Joe Dignan, Chief Analyst, Public Sector Technology

The third iteration of the UK government’s cloud store is about to go live, so what has changed and what is likely to happen next?

The good news is that we appear to have reached the end of the beginning for G-Cloud, with the Cabinet Office reporting sales of £18.2m going through the first two procurement frameworks, G-Cloud i (Gi) and G-Cloud ii (Gii).

The delay in getting G-Cloud iii (Giii) up and running is apparently due to there being 50% more suppliers and a much greater diversity of offerings. The increase in volume has caused the small G-Cloud team issues in sending out award letters.

However, the government has finally agreed on a “public cloud first” policy. This policy is something that the G-Cloud team, led by Denise McDonagh, has championed and it is a game-changer in a number of …