After 16 Years, 'Interim' CTO Finally Eradicating Fujitsu and Horizon From the UK's Post Office

Source: Slashdot

Overview

The UK Post Office’s interim CTO is leading the effort to remove and replace Fujitsu’s Horizon system, described by Computer Weekly as “the error‑ridden software that a public inquiry linked to 13 people taking their own lives.”

Current Plans

Computer Weekly spoke with the new CTO, Paul Anastassi, about his roadmap to eliminate every trace of Horizon—used in Post Office branches for over 30 years—before 2030.

“There are more than 80 components that make up the Horizon platform, and only half of those are managed by Fuj Fujitsu,” said Anastassi. “The other components are internal and often with other third parties as well.”

The plan includes introducing a modern, device‑agnostic front end:

“We want to get away from the need to have a certain device on a certain terminal in your branch. We want to provide flexibility around that…”

Anastassi, who brings 30 years of IT management experience, estimates the project will generate “a considerable cost saving over what we currently pay for Fujitsu.”

Historical Context

• 2015: The Post Office launched a project to replace Fujitsu and Horizon with IBM technology. The initiative became complex, and directors reverted to Fujitsu. (source)
• High Court ruling: Horizon was found responsible for the account shortfalls that led to sub‑postmasters being blamed and punished.
• New Branch IT (NBIT) project: Intended as a Horizon replacement, but encountered difficulties and was eventually cancelled. (issues) (cancellation)

These efforts predate Anastassi’s tenure and the current executive team.

Timeline

• Summer 2024: Two separate contracts with new suppliers are expected to be signed, marking the start of the final phase for Fujitsu and Horizon.
• By 2030: Complete removal of the Horizon system from all Post Office branches.

For further reading, see the Computer Weekly article on the step‑by‑step eradication of Fujitsu and Horizon: Eradicating Fujitsu and Horizon from the Post Office – step by step.