Considering the records of some of these companies with government contracts you'd think they'd be off the short list.

Ah well at least we know that with them in charge buggering the system up, our freedom is at least safe!

Let it be EDS.

...I don't see Fasthosts as one of the top 5?

..iSoft. Whoever it is, it will be a disaster for which we'll be paying for years.

That's the best news about the national ID system that I've heard in a long time.

Not only is the government shortlisting a bunch of companies which have spectacularly screwed up previous major IT projects, but it looks like the work will be split between several of them, which pretty much dooms the entire thing to utter and complete failure.

The only down side is that the companies involved will end up with billions of pounds of OUR tax money before the project is written off as a disaster.

Personally, I don't mind, as a contractor it will give me plenty of work to do on a system that will probably never be rolled out properly *polishes golden wheelbarrow*

I thought they were serious about delivering it. Now that the short list has been narrowed down to Koko, Lulubell, Pongo, Spanky and Gabo with a track record of floppy shoes, red noses, and miniature cars with eccentric wheels, it's clear this is just a little light entertainment to cheer us up!

Will they shoot the home secretary out of a canon?

Can you name one government project, that that lot have ever delivered to original budget and original schedule? Just one?

Ahh, but we laugh at their antics, that's the important thing. 900 million for a prisoner tracking system, haha, 2.3 billion to merge 3 army databases, lol, what characters! The laughter is worth the billions in wasted IT budgets.

50 Show interest paired down to 10 to move forward. Could it be that only 8 applied usual spin.

Who in the government is getting the back-hander's that allows EDS to continue to be considered as a capable provider of IT - EDS couldn't manage the CSA and now they're going to be allowed to expand to cover the UK. Can someone name that tosser?

Accenture : Bid with a few good staff, replace with cheap graduates, swamp project. Project overrun but they are so good at the commercials it'll end up costing the taxpayer billions.

BAE Systems : Project overrun. Should be good on security. Will they bribe their way onto the shortlist ?

CSC : Company going down the pan, staff leaving in droves, low morale. Just what's needed...

EDS : How, for F**ks sake, did they make the shortlist with their track record? Project overrun but they are so good at the commercials it'll end up costing the taxpayer billions

Fujitsu : Quality. However, not good at influencing government, won't make the shortlist.

IBM : SOA everyhere. Technology purity will kill the project. Project overrun but they are so good at the commercials it'll end up costing the taxpayer billions

Steria : Won't get past the shortlist, how did they make it through so far ?

Thales : They provide much of the IT/Comms for Network Rail. 'nough said ?

If EDS. why not Groucho, Harpo, Zippo, Chico and Gummo?

Mike.

I was of the opinion that giving the contract to EDS would a good thing because it would mean that ID cards would never see the light of day

Then I realised that they will make like they did with the CSA and Tax Credits software. Roll it out even though its complete shite and unfit for purpose.

You may well find plod beating in your door down in the middle of the night because EDS' shitty software cross-referenced your DNA with a terrorist crime scene.

Nex thing you know, MI5 will have renditioned you to some 3rd world shithole so they can apply electrodes to your gonads until you confess.

I bet HMRC are saying "Please, Please, PLEASE Let it be EDS" as well. Isn't their compensation from the last SNAFU by EDS based on what contracts EDS are awarded in the future?

csc...

god help us

> Let it be EDS.

Heh, yes indeed. Then it will never happen AND be tens of millions over budget. Another super NuLabour bargain IT deal...

I say, outsource it to Estonia - they have ID card scheme up and running and could probably do it here for £100M or LESS.