The Data Centre Strategy
In order to deliver large cross-Government economies of scale, meet environmental and sustainability targets, meet the objectives set out in the Digital Britain report and provide secure, resilient services, it is necessary to significantly rationalise the current base of Public Sector data centres. Aligned with development of the G-Cloud, is a programme of activity that will significantly reduce the number of data centres in use. This will deliver highly resilient, secure data centres that reduce cooling and power consumption by up to 75%. It is estimated that this will also reduce ICT infrastructure costs by up to £300m per year by 2020.
What are the benefits?
- Reduced hardware maintenance and power consumption through more efficient and better use of existing infrastructure
- Improved security and resilience
- Consolidation of data centres will reduce footprint of building estate in keeping with the Green Agenda
- Reduction in the risk of disruption to delivery of ICT services to the Public Sector
- Deliver ICT systems that are flexible and responsive to demand in order to support transformational government
What’s next?
The Cabinet Office-led joint Government/Industry Data Centre Strategy team, will by early 2010:
- Develop and refine the business case for rationalisation and consolidation
- Define a phased approach that will deliver early benefits
- Engage with the Information Assurance community to ensure that the controls needed to ensure confidentiality; integrity and availability are designed into the approach from the outset
- Engage with Public and Private Sector stakeholders to identify those Data Centres which would benefit from consolidation at the earliest opportunity
- Work with Departments in both Central and Local Government to identify how data can be shared to avoid duplication
- Develop a Strategy that incorporates both legacy information and new information in the most efficient and cost effective way
- Work with the industry, to identify and assess alternative investment and commercial models to enable the consolidation to take place
- Develop the overall programme plan so that implementation can commence as early as possible in 2010
Data Centre Strategy (ICT Strategy) [PDF]
Contact
For further information email data.centres@cabinet-office.x.gsi.gov.uk
