U.K. NHS to switch to Outlook

The United Kingdom's National Health Service will be moving its internal e-mail and directory system onto Microsoft Outlook, according to supplier Cable & Wireless.

Cable & Wireless, which in 2004 took over responsibility for the NHSmail messaging system from its rival supplier EDS, announced on Friday that the system would undergo a "technology refresh" involving a transition from the existing core platform to Microsoft Exchange 2007. The switchover is planned for the spring of next year.

Around 260,000 NHS staff use NHSmail, which, although it is accessible from any Internet-connected computer, is a secure system for sending confidential patient information. It is believed to be one of the largest single-domain secure e-mail systems in the world.

In a statement on Friday, Cable & Wireless suggested that, although "the technology originally deployed was found to be the most appropriate solution available at the time… rapid advances in technology have meant that new and alternative options have become available which better meet the evolving requirements of the service".

"Cable & Wireless worked in partnership with NHS [Connecting for Health] on a feasibility study to establish the most appropriate technology solution moving forward, and, between us, we have concluded that, as a result of increasing demands for functionality and flexibility of use, Exchange 2007 offers the best option for an enhanced user experience," said Martin Goodman, managing director for public sector business at Cable & Wireless.