GDS has launched the latest incarnation of Cloudstore
The latest round of procurement for CloudStore is the first under GDS, there are some changes expected, but on the whole it looks like GDS has left the core of the offering alone and focused more on improving the user interface, this time from a supplier's perspective.
GDS aims to make the process of applying much simpler so it has focused on tweaking the Invitation to Tender Process (ITT) through clearer instructions on how to apply for suppliers new to G-Cloud and how to carry forward services for suppliers already G-Cloud ii or iii. Additional support is also being provided in the form of the GPS eSourcing suite for responses to mandatory questions to meet procurement regulations and GDS's very own Service Submission Portal to make it easier for suppliers by ensuring documentation is a mandatory upload so there is no possibility of suppliers failing compliance for non-submission of documents.
With over 7,000 services from 832 suppliers, anything that makes the process simpler and quicker has to be welcome but not at the expense of suppliers to offer more technical complex and flexible services, content delivery network services is something GDS itself is looking to procure, though it is using contracts finder as an alternative to CloudStore as the current offerings on CloudStore are not suitable.
The change that immediately stands out from a service point of view is the exclusion of Agile: development and management' under lot 4 - specialist cloud services, which is being removed to avoid conflict with the digital services framework
This change will not make a huge dent in spend though. Of the £30m reported at the end of June 2013, £3.4m had been spent on agile services under lot 4, of which £500k had been spent on agile development services with the likes of SFW and Mastek.
UK Suppliers need not fear exclusion as they can resubmit them under alternative categories.
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