UK Government Cloud?

So, it looks like the UK Government really may go for cloud. The Carter Report, "Digital Britain", includes a number of references to cloud computing and particularly the use of cloud computing in Government - the fabled G-Cloud. I've quoted a paragraph from the report below.

"The establishment of a G-Cloud will however require investment in
technical development and physical facilities, and the CIO Council and the
Intellect Public Sector Council are now developing the strategic business
case to justify funding the G-Cloud. Provided that this business case can be
properly developed, the adoption of the G-Cloud will be a priority for
Government investment to secure efficiencies, even within the very
constrained framework for public expenditure, over the next 3 years."

The nice thing about this paragraph is that they've even put some timelines in there - 3 years. I don't know about you, but I always feel that things are more likely to happen once people put numbers in timelines rather than aspirational references to the future.

The Carter Report, coupled with the well-publicised posting by John Suffolk to the Cloud Computing Interoperability Forum (CCIF) (see http://groups.google.com/group/cloudforum/browse_thread/thread/c75cde1d7c519363) is all very positive for the adoption of cloud within HMG. But what really makes me believe this is a serious initiative? Well, according to several reports in the IT press Martin Bellamy (formerly Head of Connecting for Health) has moved to the Cabinet Office primarily to look after the G-Cloud strategy - a significant investment by HMG at this time of budget cuts. Watch this space :-)

[Disclaimer: I am a small part of the CIO Council/Intellect Public Sector Council work referenced above so may well have an interest or two here].