'Stagnating' G-Cloud to get Windows Server 2003 boost

Reseller Annodata claims that with just two months to go until Windows Server 2003 end of life, cloud is the only answer

Managed services firm Annodata has said the upcoming death of Windows Server 2003 will give G-Cloud the boost it needs after claiming the framework "hasn't yet been as successful as many had hoped".

The reseller claims it – and other channel firms – can cash in between now and July, when Microsoft ends support for Windows Server 2003, as the public sector looks to migrate.

G-Cloud was set up in 2012 and as of March 2015, £559m worth of sales has passed through the framework, with just under half going to SMBs.

Citing April sales figures – which have yet to be made publicly available - on PublicTechnology.net, Annodata's head of professional services Andrew Smith said:

"G-Cloud sales seem to have stagnated and, in spite of a slight increase in uptake within local government, the framework has not yet been as successful as many had hoped. But with Windows Server 2003 finally coming to the end of its shelf life in a few months, and a significant proportion of public sector organisations still using [it], we expect things to turn around."

He said that with just over two months to go, many public sector bodies will not have time to do migrate to anything but cloud, meaning G-Cloud suppliers are well placed to cash in.

"The amount of time it would take to move to non-cloud-based infrastructure means that at this late stage, cloud really is the only viable option," he said.

"Infrastructure refreshes are the opportune time to move to cloud, and in this case, there is the chance to not just replace like for like but to look at migrating other services, such as email, print and unified communications. For public sector organisations anxious to find efficiencies in their IT without affecting services, this course of action would be entirely sensible."

According to research carried out by CRN in November, two thirds of suppliers accredited on G-Cloud have yet to make a penny on the framework.

Smith added that cloud providers need to work hard to prove the value of the technology or risk turning customers off.

"Cloud providers on G-Cloud need to show viable cost-effective routes that enable ROI in a flexible and changing environment," he said. "Without this clear information there is a risk that public sector organisations will choose a more conservative approach, causing their systems and services to stand still."