UK tech minister vows more whole-government megadeals after £9B Microsoft pact

The UK tech minister has promised more whole-government deals with industry giants following its £9 billion agreement with Microsoft, and is seeking to target cloud service providers.

Speaking to MPs last week, Liz Kendall said the government was addressing the lack of competition among the government's major tech vendors, which had led to concerns about value for money.

"We're systematically looking at tech spend across central government and public services [including] negotiating whole government agreements... We're going to start with end user services, like laptops, but also cloud, to make sure we get the best value for money," she told the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee.

The commitment follows a string of setbacks in the government's handling of the largest tech suppliers, especially in the provision of cloud services.

In February 2024, The Register reported that officials from the from the Central Digital & Data Office ...