The Post Office has appointed Accenture and One View Commerce (OVC) as new suppliers to manage and eventually replace its controversial Horizon IT system, which has been at the centre of a major scandal. The firms will operate the existing system and develop new technology for the postal service's accounting needs, replacing Fujitsu.
The Horizon system, previously run by Fujitsu, led to the wrongful prosecution of around 1,000 sub-postmasters between 1999 and 2015 due to faulty accounting software that falsely indicated financial discrepancies. Victims have received approximately £1.5 billion in compensation, with the total redress cost expected to reach £2 billion.
Despite the scandal, the Post Office continued using Horizon, extending its contract until March 2027. However, it now aims to transition away from Fujitsu as quickly as possible. Accenture and OVC will take over operations and collaborate on building a replacement system for future use by postmasters.
Fujitsu will support the transition until its formal exit, with no immediate changes for staff or Post Office branches. The company has faced criticism from MPs for not contributing to the redress bill. The Business and Trade Committee also highlighted serious structural failings in the compensation process, noting that thousands of sub-postmasters are still awaiting compensation.
