This week, the Cabinet Office has announced that the government’s G-Cloud online appstore, CloudStore, is now open. The CloudStore is an online database of over 1,700 information and communications services available to the UK public sector, representing a seismic shift in the way that the public sector purchases IT.

This initiative is part of the Government’s aim to increase transparency and encourage competition in the cloud marketplace, as well as increasing the efficiency of the procurement process, equating to the significant opening up of a previously limited pool of suppliers, which should ensure greater value for both the public sector and the suppliers.

IMGROUP, Microsoft’s Worldwide Partner of the Year in Business Intelligence and Data Management for four consecutive years, is one of the companies that has been awarded a Framework Agreement for the provision of G-Cloud Services, meaning it is now part of the G-Cloud supplier community.

IMGROUP has a broad customer base, including many public sector accounts and therefore are familiar with the business issues that such organisations can face; forced to achieve more with limited budgets. Previously, engaging with the Public Sector has always been constrained by the buying framework which was in place, allowing only a small number of companies to work with these bodies. The G-Cloud initiative levels the playing field by allowing IMGROUP to capitalise on its experience in this sector, and approach and be contacted by the Public Sector directly.

Cloud computing brings a range of benefits to many organisations in the present economic climate, providing all the vital business communication and collaboration tools required, without the up-front cost. The flexibility afforded by cloud computing gives organisations a crucial opportunity to outsource essential but non-core requirements to market, liberating the balance sheet and giving the business the opportunity to focus capital on core areas of focus, rather than IT services. A more open marketplace will mean that these benefits, which are routinely accessible and enjoyed by the commercial sector, will be more readily available to the public sector.

This is a huge opportunity for IT managers within public sector organisations, who are struggling with the “alchemy of how to do more with less”, giving them a chance to be seen as agents of innovation and change, rather than a cost centre. Many public sector IT budgets are eaten up with maintaining existing systems – cloud computing is an opportunity to redress these numbers, allowing investment in areas which will bring greater results.

IMGROUP is thrilled to have been selected as an approved G-Cloud supplier. This initiative has the potential to be a real game changer for both the Government procurement process and the suppliers themselves, and we are excited to watch how this development affects the cloud and online services industry.