IBM Interactive Experience, the world's largest digital agency, will design and build a Mobile Ready Portal tailored for many different user types allowing access from PC, Android and iOS devices. The improved interface will give NHS employees easier access to new and existing HR services including mobile, expenses and e-learning. The project will also lay the foundation for future service enhancements including increased central business intelligence reporting using dashboards, alerts and collaboration tools that will help improve performance while helping reduce costs. A critical tool for the National Health Service in England and Wales, the ESR provides payroll, learning and talent management and the centralization of workforce information. It also provides a range of other services covering human resources.

"Improving performance and driving greater efficiencies are major priorities for the national health service today. As demands on the NHS continue to grow, it continues to seek improvements that ensure quality and availability of services for patients," said Simon Humberstone, Head of Healthcare for Europe, IBM Global Business Services. "By introducing technologies that will further enable the NHS to expand its data analytics capabilities, alongside the latest online collaboration and social learning tools, knowledge will be more easily shared, clinical outcomes improved and performance levels increased."

The five year agreement was signed in December 2014 following a competitive tender. Following the transition from the current supplier, IBM, in partnership with the NHS ESR Central Team will manage and run the service beginning later this year.