State government unveils NSW's first Cloud services policy

NSW government agencies will now be required to evaluate Cloud-based services when undertaking new procurements under the state’s first Cloud services policy.

The policy, announced today by incoming financial services minister Andrew Constance, is a boon for companies that provide Cloud-as-a-Service (ClaaS) and will help government agencies take advantage of Cloud-based solutions to deliver better services to the community.

Under the new model, procurement will be determined by the ICT delivery model that provides the best value for sustainable investment and takes into account a full range of cost-benefit considerations.

Constance said the policy is complemented by a new ‘as a service’ module of the ProcureIT contracting framework. “This will make procuring cloud-based services easier by cutting red tape for both business and government,” he said.

“We are not only making it easier to adopt cloud-based solutions. We are creating standard terms and conditions so that the procurement process is straight forward and provides certainty for buyers and sellers.

“Cloud is the future of ICT service delivery and this policy puts NSW at the forefront of the digital economy, giving public sector agencies the tools and information they need to adopt cloud-based solutions.”

The Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA) CEO Suzanne Campbell welcomed the release of the new ‘as a service’ module to support the take up of cloud services. “Cloud based services offer the opportunity for increased operational efficiency and service agility, both of which are critical as business transforms to a digital operating environment,” she said. “AIIA is pleased to have worked with the NSW Government on this latest procurement development.”