Crown Commercial Service (CCS) and the Government Digital Service (GDS) are investigating the possibility of a cloud based print service for central government.
They have floated the idea of a procurement framework under the GovPrint Project to suppliers with an indication that there could be a requirement for a software-as-a-service delivery model that does not involve the provision of any hardware.
GDS has been evaluating the requirement and has identified a number of common requirements, including moving to a consumption based model and a cloud first approach for managed print services. The services should be available across a range of location and to mobile workers.
The move reflects the Government’s 'cloud first' policy, which says cloud solutions should be considered before alternatives – although until now the traditional dependence on in-house print solutions has held sway.
It also goes with the trend to house more than one organisation in a single building and government policy to implement more printing in shared locations.
Image from iStock, Violet Kaipa
