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Super Cali optimistic cloud is now a focus – even though the sound of it is something quite

... Precocious?

California has become the first state in the US to shift a massive chunk of its government computing system to the cloud – and dubbed it CalCloud.

"CalCloud is an important step towards providing faster and more cost effective IT services to California state departments and ultimately to the citizens of California," said Marybel Batjer, secretary of the Government Operations Agency, in a canned statement.

Services hosted in the cloud will be supplied on-demand to 400 state departments from government-operated data centers in Sacramento and Vacaville, a spokesman told The Register. In a five-year agreement, IBM train staff in how to roll out those services. After that, California intends to run the system by itself.

The contract will be worth between $40m and $50m to IBM, we're told. However, the spokesman described CalCloud as "revenue neutral" as the state's departments are ultimately paying the state for the computing resources they use. So far 25 departments have signed up for services and another dozen have expressed an interest.

Also included in the deal is AT&T, which will be providing edge networking knowhow and security systems. KPMG will take some dollars in a consultancy role, but the bulk of the cash will go to Big Blue for what is essentially a training contract.

"Transforming how the State of California delivers technology services is not only more efficient and cost effective, it will spur innovation with cloud capabilities that are open and secure," said Erich Clementi, VP of IBM global technology services, in a statement.

"California is setting an example for other states on how to use cloud technology to improve coordination across agencies and municipalities while reducing the barriers and duplication that can impede the delivery of government services." ®

[The headline is a tribute to this great moment in tabloid history. – Ed]

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