Pennies from heaven
The government has said it is going to create a public-sector cloud computing system, the G-Cloud, which could save £3.2 billion a year from 2013 onwards.
"Cloud computing" is a word with a definition as fuzzy as clouds themselves, but in this case it means rationalising the UK's public sector computing infrastructure by creating 10 to 12 data centres around the UK. It is also proposing the creation of a centralised application store where public sector bodies could pick and choose from reusable software modules, saving approximately £500 million per year in procurement costs. It would also ensure all public sector workers would share a common desktop design saving a further £400 million per year.
Will these plans live up to the marketing-speak promises, or will it be another expensive state-run project that tries to impose one model on all departments? Government track records on IT spending are not impressive, whatever party is in power, but the freedom of information act does give a clearer idea of where some of that spending goes.
In a recent answer to an FOI request, the Department of Health reported that it spent £2.7 million on Google Adwords over the past 12 months. Although they did not disclose what adwords they are using, it appears "Health Information" and "Stop Smoking" are the most likely candidates. The DOH also revealed that it spent £18,000 on font licenses over the past year.
DEFRA has disclosed figures which show it paid out around £8 million over the last two years to civic society groups which were "conveying the correct message about global warming". This included the production of three computer games for schools, one of which, LogiCity cost £150,000 and another Cycling Hero, reportedly cost almost £300,000 to produce. The Tax Payers Alliance has calculated from quoted usage figures that this worked out at a cost of £47 for each time a game was played. For an excellent report from the Tax Payers Alliance and the full list of groups receiving your money for promoting the government message, please see:
www.taxpayersalliance.com/CCF.pdf
www.taxpayersalliance.com/CCFevaluation.pdf
26th February 2010
This article comes from the SKILLZONE email newsletter, published monthly since January 2008, and covering topics related to technology and the internet. All articles and artwork in the SKILLZONE newsletter are orignal content.