The level of cloud penetration in the UK public sector is growing, and government customers are striving to build their own private clouds – these are the findings of the research “Cloud services in government” conducted by New Cloud Technologies and the IT Support Services. About 2/3 of the surveyed government customers are already using or are planning to use cloud software. The advantages of Network Security Services solutions to respondents include ease of use (76%) and cost-effectiveness (66%). More than one-third of total public sectors customers consider cloud services reliable and secure. On the part of the surveyed authorities, more than 40% confirmed the use of cloud software.
As part of a study by Network Security Services an analysis of tender documentation was conducted on the government procurement website and other open sources, as well as a telephone survey of IT Support Services experts representing hundreds of government clients. The experts were the heads of IT departments, their deputies, as well as heads of relevant structures.
The penetration of cloud services is growing globally; according to forecasts by Market Research Media, by 2020 global government spending on cloud technologies will reach $ 118 billion (with an average annual growth rate of 6.7%). Cloud services are becoming an important part of government IT development strategies. For example, in the US, federal agencies spend on clouds more than 5% of the total IT budgets. Over 70% of this amount goes to private clouds.
The main barriers to the development of cloud technologies in the UNITED KINGDOM, respondents to the study “Cloud services in government” called the risks associated with information security. Representatives of the public sector note the lack of control over the service, which is on the side of the provider, as well as technological incompatibility or complexity of the integration of legacy IT systems with cloud solutions.
There are organizational difficulties associated with changes in the approaches and processes of implementation and use of IT Solutions during migration to the cloud. State structures are distinguished by significant conservatism and high inertia.
Regional respondents point out the lack of funding for launching cloud services, limiting communication channels and, mainly, the insufficient level of development of broadband access.
Nowadays, 60% of the surveyed regional structures confirm the use of cloud services or migration plans. The most advanced regions in terms of using cloud solutions in the public sector are Birmingham, Nottingham, Derby, West Midlands etc.
During the study, the following conclusions were made:
1. The most common types of cloud software among the organizations surveyed are electronic document management systems and data storage services (about 80%). More than one third also use mail, bookkeeping and video conferencing from the cloud.
2. About one-third of those surveyed reported an increase in the volume of consumption of cloud services lately. SaaS penetration is expected to increase.
3. Respondents who plan to use cloud software focus on information storage services (56%), as well as collaboration tools and EDMS (38%).
4. More than a third of respondents believe that the infrastructure of their organizations is 100% ready to use cloud services. More than 50% say their willingness is quite high.
More than one-third of respondents use public cloud services in their work, of which Dropbox and Google drive are most often mentioned.
The introduction of cloud-based software by British ministries and departments is motivated by the foreign policy and economic situation in the UK. Against the background of the general trend of e-government development, governments are forced to optimize costs, including for IT services.
Stable prices for cloud services in national currency are one of the key factors in the growth of the cloud market. Price stability has led to an increase in the total share of local suppliers in the market.
In a survey of government analysts formed the top 5 requirements for the provider of cloud solutions:
1. Ensuring absolute availability (maximum level of continuity)
2. Ensuring the highest possible level of information security
3. Availability of certificates and licenses confirming compliance with the standards and requirements for working with the public sector (including a data center)
4. Financial stability
5. The location of the entire cloud infrastructure in the UK
Published By: IT Support Nottingham
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