The Post Office has announced the appointment of two new suppliers, Accenture and One View Commerce (OVC), to manage its controversial Horizon IT system, eventually replacing Fujitsu.
These firms have been awarded contracts to operate the existing system and develop new technology for the postal service’s accounting needs.
The Horizon system lies at the heart of a protracted scandal that led to the wrongful prosecution and conviction of approximately 1,000 individuals across the UK between 1999 and 2015.
Faulty versions of the accounting software, previously run by Japanese firm Fujitsu, erroneously indicated financial discrepancies at Post Office branches, implicating sub-postmasters.
Victims have since received around £1.5 billion in compensation through various schemes.
Despite the widespread scandal, the Post Office has continued to utilise different iterations of the software, recently extending its latest contract until March 2027.
However, the organisation has stated its intention to transition away from Fujitsu and the Horizon system as swiftly as possible, with plans to develop an entirely new replacement.
The new contracts will see Accenture and OVC take over operating Horizon, while also working together to build the technology it hopes to replace the system and can be used by postmasters in the future.
Fujitsu will continue to support the work until its formal exit, and there will be no immediate changes for staff or in Post Office branches.
Fujitsu has faced sharp criticism from a group of MPs for failing to contribute financially to the nearly £1.5 billion redress bill for victims of the Post Office Horizon scandal.
Parliamentarians are also demanding urgent action to quash convictions predating the notorious Horizon system.
The Business and Trade Committee (BTC), tasked with scrutinising government departments, identified “serious structural failings” within the compensation process.
This comes despite over 11,500 claimants having received approximately £1.48 billion by 27 February, through various schemes established to compensate postmasters affected by the faulty Horizon software.
The overall cost of redress is projected to reach around £2 billion, once legal and administrative expenses, alongside payments for the earlier Capture system, are factored in.
The BTC said progress had been made in delivering redress to victims, but that thousands of sub-postmasters were still waiting for compensation.
