UKCloud unveils Red Hat powered cloud native platform

UKCloud has introduced its latest iteration of its Platform-as-a-Service offering, enabling UK Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) to develop and deliver compelling Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solutions to the UK Public Sector. In turn, public sector organisations can maximise their efforts on delivering outcomes for the citizen, rather than spending resources on developing and maintaining applications.

Digital transformation is undeniable, and has been further accelerated and exemplified by the pandemic. All organisations face new operational challenges, driven by government initiatives to contain the spread of the virus with greater uncertainty added by Brexit. The only constant throughout this difficult period is the increased dependency on technology and applications to ensure the smooth running of society. As UK Public Sector organisations seek the adoption of digital technologies to adapt to these unprecedented times, they face a choice between the cost and risk of building new software applications or the convenience and flexibility of buying into specialist SaaS solutions to power a new generation of digital-enabled public services.

In response to public sector’s lack of skills and resources in building and managing cloud native applications, UKCloud is focused on providing a platform for specialist SaaS alternatives that use innovative digital technologies such as AI and IoT to deliver better outcomes to users of public services. UKCloud is committed to supporting UK ISVs to develop modern user-centric applications that meet the expectations of citizens and those working in front line services.

To deliver against this commitment and as a Red Hat Premier Cloud Certified Service Provider, UKCloud announces its latest version of OpenShift which consists of new flexible pricing making it more commercially viable for software development teams to:

1.    Accelerate application development – As UK Public Sector organisations and specialist ISV’s look for innovative applications to improve the experience for citizens, software developers need the ability to quickly adapt and publish applications. UKCloud for Managed OpenShift provides the platform that enables developers to write code and deploy applications faster, by removing the complexities of having to manage underlying on-premises or cloud infrastructure resources. Standardised tooling and best practices are driven through the platform eliminating fragmentation and inefficiencies often borne out of rapid software development, ensuring stable, secure and robust applications for end users.

2.    Drive greater efficiencies – Distributed teams are now the ‘new normal’ due to the pandemic, meaning there is a requirement for a common platform to enable software developers to work effectively with each other remotely. UKCloud for Managed OpenShift streamlines application development by standardising workflows and supporting multiple environments, whilst ensuring governance processes are followed. This means ISVs benefit from improved time to market, increased employee productivity and most crucially having the ability to deliver specialist SaaS solutions for the sector.

3.    Build once, deploy anywhere – Organisations within the UK Public Sector often have stringent requirements around data security and application hosting. ISVs working with the sector need to ensure their solutions remain highly portable to guarantee these requirements can be met. 78% of organisations cite fear of vendor lock-in as an impediment to cloud adoption. OpenShift allows developers to build open-source and cloud-agnostic solutions, removing any dependencies on the hyperscale platforms or potential technology lock-in, whilst providing the commercial flexibility to select the appropriate cloud provider to meet the needs of the given sector. UKCloud for Managed OpenShift is UK hosted, with native access to government networks and supports the data assurance requirements expected by UK Public Sector organisations.   

“Now more than ever organisations need flexible IT to innovate fast in an ever-changing market. As a cloud service provider, we have a crucial role to play in the development and delivery of specialist software applications. Our software developers innovate each day using standardised development and tooling driven by UKCloud for Managed OpenShift. Our developers have the freedom to write and publish code all without having to be a burden on IT operations, as a result we can continue to iterate our portal systems, helping to improve the experience for our customers." said Stephen Dixon, Product Manager at UKCloud.

In order to drive a technology-led recovery, the support of UK ISVs will be critical for not only short-term recovery but for longer term digital prosperity and growth. Utilising the innovative applications developed by the British technology industry, the UK Public Sector can benefit from the ecosystem of critical services they deliver. UKCloud continues to support and nurture these ISVs by providing the foundations to build and host cloud native applications, that benefit from UK sovereignty, expert support, and value for money. Recognised by Crown Commercial Service as a strategic provider of multi-cloud services, UKCloud’s latest iteration of its UKCloud for Managed OpenShift benefits from new flexible pricing that allows ISVs to consume compute resources as and when they need, with no commitments or contracts. In addition UK ISVs can benefit from UKCloud’s Level 1 Social Value Quality Mark award, meaning they can be confident that their applications reside on a platform dedicated to supporting the UK economy and its citizens.  

“Utilising UKCloud's OpenShift capability has meant we can enable our software developers with a platform that adheres to our strict requirements around data sovereignty and security,” commented Ryan Feiock, Vice President of Global DevOps at PSI Services LLC. “Native access to government networks means we can build and deliver applications using trusted connectivity options. UKCloud is always willing to lend a hand to support our development teams with any technical issues or challenges they encounter.”

UKCloud has worked with hundreds of ISVs and has the experience to help businesses transform from software developer to service provider, which is much more than just technical re-development. From rehosting through to cloud native development UKCloud’s multi-cloud portfolio ensures the right technology for the right workload. With UKCloud for Managed OpenShift, UK ISVs can accelerate their application development and deliver user-centric services that are integral to the smooth running of UK Public Sector.