09/20/2012 (press release: DPRi) // Iain Bruce
SCC has identified the strategic use of technology from VMware, the global leader in virtualization and cloud infrastructure, as a key factor underpinning the company’s success in becoming the first UK provider to gain Pan Government Accreditation for its new Secure Multi-Tenanted Cloud service (SMTC), the cornerstone of OptimiseCloud™.
The technology solutions brand of SCH – Europe’s largest independent IT Group – became the first to capitalise on strong initial interest in cloud computing from a range of public sector organisations when it was revealed last month that nine of the firm’s services had been awarded full IL2 and IL3 accreditation. With the platform’s first customers already signed up and set to go live before the end of the year, the company has revealed that VMware technology is a key enabler in its delivery of Secure Multi-Tenanted G-Cloud services to the UK Government and Health Services.
“Implementing an ICT solution for any UK government department or health authority presents a number of challenges to any service provider. The biggest of these being the initial implementation and on-going maintenance of the security provision. This is further complicated when you are handling sensitive and confidential data at restricted level,” said Rhys Sharp, SCC’s Public Sector CTO.
“The opportunity to provide cloud services to the public sector is huge, but the approach you need to take when designing, building and accrediting a solution needs to be extremely precise. In such scenarios, VMware’s technology stack allowed us to create a secure multi-tenanted cloud platform that conforms to the most demanding security needs of the National Technical Authority for Information Assurance (formerly CESG) while still having a flexible and affordable Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) offering.”
While the UK government has strict guidelines for implementing security for G-Cloud, SCC believes that the easily accessible, well-defined and clear processes for adhering to those rules undermine arguments that the current accreditation process is too complex. The firm believes that by implementing the range of best practice solutions already available to the market, the opportunity to supply VMware-powered cloud services to government customers is potentially huge.
Andy Tait, former Cabinet Office G-Cloud Deputy Director and now Head of Public Sector Strategy at VMware, commented: “We’re delighted to have contributed to SCC’s significant achievement of securing Pan Government Accreditation for these initial cloud services. This achievement has generated a lot of excitement across the public sector, and represents a highly significant landmark in Britain’s race to create a new generation of highly secure, flexible and cost-effective IT services, that will enable the continued transformation of Public Service IT delivery.”
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