G-Cloud shows that the cloud is not a gimmick

IT infrastructure firm Intergence believes that the government's commitment to its G-Cloud procurement initiative proves that cloud computing is no longer just a buzz word and needs to be taken seriously in the business arena.

Intergence has been enlisted as one of the suppliers in the government  'cloud store', a marketplace online where public sector departments and compare suppliers services for use in future procurements.

The government has long said that it is committed to cloud computing operations being used regularly in its administrative systems as it allows them ease of access with significant cost saving benefits.

"I think it shows that cloud has moved on from being just a buzz word to something that's absolutely part of today's IT  infrastructure, both for enterprises and of course now, for government," said Robert Smith, chief operating officer at Intergence.

"We're very excited about it, because it allows government departments to procure our services in an easy way once the cloud store is released, which I think will be announced shortly.

"I think they're currently working through the catalogue - and they've got around 1,700 services and we're hoping to get a view of when it'll be available soon."

Intergence is an international cloud computing specialist and has offices in Dubai as well as its base in Cambridge. It was founded in 2003.

Some 256 other suppliers have also been chosen to supply services to the G-Cloud 'cloud store', including larger companies such as BT, CSC, Computacenter, EMC, Microsoft and Logica.

Matthew Finnie, chief technology officer of Interoute, another medium sized firm selected, said: "By hosting the best IT services providers on one platform, the government is encouraging collaboration and innovation.

"Public sector organisations can pick and mix best of breed ICT service providers, at the price and service level that suits their needs".