The government's e-envoy has warned that the public sector will be increasingly demanding of IT suppliers as it continues to work more closely with the private sector. Speaking at the launch of the BuyIT e-procurement network's new guidelines for reverse auctions, Andrew Pinder said he would not tolerate suppliers that do not put their best people on government projects.

A US electronics manufacturer piloting Microsoft’s BizTalk Accelerator series has said it lacks documentation, orientation and scalability. The software lets purchase orders be exchanged between processes defined by public standards and a company’s internal business processes. www.microsoft.com

The Welsh Assembly says it is pleased with the expressions of interest to take over the construction of its parliamentary building. It will invite bids from early next year. The undisclosed list of potential bidders includes the Richard Rogers Partnership, the original contractor sacked in July amid allegations it underestimated the project's budget.