blog Remember that private cloud computing environment that the NSW Government is planning to develop for its departments and agencies? The one it discussed in a public forum last month in front of the creme de la creme of Australia’s IT industry? Well, according to Intermedium (we recommend you click here for the full article), the state is actually doing something about the plan, kicking off private talks with key vendors. The publication reports:

“Discussions between the NSW Government and Australia’s major cloud providers are currently underway to ensure the State has a clear idea of what the market has to offer, before it proceeds with a pilot of a private government cloud solution.”

I have to say, it’s just shocking when a state government in Australia outlines its plans to do something with respect to a major IT project and then actually starts to do it, instead of forgetting about it entirely. If this kind of behaviour continues — and there is every indication that the NSW Government is planning to continue in this vein — then who knows what could eventuate? We might have to reform our understanding of how state government IT works. Just think; if major IT projects in Australia’s state governments could actually succeed, what could not be accomplished?

For those who think I’m being overly sarcastic here, I encourage you to read some of the history (say, here, here and here) of state government IT projects on Delimiter over the past few years. The situation is … disturbing, to say the least. The NSW Government currently represents Australia’s best hope of reversing that trend. Let’s wish it the best of luck.

Image credit: joegus74, royalty free

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1. seven_tech
   Posted 17/11/2012 at 10:42 am | Permalink | Reply

   State Government- We are hopeful to get IT back on track and are working towards the best solution

   Opposition- You’re succeeding! You’re not supposed to succeed! You’ve utterly failed in your management of government IT services! Elect us and we will fail, every time.

2. commentator
   Posted 18/11/2012 at 8:53 pm | Permalink | Reply

   Technical IT knowledge is not valued in government. They value PM knowledge/experience 10x more than any technical expertise, attracting the big headed power hungry narcissistic leeches. No wonder these highly complex projects fail.

3. Steve Hodgkinson, Research Director IT Asia/Pacific, Ovum
   Posted 20/11/2012 at 1:40 pm | Permalink | Reply

   I’ve just been tripping around all the jurisdictions with colleague Kevin Noonan, presenting breakfast workshops for government executives on the topics of cloud services and the impact of mobile devices on workplace reform.

   It was clear from these meetings and discussions that the NSW folks have the best grip of any of the jurisdictions on how to move forward with cloud services as a catalyst for the next generation of whole-of-government ICT strategy. Plenty of challenges to overcome of course, but they seem to have turned a corner in terms of letting go of ‘old school’ thinking and embracing the future … rather than perpetuating failed past approaches.

   NSW Trade & Investment, in particular, is to be admired for their use of Google Apps and their SaaS ERP project with SAP Business ByDesign. If (fingers and toes crossed) the SAP project is successfully delivered in January it will be a transformative example of the use of a multi-tennant SaaS platform as the basis of a modern HR/Finance shared service for 9+ agencies.

   Discussions with vendors regarding private cloud infrastructure services are also a good sign … as opposed to perpetuating traditional data centre consolidation actions and locking agencies into long term inflexible and expensive real estate agreements.

   Good luck to them!

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