The government is scheduled to enforce its Cloud First policy via the Government Data Centre and Cloud (GDCC) system on Oct 1, bringing cloud development for all state agencies onto a single platform.
Under the policy, all the cloud and data centre procurement and development processes of state units will be through the centralised platform operated by the GDCC system, said Digital Economy and Society (DES) Minister Prasert Jantararuangtong.
The move ensures investment and development of cloud and data centre services is cost-effective and complies with the security policies for state agencies' use of digital technology, he said.
The government expects the policy to reduce the state's operational costs related to cloud and data centre development by 30%.
Mr Prasert said the enforcement of the policy will be allocated under the fiscal 2026 budget, starting from Oct 1, 2025.
He said he expects to allocate roughly 10 billion baht to implement the policy in fiscal 2026.
Mr Prasert said cloud and data centre development through the centralised platform would reduce all related procedures of the state agencies that are usually carried out through at least three steps, including the launch of a project's terms of reference, the procurement process, and the project inspection process.
Last year the board of the National Digital Economy and Society Commission (NDESC) approved the establishment of a Cloud First policy committee to steer state units towards digital government.
The committee manages demand and supply of the local cloud service as well as improving the cloud ecosystem and procurement to be implemented in a tangible manner through cooperation between the public and private sectors.
The committee is chaired by the DES minister with the ministry's permanent secretary and relevant government agencies as members and the NDESC secretary-general as secretary.
The committee supports the policy of laying a foundation and new infrastructure. It promotes the efficiency of public services through digital technology.
The committee also supervises, monitors, and evaluates the implementation of the Cloud First policy of all relevant sectors and promotes the digital economy.
