A little while ago James Duncan wrote about the DWP’s efforts to prove that there are viable solutions for migrating software and data away from legacy VME (Virtual Machine Environment) systems. Those efforts proved that in the DWP we can break away from our legacy, and move towards modern IT systems that are more cost effective.
We expect it will take a long time but we’ll be applying everything we've learned to a full programme of change that is starting now, called VME-R (Remediation).
What we’re not doing now is committing to a particular solution. We know that as the market continues to evolve, we need to be prepared to adapt to alternative, innovative solutions to the problem we’re trying to solve.
To help with that, we’re going to start engaging the market as much as possible. A rich and competitive marketplace isn’t just needed for DWP, but for all HMG organisations that have legacy replacement ambitions - we’re merely leading the way.
We’d like to see a range of supplier services available through G-Cloud when the time comes, encompassing both specialist migration services as well as more general project delivery and integration services that might be required for such an ambitious programme of change.
If you’d like to find out more or pre-register an interest in this market engagement, please contact me or Paula Rainford, we’d love to hear your story!