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The Government Digital Service (GDS) has been set up to deliver world class digital products that meet people鈥檚 needs and offer better value for taxpayers鈥� money.

The new service was first created in August following Martha Lane Fox鈥檚 review of the government digital estate and brings together six parts of government digital services in one place.

Speaking at yesterday鈥檚 launch event, Minister for the Cabinet Office, Francis Maude, said:

The GDS will be the centre for digital government in the UK. It will transform the way people access government information by using digital technology to deliver services that put the user first and give them the smartest and most cost-effective service possible.

I鈥檇 like to thank Martha Lane Fox for helping us to kick off our journey to make our services 鈥榙igital by default鈥� and for her continuing support.

Mike Bracken, co-founder of Mysociety and former director of digital development at Guardian News and Media, has been appointed as Executive Director of GDS.

, Mike Bracken said:

The government in its wider sense now has a digital home, and it鈥檚 from here we can help drive a new generation of digital public services. Cross-government working, for so long an abstract concept, is starting to happen around this digital centre. And we will continue to throw our doors open to suppliers and partners.

. The mission at GDS is attractive to digital experts and public policy specialists alike and we are starting to see new skills take root within Government.

Creating an environment for technology leaders to flourish鈥� is one of our key principles, and we are starting to live up to it.

GDS has already had a number of successes in the four months it has been operational, including the e-petitions service. Nearly 3 million people have now signed an e-petition, with six petitions either having been or scheduled for debate in Parliament.