SCC and IBM launch new cloud platform for UK Government G-Cloud

LONDON, United Kingdom, 26 April 2012: SCC, Europe’s largest independent IT Group, announces today it has selected IBM hardware and software to help improve citizen services by creating a Secure Multi-Tenancy Cloud (SMTC) for CloudStore, part of the UK Government's G-Cloud programme. The UK-hosted cloud platform, created and managed by SCC, aims to deliver a diverse set of low cost business and technical services, ranging from back office processes to specialist government services, with high levels of security for public sector organisations.

Launching on 30 June 2012 the SMTC will offer scalable services and capabilities on a pay-as-you-go model. These will have been pre-accredited by UK Government from providers which currently include IBM and shortly a range of SME's. The cloud platform will be completing the Government's Technical Risk Assessment, it will be IL3 accredited delivering high levels of security and approved to hold restricted information. This can give public sector organisations the confidence and flexibility to deliver new solutions quickly and efficiently, without undertaking a lengthy procurement process or investing in new infrastructure.

For the cloud platform SCC selected IBM blade server hardware designed to be highly flexible and resilient, while keeping power consumption to a minimum. SCC also selected a range of Tivoli software and Storwize V7000 storage technology solutions, for their ability to scale and achieve high levels of security and cost effectiveness. Working together, SCC and IBM will also tailor a range of Software as a Service (SaaS) and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) solutions designed purely for public sector organisations.

“Our relationship with IBM will deliver to G-Cloud customers a range of highly scalable, robust and secure solutions at a much reduced cost said Tracy Westall, SCC’s UK Public Sector Director. “SME's will also be able to offer their own innovative solutions via an enterprise grade infrastructure that would previously have been out of their reach. It’s a win-win situation.”

“As the future of government service provisioning continues to change, SCC's cloud platform strives to open new doors to productivity and innovation for public sector organisations said Jan Gower, Vice President, Public Sector, Health and Life Sciences, IBM UK and Ireland. “IBM expertise and technology sit at the heart of the SMTC which can enable the public sector to select smarter services that match their business requirements. Together SCC and IBM will continue developing and expanding the SMTC whilst supporting additional services from SME's to ensure a full range of providers are represented.”

SMTC will launch by offering a range of IBM software packages including:

• BlueWorks Live is designed to make organisational processes more efficient by automating processes which are currently done manually. Teams can collaborate by logging onto a central system to see exactly what tasks have been completed, what tasks are currently being worked on and what tasks still need attention.
• Predictive analytical software is designed to help analyse and spot trends in data that organisations already own on young people who are Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET) at impact level 3 (IL3) security. Having a better analysis of young people can potentially enable organisations to identify education, training and employment opportunities helping to reduce unemployment in communities.
• Data management software is designed to enable organisations to get a single view of the citizen by connecting disparate pieces information across departments, programmes and agencies. Having a complete picture of the relationship can potentially improve service to the citizen while cutting fraud and waste.
• SCC and IBM will also work to adapt a range of off-the-shelf solutions for cloud delivery to the public sector.