The UK government’s G-Cloud 4 (G4) for the procurement of government cloud technology services has has gone live with over 1,000 suppliers.
The suppliers will be offering their digital services to public sector buyers through G-Cloud and there are about 13,000 services in the fourth supplier framework.
G-Cloud enables the public sector to purchase cloud-based digital services off the shelf, preventing lock-in to costly contracts with single suppliers, and motivating cost-effective, new technologies.
UK Minister for the Cabinet Office Francis Maude said the reforms to government technology are designed to ensure the best possible service for users at the lowest cost for taxpayers.
"To make this possible we need a truly competitive marketplace. SMEs are a source of innovation and a crucial engine for growth," Maude said.
"We will continue to knock down the barriers that have prevented them from winning public sector work in the past.
"G-Cloud is a simpler, faster and cheaper way for the public sector to buy digital services. It allows companies of all sizes to benefit from our digital by default approach to government.
"We will continue to embed our Cloud First principle in government and recommend it across the wider public sector."
G4 framework currently has 999 suppliers, when compared to the earlier version with 700, which brings overall suppliers with services in the CloudStore catalogue to 1,186, with 84% of them being SMEs.
The system lets public sector bodies to access cloud-based IT services offered by a particular list of pre-approved traders during a set period.
In September, collective sales from CloudStore surpassed £50m, with 58% of the overall expend of £53.5m going to SMEs.
G-Cloud director Tony Singleton said the agency is constantly working to improve G-Cloud and the CloudStore, making it more straightforward and less expensive for suppliers wanting to join the marketplace and for public sector customers to purchase the technology they need.
"For G4, we have fed in valuable intelligence and opinions from buyers and suppliers," Singleton said.
"But the job of lowering barriers to participation and making the process as easy and open as possible goes on."
