The UK Home Office has agreed to extend its cloud services contract with Amazon Web Services until December 11, 2023, at a cost of £100 million.
AWS has been a key provider of cloud services to the UK government, with its services having been contracted as part of the government’s cloud-first strategy that was first implemented in 2013. That strategy was put in place by former UK government technology advisor Liam Maxwell, who, according to The Register, now works as director of government transformation at AWS.
While the Home Office is extending its contract with AWS, it’s not the only government department to utilise the platform. The Ministry of Justice, the DVLA, HMRC, the Department of Work and Pensions, and the NHS all use AWS in some capacity. Meanwhile, the Police ICT Company, is helping police forces across the UK transform their IT infrastructure from on-premise data centres to cloud-based ones running on AWS.
In a statement to The Register, the Home Office said: “Government departments using AWS are not only enjoying cost saving of up to 60% but also supporting a vast ecosystem of smaller companies, across the UK, that offer products and services that complement and help customers take full advantage of AWS.
“Public sector organisations in the UK use the UK branch of AWS Europe which registers its sales in the UK and pays all applicable taxes, due on its profits, directly to HMRC. Amazon recognises that its status as a supplier to the public sector is a privilege which has to continually be re-earned through the quality of our services and the value for money that we bring for UK taxpayers. We know they will only remain customers for as long as we are able to deliver on both of those things.”
