No, Fujitsu did not subcontract Infosys for U.K.'s emergency alert system

Context

Social media posts falsely claim that the U.K. emergency alert test carried out on April 23, 2023, was subcontracted by Fujitsu to Infosys. Infosys is an IT consultancy firm founded by N R Narayana Murthy, father of U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s wife, Akshata Murthy.

One such post with a picture of U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak reads, "Here's a funny story... The phone alert on Sunday, which cost the tax payer millions was contracted to Fujitsu. They subcontracted it out to a company called Infosys. A woman owns it... here's a picture of her husband." The post has garnered over 200 shares.

Akshata Murthy owns a 0.93 percent stake in Infosys, which her father founded. However, allegations that Sunak awarded his wife's company the contract are false.

In Fact

There is no evidence to prove that Infosys was subcontracted for the emergency alert service. In October 2022, Fujitsu was publicly awarded a contract worth up to £1.6m to manage the technical delivery and operational support for the alerts system with the possibility of its value reaching a maximum of £5m upon approval. Cabinet Office minister Baroness Neville-Rolfe said, "I do not have information on other procurement contracts, but I can tell the noble Lord that, in the year that has just finished, we paid Fujitsu £1.6 million for the alerts contract."

A spokesperson for Fujitsu confirmed to Logically Facts that "Fujitsu did not subcontract any of its obligations under the Emergency Alert contract to Infosys."

Speaking to Full Fact, a spokesperson for Infosys stated, “Infosys has not been involved, directly or indirectly, in the creation of the U.K. government emergency alert system.” Logically Facts has also reached out to Infosys for a comment. This story will be updated if and when we receive a response.

According to a report by The Guardian, the system was built by U.S.-based company Everbridge. The company has worked on similar technologies for countries like Germany, Spain, Denmark, Norway, and Estonia. In a press release in March, Everbridge stated that the emergency alert system is "being powered by Public Warning Cell Broadcast technology developed by Everbridge, the global leader in critical event management." In March 2022, the Cabinet Office signed a one-year deal worth £19,500 with Everbridge, granting access to its critical event management software. Last month, a new three-year deal worth £60,750 was signed. However, it is unclear whether the contract is directly related to the emergency test.

While Infosys has previously collaborated on projects, there is no evidence that the company is involved in the alerts contract. In recent years, Infosys has been awarded multiple contracts with public bodies for I.T. services, such as £1.7 million with Transport for London for the implementation partner for SuccessFactors Phase and between £300,000 and £4.4 million with the Care Quality Commission.

The Verdict

The contract for the U.K. emergency service alert was given to Fujitsu, and the company did not subcontract Infosys for the project. A spokesperson for Fujitsu confirmed that the company did not involve Infosys in the project. Therefore, we have marked this claim as false.