Suppliers flock to G-Cloud 7

Number of suppliers on framework up 11 per cent, but some insist just getting approved is not enough

The number of suppliers on G-Cloud 7 has jumped 11 per cent on the last iteration, but some have warned that getting on the framework does not guarantee they will win business.

G-Cloud 7 went live this week, and according to the award notice, the number of suppliers on the scheme reached 1,615, up 11 per cent on the 1,453 which were accredited on G-Cloud 6.

Familiar faces such as SCC, Computacenter, Kelway, Memset, Agilisys, Skyscape and Liberata were among the hundreds to make the cut.

Suppliers recently grumbled about a change to the latest iteration of the framework which places a 20 per cent cap on how much they can scale up their services, prompting some to say they might skip the version.

Since its inception in March 2012, sales through G-Cloud have reached more than £800m. But the fact that more and more suppliers are flocking to the framework does not necessarily mean they will cash in on that, according to some.

Cloud body Eurocloud's chair Phil Wainwright told CRN that there is more to being a G-Cloud supplier than having your name on the list.

"Obviously the boost in numbers is very welcome," he said. "Now the real work begins for those new suppliers to get buyers interested in their wares - unfortunately just being in the marketplace is not enough on its own.

"It does take some preparation to complete a G-Cloud application and most begin several months in advance."

Simon Hansford, chief executive of Skyscape, agreed and said there is an incorrect perception that just being on the framework will mean the "fax machine will be dizzy with orders".

"Quite a few suppliers will never sell anything [on G-Cloud]," he said. "They spend a lot of time joining it but the reality is, unless you have a sales team and a marketing team who are focused on this market, you're never going to sell it."

Analysis carried out by CRN a year ago revealed that two-thirds of G-Cloud suppliers had yet to earn a penny through the framework, two-and-a-half years after its launch.

But nevertheless, Hansford said he welcomes competition from other suppliers.

"I am being very genuine here - I think it is about what is right for the taxpayer," he said. "Having more competition is a good thing. Having more choice is good... it drives the price down. As a taxpayer, I think it is a really, really good thing. And as a supplier, I also embrace it."