Sign in / up

back to article UK government names Cloud Foundry Her Majesty's preferred PaaS

The UK's Government Digital Service (GDS) has named Cloud Foundry as its preferred platform-as-a-service. Cloud Foundry saw off Deis and Tsuru, the latter providing the most robust competition on the grounds of simplicity, modularity and responsiveness from the development community. “The maturity of Cloud Foundry, as well as …

COMMENTS

Post your comment
House rules Send corrections
Add to 'My topics' unstar *
  1. Adam 52 Silver badge

    Looks like they've gone for self-hosted open source Cloud Foundry rather than a PaaS offering from a commercial vendor.

    Also looks like they're intending to build out their own platform layer. We're scaling back that model after 5 years trying to make it work because (a) the market moves faster than an internal platform, (b) internal platform skills can't be bought in with contractors and (c) one size fits all platform choices inhibit creativity. Maybe it'll work at government scale, but they won't be able to solve the innovation stifling effect.

    2 0 Reply
    1. Anonymous Coward
      Reply Icon
      Anonymous Coward

      How much innovation do Government services actually need? A solution that works and then remains stable for the next ten years might be far preferable to chasing market fads. Of course, that "works" part tends not to be a government speciality..

      7 0 Reply
    2. alain williams Silver badge
      Reply Icon

      Self hosted can be:

      * More secure. Good, I want my government to keep my data secure (and inside this country)

      * Cheaper. Government will be a *big* user, economies of scale could work in their favour

      2 0 Reply
  2. jake Silver badge

    PAAS?

    Easter is MONTHS away, Shirly?

    0 1 Reply
    1. Anonymous Coward
      Reply Icon
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: PAAS?

      I suspect only Dutch people will get that one.

      0 0 Reply
  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    At least *one* win here..

    .. in that they keep UK government data on UK soil.

    Now, if we can get the idiots at Cabinet Office and other places such as HMRC to stop using Gmail for official duties (yes, seriously) we could actually stand a chance of controlling information leaks.

    If they want to be pally with the US, fine. But that doesn't mean the US shouldn't at least have the decency to ASK for data rather than just having it home delivered with a pretty bow around it. As a matter of fact, Gmail use may actually break the DPA now Safe Harbor is dead.

    6 0 Reply
  4. Alister

    Cloud Foundry (by appointment to HMG)

    Can they put that on their website now?

    1 0 Reply
  5. D Moss Esq

    "the granularity of user permissions"

    The Privacy and Consumer Advisory Group have set out nine tests of the control users have over their data, please see p.3. We must check how many of these tests GDS-produced Cloud Foundry platforms pass. We can be pretty sure that they won't get into double figures. It's not impossible that the answer be zero. Then what?

    3 0 Reply
    1. MCMLXV
      Reply Icon

      Re: "the granularity of user permissions"

      "It's not impossible that the answer be zero." Upvote for the correct use of the subjunctive.

      2 0 Reply
      1. D Moss Esq
        Reply Icon

        Re: "the granularity of user permissions"

        Criterion #19 in the Digital by Default Service Standard.

        0 0 Reply
    2. Mike-H
      Reply Icon

      Re: "the granularity of user permissions"

      "The Privacy and Consumer Advisory Group have set out nine tests of the control users have over their data, please see p.3. We must check how many of these tests GDS-produced Cloud Foundry platforms pass. We can be pretty sure that they won't get into double figures."

      If there are only 9 tests, surely we can be *absolutely* sure they won't get into double figures, or have I missed the point?

      0 0 Reply
  6. D Moss Esq

    Ministerial Group on Government Digital Technology

    9 November 2015: "Minister for the Cabinet Office Matt Hancock has today announced a new Ministerial Group on Government Digital Technology. It will lead and drive through reforms to the UK’s digital public services, one of the government’s top priorities".

    Who is on this committee? What skills do they have and what powers? Did they approve Cloud Foundry?

    1 0 Reply
  7. Joe 35

    Coincidence

    What an amazing coincidence that it just so happens to cost a nice round sum of £50k to ensure that they run at break even, despite not knowing up front how many companies will certify and therefore how much revenue they will make. If there is an excess at the end of the year, will they hand it back?

    I also wonder, how does mandating £50k a year fit into the SME-friendly mantra of GDS & Government IT?

    0 0 Reply
  8. Loud Speaker

    And there was me thinking Paas was "Porn as a Service"!

    2 0 Reply
    1. Anonymous Coward
      Reply Icon
      Anonymous Coward

      And there was me thinking Paas was "Porn as a Service"!

      It is, but post duck house they needed different names for expense purposes ...

      1 0 Reply
  9. Ken Moorhouse Silver badge

    Platform As A Service

    This is what Network Rail need.

    When the trains break down or are delayed they turn the Platform into a Service.

    1 0 Reply
  10. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    This is what Network Rail need.

    When the trains break down or are delayed they turn the Platform into a Service.

    I personally would prefer they would focus on delivering something that is more than presently can only referred to as a service by people trying to be funny, not on more euphemisms..

    0 0 Reply

POST COMMENT House rules

Not a member of The Register? Create a new account here.

Forgotten password ?

  • Enter your comment

  • Add an icon

Anonymous cowards cannot choose their icon