Cloud computing centre has potential to save Government 50% of IT costs
Supported by Cisco, VMware, VCE and IDA Ireland, the initiative will have nodes in EMC’s Centre of Excellence and on Government networks.
Irish SMEs will also use the centre to develop, test and showcase their wares to public service and enterprise customers.
EMC country manager Jason Ward said: “This platform will remove the upfront IT cost and infrastructure barriers, and provide a unique opportunity for companies to develop and showcase their new applications using data sets from public sector organisations.
“Cloud4Gov will be a platform to promote Ireland as a leader in innovation which is committed to driving the smart economy.”
A report by the Bookings Institution in Washington, Building a Long-Term Strategy for Growth Through Innovation, found governments can save 25% to 50% in costs by moving applications to the cloud.
The Gartner 2011 CIO Survey, which gathered data from more than 2,000 chief information officers, predicted that technologies such as cloud computing will reduce infrastructure and IT costs by up to 50%.
According to the global research firm Gartner, cloud will be a $149bn (€113bn) industry by 2015.
Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources Pat Rabbitte, said: “Our action plan for jobs recognises that cloud computing will be a driver of innovation and growth for the ICT sector, as well as providing an opportunity for enhanced productivity and lower costs for business.
“We intend to bring forward a Government cloud strategy over the coming months, after which we will undertake market testing, working with industry players, including EMC, and other pioneering cloud companies.”
Meanwhile, a recent study by the Centre for Economics and Business Research, commissioned by EMC, found that cloud computing could generate 800,000 jobs and save €14.5bn in state capital and operating expenditure by 2015 for Europe’s five largest economies.
The report projects that 2.4m cloud-related jobs could be created in all sectors for the five countries, with more automation boosting firms’ profitability, freeing up funds for new business development opportunities.
