Oracle has extended its work with the UK government by updating its existing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Crown Commercial Service (CCS).

The update aims to foster stronger working relationships between Oracle and the UK’s public sector by enabling better use of secure cloud technologies and includes support from Oracle’s Centre of Excellence.

Oracle’s original MoU was penned in 2012 and the update will push more of its services into public sector bodies, such as NHS Trusts and local and devolved governments. Critical public services will also have access to the full suite of Oracle Cloud applications, secure infrastructure services and also autonomous technology.

“This enhanced Memorandum of Understanding will continue to deliver savings and benefits for new and existing public sector customers using Oracle’s cloud based technologies. It will continue delivering value for money whilst supporting public sector customers’ journey to the cloud”, said Philip Orumwense, commercial director and chief technology procurement officer, Crown Commercial Service.

With the enhanced Oracle Centre of Excellence, the UK government will enable better use of secure cloud technologies to support long term innovation and transformation of public services.

Oracle provides a dual-region sovereign cloud that is used by public sector customers, such as the Home Office, Office for National Statistics, the NHS NEP, the Ministry of Defence and West Midlands Police. Its updated MoU will expand on these relationships and allow more public sector organisations to use cloud technologies.

While Oracle is an existing customer, the UK’s list of cloud providers has grown during the pandemic, with the likes of Microsoft and Google Cloud all signing MOU. However, earlier in the year, MPs questioned the number of cloud contracts that had gone to AWS, claiming the government had given too much to one provider.