This blog is now closed
This blog is now closed
The Import and Export Licensing team has been using different channels to communicate its work, so we will no longer be updating this blog.
Licences aren't just for businesses
Import and export licences aren’t just for businesses - private individuals need licences too, for a variety of reasons. Sports teams, amateur hunters, historic military vehicle owners, nature watchers (with night vision goggles) and many more need export licences to …
Ahead into beta
After the successful conclusion of the first stage of development (the ‘alpha’ phase), our project to upgrade the SPIRE licensing service to further promote responsible international trade will move to a more in-depth period of development. During this ‘beta’ phase, …
Help us with our search survey
During development of the replacement for the SPIRE import/export licensing system, we might have mentioned once or twice that we need your help.
Surveying your needs
We have created a short, anonymous survey to collect information about your digital requirements, preferences and how you use the internet. As part of our project to replace SPIRE we want to understand how best to help all SPIRE users, …
Halfway through alpha
Alpha phase takes place before beta and going live. We focus on testing and increasing our service quality, fixing critical issues and altering some features in response to early feedback. Eight weeks of alpha development have come and gone. The …
Spreading the word of import/export licensing
Not every government service gets the best press and few would deny there have been a few slip-ups in recent years. The import/export licensing blog is designed to keep you informed about progress on SPIRE’s replacement, so we can get …
Our technology choices
As we move from Discovery to Alpha we are now starting to test our technology options. This blog explains why we have chosen OpenStack, Ansible, Docker containers and Kubernetes. In the last 15 years the technology community has seen the …
QR codes and licence validation
An important aspect of export licensing is the ability of customs officials to check whether goods are being taken out of the UK under a valid licence. This is one of the challenges of the new import/export licensing system; currently …
Searching for alpha
Two weeks of calm after discovery, and suddenly the controlled mayhem of alpha is upon us. For the next phase of the import/export licensing project, which is yet to have had a shiny new acronym bestowed upon it, our previously …
A prototype to end Discovery
So cheerio, Discovery. It’s been quite the ride, each of us clutching the side of our fairground teacup for dear life as the new import/export licensing system barrels towards Alpha and the serious development to be found therein. Discovery is …
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