Cloud Computing

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Thursday 18th March 2010, QE11 Conference Centre, 08:45 - 16:20

Cloud Computing: Towards Digital Government

“In the current economic circumstances businesses are facing up to real challenges of cutting costs in order to stay in business and emerge stronger from the downturn. The public sector needs to do likewise, looking for savings in addition to the routine savings
departments are expected to make each year, so that the Government can continue to
invest in excellent public services while maintaining sustainable public finances.”

Operational Efficiency Programme: final report: April 2009, published in “Digital Britain”

Overview

With the government signalling its clear support for cloud computing following the publication of “The Digital Britain Report” in June 2009, and the appointment of Martin Bellamy to the Cabinet Office to lead on plans related to cloud computing, IT professionals in the public sector have begun to look more closely at the opportunities and challenges that cloud computing presents. Furthermore, with impending cuts in spending on public sector services and the need to eliminate system inefficiencies and to deliver ever greater value for money by providing digitally flexible, personalised and highly responsive services, as well as the general public’s familiarity with and the popularity of Google Apps and Apple App Store, has the time for cloud computing in the public sector arrived?

Cloud computing refers to any subscription-based or pay-for-use service that is provided in real time over the Internet. By using cloud computing, CIOs can increase capacity or add capabilities very quickly without having to invest in new infrastructure, worry about service level agreements, licensing new software, or training new personnel.

The government would like to implement the cloud computing model in the public sector. The government’s cloud, or ‘G-Cloud’, which would be a private cloud for government, would assist efforts to further rationalise and share network, server, storage and applications and other resources more easily across the public sector. Further, by creating an applications store for the public sector, similar, say, to Google Apps, in a virtual environment, new, on-demand, flexible and innovative services could be provided to the public sector workers and the general public alike. As Melissa Frewin, head of healthcare and central government at Intellect explained in an article, such a development “could help make the marketplace for technology across government more open and competitive, while supporting and encouraging the adoption of higher levels of standardisation and sharing. […] The costs of doing business with government would be dramatically reduced if suppliers no longer had to establish and accredit their own infrastructure”.

With the government having begun much of the preliminary work to move towards cloud computing already – for example, the appointment of Martin Bellamy, the Digital Britain Report, the setting up the CIO council, improved levels of competency among the IT professionals in the public sector, standardising information assurance in the public sector, recognising the value of Open Source Software – and given the economic climate, it might be the right time for the whole of the public sector and those organisations that regularly work with and for it to take a closer look at cloud computing.

However, while the apparent flexibility and cost savings of cloud computing are very attractive, some CIOs have lingering doubts about network security and integration issues as well as the sense of a loss of control over the network.

Delegates attending this forum will have the opportunity to explore and examine how Government departments can effectively implement cloud computing standards, procedures and practices.

Agenda

08:45	Registration and Coffee
09:20	Chair’s Opening Remarks Dr Louise Bennett, Chair, Security Strategic Panel, BCS (CONFIRMED)
09:30	Keynote Speech: Cloud Computing: The Future is Cloudy Andrew Miller MP, Chair, PITCOM (CONFIRMED)
09:50	IBM Speaking Slot Dr Graham Spittle CBE, Chief Technology Officer and Vice President, Software Group Europe, IBM (CONFIRMED)
10:20	Cloud security : storm clouds or storm in a tea cup? Cloud computing: what are the challenges for IT directors? Security controls: clear lines of accountability and responsibility What challenges does cloud computing present to senior management and legal teams? Who owns the data in the clouds? Respecting data privacy: changing the culture around data handling The Government ICT Strategy 2010 - The G-Cloud: Providing secure, resilient and cost effective sharing environment Increasing flexibility and reducing costs through cloud computing G-Cloud has a key enabler of the £3.2bn annual savings outlined in the Operational Efficiency Programme 2009 Providing multiple services from multiple suppliers – making it quicker and cheaper for public sector to switch suppliers if they face service or delivery issues Addressing the security challenges of cloud computing Working closely with the IT industry to keep up to date with new developments and technology in the G-Cloud Ian Levy, Technical Director, CESG (CONFIRMED)
10:40	Questions and Answers Session
11:10	Coffee Break and Networking
11:30	G-Cloud - The Delivery of a Secure Shared Computing Platform that can be used Across the Public Sector Can improved services be delivered at a lower cost and with less impact on the environment? Developing a roadmap for the delivery of the cloud Building a resilient, robust and environmentally friendly infrastructure Making the marketplace for technology across government more open and competitive Supporting and encouraging the adoption of higher levels of standardisation and sharing Addressing the problems of data location, security, data recovery, availability and reliability Encouraging cooperation and collaboration between public sector organisations Embracing innovative new technologies that can help to transform citizens’ lives Cloud Computing- improving the services that the Government delivers in a holistic way across departments and organisations The future impact of g-cloud on shared services Ian Osborne, Project Director, Intellect & Director, Digital Systems Knowledge Transfer Network (CONFIRMED)
11:50	Cloud computing: Balancing the benefits and the risks What is cloud computing and how does it work? Why is it so topical and what’s all the fuss about? How do data protection rules apply to cloud arrangements? Does it really matter where you put your data? How can you manage risks and seek to maximise benefits in the cloud? Simon Bradshaw, Research Assistant, Cloud Computing Project Centre for Commercial Law Studies Queen Mary University of London School of Law (CONFIRMED)
12:10	Sponsor Session
12:30	Cloud Computing: The Challenges for Organisations in maintaining Information Security Many organisations will be keen to seize the operational and economic benefits of Cloud services - but this will create challenges for those responsible for information assurance and compliance. The IISP has been working closely with many organisations in both the public and private sectors. to raise standards and levels of professionalism in Information Security and Assurance The IISP skills framework is endorsed by HMG and by many major organisations Data matters: training teams to understand that data has personal or 'corporate' value Information Assurance: protecting networks and data across local government Reducing risk: better information management, better awareness and ensuring policy compliance across the public sector Gerry O’Neil, Chief Executive, Institute of Information Security Professionals (CONFIRMED)
12:50	Questions and Answers Session
13:00	Lunch and Networking
14:00	Cloud Computing - Applications in the Real World The key business benefits of adopting Cloud Computing: For users of council services For council IT departments Transforming the way services are delivered Denis Kaminskiy & Lars Malmqvist, Arcus Global (CONFIRMED)
14:20	Cloud Computing – Empowering the Citizen? Understanding the business case: the benefits and challenges of delivering services through a Cloud Computing infrastructure Data sharing: privacy and data loss Proactive communities of interest – empowering citizens and service users to become more involved in the design and provision of services The citizen as collaborator? Public sector web services and mash-ups Digital exclusion and digital literacy: how do we effectively meet the needs of the whole of the community? Green IT strategy: will the use of cloud computing raise or reduce your greenhouse gas emissions? John Darlington, Professor, Department of Computing and Head, Social Computing Group, Imperial College London (CONFIRMED)
14:40	Questions and Answers Session
15:00	Coffee and Networking
15:20	Clouds on the horizon? The future of storing and accessing information Utilising new technologies and techniques can be used for storing and accessing information What is the real potential of cloud in terms of user benefits, efficiency and operational savings, take-up and reach? What governance structures need to be in place? Is more joint procurement the important factor? What issues are there around accountability and ethos? Jeff Wallbank, Kent Connects Interim Strategic Director / KPSN Partnership Development Manager (CONFIRMED)
15:40	Cloud Computing in the Public Sector Rethinking IT in public sector The public sector faces unprecedented austerity, and cloud computing presents potential cost-savings. Rapidly reconfigurable services will enable citizens to interact more effectively with service providers whilst saving money. A service oriented approach will lead to completely new service structures and organisational designs as well as triggering more standardisation and sharing. Is the public sector ready, or will it all end in tears? Chris Head, Visiting Fellow, Henley Business School, University of Reading, and Honorary Fellow, Kingston University (CONFIRMED)
16:00	Questions and Answers Session
16:15	Chair’s Closing Remarks
16:20	Close

*programme subject to change without notice

Sponsor

Exhibitors

Audience

Delegates will include Heads of IT / IT Directors, Heads of Shared Services, Data Centre Managers, HR directors Heads of Transformation, Heads of Information Compliance, Chief Technology Officers, Business Change Directors, Heads of IT Infrastructure, Heads of Information Assurance, Heads of Disaster Recovery, Technical Directors / Managers, Managers, Risk / Change Managers, Local Authority Heads, e-Learning Managers, Directors and Heads of Research and Knowledge Transfer, ICT suppliers and e-Learning providers and Heads of Procurement, central government departments & bodies, local authorities, trade unions, businesses and employers, regional development agencies, local strategic partnerships, academia and legal & voluntary and all those interested in the designing, commissioning and provisioning of services and the wider information security debate.