The main driver for adopting cloud computing is the potential to deliver cost savings as well as agility, increased productivity and efficiency improvements. The capability to deliver better service for less. However other significant business benefits can also be realised by adopting cloud to include quicker and easier procurement, improved quality of service and greater security.
- Reduced costs: cloud computing is now an integral part of the government’s ICT Strategy. It transforms ICT from a high-risk capex item to a business enabler. By using cloud computing to store, manage and process data, you can reduce or remove the need to use your own local servers or dedicated servers provided and managed by a third-party.
- Reduced risk and increased agility: cloud solutions from assured providers can quickly and easily flex and adapt as requirements evolve and don’t lock you into long-term contracts. Most established service providers do not charge any set-up costs or enforce any minimum contract term.
- Quicker, easier procurement: through compliant frameworks such as G-Cloud, services can be contracted, ordered and set-up in hours or days rather than months. The G-Cloud Framework complies with the OJEU and is regularly refreshed to ensure that the best that the market has to offer is available to the UK public sector.
- Consumption-based commercial models: your exact requirements can be met cost-effectively, such as 8×5 rather than 24×7 availability; and you can cater for unpredictable workloads with no need to over-provision. With usage-based pricing, costs are transparent, giving you the ability to accurately track costs and budget.
- Adherence to government policies: by implementing a cloud solution you adhere to initiatives such as Cloud First. The drastically reduced procurement and deployment times offered by cloud services can also support reduced application development lead times as you migrate transactional services online in-line with ‘digital by default’ standards.
- Greater security: there is no requirement to manage extensive and often scattered or disparate in-house resources; instead the onus is on service providers to meet the high levels of data centre, service and data security required and to be able to provide evidence of their capability to handle data classified as OFFICIAL.
- Greener solutions: cloud solutions offer reduced energy consumption, sustainable procurement and better hardware utilisation. Some cloud providers also have CarbonNeutral® Company status and operate data centres with a low carbon footprint and low PUE rating. Some services are also certified as CarbonNeutral® cloud services.