G-Cloud sales data due in 'next few days' after delay

The government has published framework sales figures monthly since it first began, but no new data has been uploaded since the summer

Anyone who reads CRN and channelweb.co.uk regularly will know we like to keep an eye on the G-Cloud sales data. The framework has been hailed by government as being an important vehicle for SMEs to win more public sector business, and to accelerate the uptake of cloud services across central and local government.

And we're not alone in liking to have a nose through the data - many public sector suppliers and G-Cloud-accredited companies like to trawl through the figures to see what business their rivals are winning, which departments are buying cloud, and to spot any inconsistencies which need to be called out.

In fact, we've conducted a number of research projects into the G-Cloud data and found some interesting results - most of the sales through the framework go through just a handful of suppliers, and local government appears to be snubbing the project all together.

Every month, the government publishes the framework's sales data, including details of which departments are buying through it, what they're getting, how much they're spending, and with whom - among a considerable amount of other data.

But since the summer, no data has materialised. The last update to figures was mid-July, and those numbers were for the month of May, meaning no data has been published from June, July or August.

We're not the only ones who have noticed either. A number of suppliers have tweeted the Digital Marketplace - the division in which G-Cloud sits - asking for updates on the data. Some claimed to be put out by the lack of data, but many accepted it is just a busy time for government, with the upheaval of Brexit and the arrival of a new prime minister.

When CRN contacted the Cabinet Office today, we were told that the delay in publication was simply down a delay in receiving the figures, and that they should be published in the next few days.

When the numbers do go live, there are sure to be a number of eagle-eyed G-Cloud watchers ready to scrutinise the data.