UK Government G-CloudCloud computing caused a step change in the way information systems can be delivered. Given this, the UK Government initiated the G-Cloud programme of work to deliver computing based capability (from fundamental resources such as storage and processing to full fledged applications) using cloud computing. G-Cloud established framework agreements with a large number of service providers; and lists those services on a publicly accessible portal known as the Digital Marketplace. Public Sector organisations can call off the services listed on the Digital Marketplace without needing to go through a full tender process.After plans were announced in March 2011, the government aimed to shift 50% of new government IT spending to cloud based services by 2015. Furthermore the government established a "Cloud First" approach to IT, mandating that central government purchases IT services through the cloud unless it can be proven that an alternative is more cost effective.UK Government G-CloudUKGC_1fd255ec-b6e8-11e4-9e3e-ce2ba7982d42United Kingdom GovernmentDenise McDonaghIn June 2013 G-Cloud moved to become part of Government Digital Service (GDS) with the director Denise McDonagh moving to be CTO of the Home Office.Tony SingletonTony Singleton, COO of GDS, took over as director of G-Cloud._1fd25740-b6e8-11e4-9e3e-ce2ba7982d42To ease procurement by public sector bodies in departments of the United Kingdom Government of commodity information technology services that use cloud computing._1fd257ea-b6e8-11e4-9e3e-ce2ba7982d42Framework AgreementsEnter into a series of framework agreements with suppliers, from which public sector organisations can call off services without needing to run a full tender or competition procurement process_1fd25880-b6e8-11e4-9e3e-ce2ba7982d421IT SuppliersCalls -- G-Cloud had several calls for contract to establish framework agreements. Major US vendors Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Google were initially excluded by the UK government in 2012 (G-Cloud 3) but AWS has since been added in 2013 (G-Cloud 4). Following hints by the head of the programme, GDS chief operating officer Tony Singleton, that the call for G-Cloud 4 would be open by the "end of July", the G-Cloud 4 call opened on the 6 August 2013. The blog entry also stated that the tendering process has been improved, with the use of the Government Procurement Service. G-Cloud stated it expects to make calls roughly every three to six months, but with no fixed frequency. Contract calls are listed on the Government Contract Finder website. In April 2013 the G-Cloud V call for framework contracts was listed as starting in March 2014.[19] G-Cloud V opened on 25 February 2014.[20] The press noted the name of the G-Cloud call for framework agreements moved from suffixing the call with Roman numerals (G-Cloud I, II and III) to using the Arabic numeral 4. Classifications -- Suppliers define the service that they are offering as part of the framework agreement, and those details will be made available in the Digital Marketplace. These details include such things as Business Impact Level (e.g. IL2) that the service is accredited for, and how users will be on-boarded and off-boarded. In particular is the requirement to enable users to leave the service (off-board) if they wish to move to a different provider of the same service.Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)Provision fundamental computing servcies (processing, storage etc.) for the user to run arbitrary software_1fd25916-b6e8-11e4-9e3e-ce2ba7982d421.1Platform as a Service (PaaS) Provision platform services to enable a user to deploy user-built or acquired applications_1fd259b6-b6e8-11e4-9e3e-ce2ba7982d421.2Software as a Service (SaaS)Provision applications as cloud services_1fd25a4c-b6e8-11e4-9e3e-ce2ba7982d421.3Specialist Cloud ServicesProvision specialist Cloud services_1fd25aec-b6e8-11e4-9e3e-ce2ba7982d421.4typically consultancy in the cloud domainDigital MarketplaceHost an online store that allows public sector bodies to search for services that are covered by the G-Cloud frameworks_1fd25b82-b6e8-11e4-9e3e-ce2ba7982d422UK Public Sector Bodies(previously "CloudStore")_1fd25c68-b6e8-11e4-9e3e-ce2ba7982d422015-02-17http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UK_Government_G-CloudOwenAmburOwen.Ambur@verizon.net