HM Revenue&Customs has become the first government department to sign a contract for G-Cloud storage services,which will see data moved from on-premise ssytems to the cloud.
Hampshire-based Skyscape Cloud Services has been awarded the contract to deliver cloud storage over Whitehall's own Public Services Network(PSN.)The shift to cloud will begin this autumn,with data from offices expected to fully be in the cloud by April next year.
HMRC's switch to cloud storage is predicted to save the department £1m a year.It'll also save energy in accordance with the government's green IT plans.
"The Skyscape contract is a major step for HMRC in moving away from traditional ways of working with large service providers,"said HMRC CIO Phil Pavitt.
"And it's a great example of how we're exploring smarter,more innovative solutions that make life simpler for us and help us provide a better deal for our customers,"he added.
Many organisations are reluctant to implement a cloud strategy,with some arguing that more case studies are needed to overcome concerns over security,for example.Government departments introducing cloud storage could therefore perhaps provide encouragement for those reluctant to store data in this way.
However,there are those who may never be convinced by the cloud,with Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak labelling it as"horrendous".
