UK Government CIO Council

The UK Government’s CIO, John Suffolk, announced the establishment of a UK onshore, private Government Cloud Computing Infrastructure called G-Cloud. In essence the program will include Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), Middleware/Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS). In relation to SaaS the government would establish a Government Application Store. There are six government initiatives that have sparked the creation of this cloud computing plan: Standardize and Simplify the Desktop; Standardize Networks; Rationalize Data Center Estate; Deliver on Open Source, Open Standards and Reuse Strategy; Green IT; & Information Security and Assurance. In addition to these six existing initiatives the G-Cloud will also help the government improve: Shared Services, Reliable Project Delivery, Supplier Management, and Professionalizing IT Enabled Business Change.

Programs
Resources

Government Products & Programs

G-Cloud

The UK Government’s CIO announced the establishment of a UK onshore, private Government Cloud Computing Infrastructure called G-Cloud. In essence the program will include Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), Middleware/Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS). In relation to SaaS the government would establish a Government Application Store. This plan is supported by the UK Government’s Digital Britain initiative.

UK Government ICT Strategy

The need to continue to transform public services and to use ICT to enable transformation of the way the public sector runs and operates has become more pressing. As the UK public sector has responded to increased and increasing demand within this complex technology arena, it has built an ICT infrastructure that in many instances duplicates solutions across different areas of government. The ICT Strategy will ensure that this infrastructure now goes through a process of standardisation and simplification, to create a common infrastructure designed to enable local delivery suited to local needs. Delivery will increasingly be through partnerships between the public, private and third sectors, and this strategy focuses on providing the greater interoperability necessary to underpin this model.

Resources

Paper: G-Cloud Vision
March 23 2010
Phase 2 of the G-Cloud Programme (Oct 2009 to Apr 2010) was led by the Cabinet Office and included representatives from over 10 Government departments who headed up work packages involving some 100 volunteers from a broad spectrum of ICT suppliers. Following peer review a series of documents were finalized to define how the public sector could utilize the Cloud Computing approach to ICT delivery and explore what benefits and challenges this approach would create.

Paper: G-Cloud Commercial Strategy
March 23 2010
G-Cloud Commercial Strategy

Paper: G-Cloud Strategic Outline Business Case
March 23 2010
G-Cloud Strategic Outline Business Case

Paper: G-Cloud Implementation Strategy
March 23 2010
G-Cloud Implementation Strategy

Paper: G-Cloud Service Management, Organisational Structure and Governance
March 23 2010
G-Cloud Service Management, Organisational Structure and Governance

Paper: G-Cloud Service Specification
March 23 2010
G-Cloud Service Specification

Paper: G-Cloud Technical Architecture
March 23 2010
G-Cloud Technical Architecture

Paper: G-Cloud Founding Principles
March 23 2010
G-Cloud Founding Principles

Paper: The UK Government ICT Strategy
January 23 2010
The need to continue to transform public services and to use ICT to enable transformation of the way the public sector runs and operates has become more pressing. As the UK public sector has responded to increased and increasing demand within this complex technology arena, it has built an ICT infrastructure that in many instances duplicates solutions across different areas of government. The ICT Strategy will ensure that this infrastructure now goes through a process of standardisation and simplification, to create a common infrastructure designed to enable local delivery suited to local needs. Delivery will increasingly be through partnerships between the public, private and third sectors, and this strategy focuses on providing the greater interoperability necessary to underpin this model.

Article: Government Cloud
June 22 2009
The UK's Government CIO, John Suffolk, gives an overview of their ten strand approach to building a government cloud (G-Cloud) program. He discusses the initiatives that led them to adopt a cloud computing strategy and how it will include Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions. He also talks about establishing a Government Application Store.