 900 faced legal prosecutions, with several remaining jailed and some committing suicide. Even people who didn’t encounter felony prosecution had been typically left with big debts as a final result of faults made by Horizon.

Federal and provincial governments have provided Fujitsu contracts for outsourced IT expert services

Problems continue for Fijitsu. The contracts Fujitsu has obtained from governments in Canada involve a controversial contract for a pupil information technique in British Columbia. Fujitsu was offered an exemption from a person of the specifications the method was meant to fulfill. But a faculty district that was in the system of building a community alternate to the Fujitsu process was explained to that the need was required.

Currently Fujitsu is a single of IT outsourcing corporations associated in the federal government’s Gains Shipping and delivery Modernization programme (BDM). This application is meant to produce a new process to be utilized for Canada Pension Approach, Outdated Age Protection and Employment Insurance policies payments. Canadians, particularly seniors, count on profits from these courses.

A huge problem for Canadians is are we likely to have confidence in a company that has presently created an IT technique that was so flawed that it remaining thousands of people staying falsely accused of fraud and then the company assisted address up what experienced transpired?