We had a long chat about the pilot projects that Capgemini is running for the government in relation to the G-cloud programme. I will be writing an analysis of this next week but thought I would get some of it out of my system.
The interview left me thinking that the next government, whoever it may be, could make big mistakes by targeting IT projects to meet cost cutting targets. If the wrong projects are canned the costs in the long term and loss could be huge.

http://www.computerweekly.com/blogs/inside-outsourcing/2010/04/could-cloud-computing-be-the-answer-to-cutting-billions-of-government-spending.html

Capgemini is building two full cloud infrastructures with one using Microsoft and the other the Cisco, EMC and VMware partnership. It is then building development platforms on top of these infrastructures. The final layer in the cloud will be software as a service.

Last week we got two major briefings on completely different aspects of cloud computing.

On Friday, we were treated to Hewlett-Packard’s end-to-end cloud computing strategy by the highly energetic Lee Kedrie, chief technologist for HP Services Solutions Expertise Center. Basically, this was a run-up to the company’s HP Cloud Design Service announced today — a professional services offering aimed at cloud service providers, enterprises interested in creating private clouds, and business consumers of cloud services. Kedrie’s rousing pitch stretched all the way from needs assessment to governance.

http://www.infoworld.com/t/cloud-computing/cloud-computing-gets-little-more-real-261

HP rolls out a new cloud consulting practice, while Cisco takes a step toward erasing the line between the data center and the cloud

In a direct challenge to computer giants IBM Corp. and Hewlett-Packard Co., data storage firm EMC Corp. of Hopkinton has allied with Cisco Systems Inc., the world’s leading computer networking company.

In a joint venture, EMC, its majority-owned subsidiary VMware Inc., and Cisco will sell prefabricated business computer systems. The new products will be built with computer servers from Cisco, data storage hardware and software from EMC, and server management software from VMware. “Wherever you touch any one of the three of us, we will look like one company,’’ said Cisco chief executive John Chambers.

http://www.boston.com/business/technology/articles/2009/11/04/emc_cisco_alliance_takes_on_computing_giants_ibm_hp/

Joint venture with VMware to offer complete systems