Back in 1998 the percentage of households in the UK with internet connectivity was below 10%. That figure now stands at around 90%. In the 90s Microsoft's stated ambition was to put a PC on everyone's desk. Google and Apple are now well on the way to putting a smart device in everyone's pocket.
Digital technology is affecting the way we all live and work.
We are redefining what it means to interact and democratise access to information and we are entering a new era that will have a transformative effect on the design and delivery of public services. It's never been easier or cheaper to connect and share.
In this new digital era the ‘rule of the people' can be felt more quickly and heard more audibly than ever before.
E-petitions enable citizens to influence government and the Parliament directly. If an e-petition gets at least 100,000 signatures it is considered for debate in the House of Commons. Estonia became the first nation to hold legally binding elections over the internet with a pilot project in 2005 followed in 2007 by its full parliamentary election.
Embracing digital technology will enable the public sector to improve services whilst reducing costs – doing more with less. The UK government's digital by default agenda is just the first step on this journey.
It's about recognising that citizens are digital users and making it easy to engage. Don't make them come to you. You must go to them. Reuse existing platforms like Facebook and Twitter. Your users are already there. Make it easy for them and you.
Access to data and the ability to extract the information locked within it is leading to an increased understanding of the world in which we live.
However, there has been a backlash against the public sector in relation to trust in handling of sensitive personal information.
While initiatives like care.data have the potential to unlock a huge amount of value by helping the NHS become smarter, unless the general public can be reassured that public sector organisations can handle personal data securely and ethically, they are doomed to fail.
Where sharing personal information has proved difficult, open data efforts have been more successful. Transport for London opened up various data feeds. Innovative companies then stepped in and developed applications that gave TfL customers real insights into service provision and resulting in significant improvements in overall service. This initiative has delivered a return on investment of over 50:1.
The public sector has an opportunity to demonstrate how best to share information using open standards in the best interests of citizens through intelligent behavior. That's how trust will be built.
Our understanding of democracy is changing. The public sector must embrace this change. It must play an active part to achieve a more inclusive, intelligent society that delivers better outcomes for people.
Neil Logan is chief technology officer for Lockheed Martin
