For the last couple of decades, Microsoft software has been chosen by the bulk of UK government departments for productivity, communication and collaboration solutions. But now, with the rise of G-Cloud (an initiative that simplifies cloud procurement by establishing a listing of providers that meet British government requirements of security, etc.) and other initiatives, government departments have become increasingly familiar with the benefits of the cloud. As a result, for the first time, a major British government department has made a major departure from tradition by choosing Google’s cloud-based solutions over Microsoft.
Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has announced it will transition to Google solutions. This means that official UK government data will be stored in offshore data-centers for the first time – a significant departure and one that marks a considerable milestone for Google. Second only to the UK’s Ministry of Defense as far as staffing is concerned, HMRC is regarded as probably the most important British government agency.
“HMRC has an ambitious digital future planned. This contract will make it easier for staff to collaborate on internal documents, providing greater flexibility and efficiency, while reducing costs,” suggested HMRC in a formal statement. “Following a successful pilot, we are planning to roll out Google collaboration tools to more people throughout HMRC later this year. We have carefully considered the protection of customer information and this remains our highest priority.”
Google Apps (now called
Google Apps for Work) has made considerable gains at the expense of Microsoft. In 2008 the then head of Microsoft Corporation Steve Ballmer said that Google Apps were "pretty primitive" and that "nobody uses these things". By 2011 the Microsoft CEO was meeting United States Department of Interior officials to personally guarantee Microsoft's Exchange Online solution over Google's Gmail. Now, at least in the UK, it appears Google is beginning to outmaneuver Microsoft, with around 70,000 HMRC employees joining around 2,500 Cabinet Office staff who already use Gmail.
The best communication and collaboration suite – Google or Microsoft? Let us know your thoughts. Add your comments below.
