Logicalis opens UK cloud computing arm

Logicalis will seek commercial and government cloud computing contracts

Systems integrator Logicalis is setting up a dedicated cloud computing and managed services arm in the UK.

The new venture will focus on developing and running cloud computing operations for commercial and government contracts, and the company is building a £7.5m datacentre to run the new services.

"Cloud may well have ascended the hype curve in the last 12 months, but the implications of its emergence are a challenging reality to those setting strategy for architecting and acquiring IT in the coming years," said Tom Kelly, managing director of Logicalis UK.

"You cannot build or procure hype, so cloud must become commercially and operationally viable if it is to benefit private and public sector organisations."

The commercial cloud business will be a key target for the company, but it is also looking to win substantial public sector contracts.

"The public sector sees cloud as a fast-track route to delivering co-operative or shared ICT services. These will not be whole-scale G-Clouds, but regional or local community clouds, delivering secure and robust services," said Chris Gabriel, head of solutions at Logicalis.