Government claims new public sector IT plans will save billions of pounds
The Government will create a public sector computing 'cloud' where public bodies will be able to choose from and host applications. It hopes that its new ICT strategy will be cheaper and more environmentally friendly than the existing setup. The strategy involves the creation of a single public sector telecoms network; a cloud of applications, called the G-Cloud; a rationalisation of the Government's data centres; and a standardisation of the IT infrastructure and the processes carried out on it.
The Government claims that its new strategy could save £3.2 billion a year from 2013 onwards. "The government will create one secure, resilient and flexible network which will enable every area of government to adapt their ICT to best deliver for the public," said a statement from the Government's Cabinet Office. "Other changes include, for the first time, bringing together Government departments, local government and wider public sector organisations to remove unnecessary overlaps between departments and avoid costly duplication of technology."
"We have seen a period of significant change over recent months and years. Technology has changed, the economy has changed and ICT in government must also change," said John Suffolk, the Government's chief information officer. "This strategy sets out a new model for Government ICT which will deliver a secure and resilient ICT infrastructure that will enable faster, better services for the public."
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