Outsourcing could be the answer to the challenges posed to public sector IT by the recent spending cuts, reports Computer Weekly.

With the coalition government seeking to make ?6 billion in savings across the board next year, IT took a big hit with cuts totalling ?95 million announced.

Government IT departments are now fearing for their futures but with pressure growing for them to improve their operating efficiency, IT outsourcing could solve the problem, the tech news provider said.

“It is clear one trend we will see is a large increase in outsourcing by government bodies as they can no longer afford to manage IT in-house,” the website added.

It is hoped that outsourcing will help to soften the impact on public services and help deliver better value for money.

David Miliband, the shadow foreign secretary, said today (Thursday May 27th) that he was not certain the government had made the right decision to cut the public sector IT budget, according to ITpro.co.uk.