This paper considers the UK Government's major modernization programme for local government and its aim to use technology to bring about a radical transformation in the delivery of public services by joining up hitherto separate service departments and focusing the organization of services around the citizen. Drawing upon empirical fieldwork in the North of England, the paper seeks to shed light on the realization and operation of modernization and considers the issues of power and hybridity involved in the emplacement of new organizational configurations (`front office' contact centres and `back office' service departments) to handle citizen inquiries.