Yesterday we ran the first #BuyCamp, kindly hosted by NAO in Victoria. It was the first of many to come, and following the propagation principle of “working with the willing”, was targeted at public sector buyers who had already expressed an interest in using cloud services. We got a great response from a cross section of energetic and enthusiastic buyers, we had representation from more than 30 public sector organisations. We spoke about the organic, iterative approach that we are following, and the need to “Work out loud” so that we can share the learning and grow the community to support this fundamental change.
It also marked the signing of the first contract procured through the G-Cloud framework. James Findlay of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency was on hand 
and described how they were able to let a contract through the framework within 24 hours, despite the issues caused by the Microsoft Azure outage.
There was a good buzz at the event and plenty of great questions. Many reflected the beta nature of Cloudstore, the need to understand more about how to buy and the challenges of doing so alongside existing arrangements. So, what happens next? Well, we have lots being planned, including:
- more buycamps: at least quarterly, but possibly more frequently to meet demand
- supplier “den” events: perhaps quarterly, first one in April
- talking G-Cloud at lots of events
- and crucially, lots of 1:1 engagements with buyers
As a prospective buyer, what should you do next? Short answer: contact me, Michael Bateman. I’ll be your personal shopper, or at least coordinate your personal shopping activity… askmike@gcloud.cabinet-office.gov.uk
As a personal shopper I will be helping connect buyers and suppliers and facilitate both sides through the process of buying. For buyers we can help you find what the kind of services that best fit your needs, and hook you up with the suppliers of those services to you can have a chat and progress with buying which ever services you end up wishing to use.
Other things you can do:
- Look out for the first version of Buyer Guide coming soon on here
- Keep an eye on the G-Cloud website and blog
- Follow @G_Cloud_UK on Twitter and #gcloud and #cloudstore
- Get going on working out loud – we want to share your experience. Let us know if you want help with this.
We are up and running. Get in touch.
[...] government also plans more “buycamps” to explain G-Cloud and Cloudstore to its people and try to shift the culture of civil [...]