Google Cloud signs major UK gov pact to cut old tech reliance

• Google Cloud will help the UK replace outdated public sector IT to cut costs.
• The deal includes AI training and exploring quantum tech for government use.
• Google is also aiding UK projects like river cleanup and museum digitization.

At the Google Cloud Summit 2025 in London, Google Cloud and the UK government announced a partnership focused on reducing the public sector's reliance on legacy IT systems. The plan aims to save taxpayer money by helping shift from legacy technology to Google’s secure-by-design cloud infrastructure.

"When I negotiate with tech companies, I am negotiating on behalf of the British taxpayer. Britain will be using more technology, in more areas, and more than ever before. So, my message to the big technology companies is clear: bring us your best ideas, your best tech, and your best price", stated Peter Kyle, UK technology secretary.

Currently, at least 25% of public sector systems use legacy technology, some NHS trusts and police rely on legacy servers more than 70% of the time. Legacy systems are more vulnerable to outages or cyber threats, reducing efficiency and innovation. Through this collaboration, Google will support agencies to take advantage of flexible internet-based technology, and escape restrictive contracts with vendors of legacy technology.

The partnership also encompasses future-focused objectives, such as investigating the potential of new technologies for public services like quantum computing. Google will also assist in training tens of thousands of public sector employees in artificial intelligence (AI), by 2030.

"Google Cloud is proud to be a strategic partner of the UK Government as they embark on this ambitious digital transformation. As the country evolves, the flexibility of Google Cloud will help the government lead the AI era. We are deeply committed to empowering the UK public sector with the technical skills and innovative AI-powered solutions required to build a truly modern, secure, and efficient digital future, delivering tangible benefits to citizens and driving significant economic value", Tara Brady, President of Google Cloud EMEA noted.

Aside from its work with the government, Google announced wider UK-focused projects during the summit. It is working with the Imperial War Museum to digitize its oral history collection, and partnering with Additive Catchments to help to clean up the country's rivers.

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While he jokingly acknowledged concerns about his level of interaction with major tech companies, Tech Secretary Kyle admitted that he has engaged with the sector more frequently than previous secretaries, noting it openly.

"Digital transformation shouldn’t come with unanswered questions about data sovereignty. This new partnership positions Google Cloud at the heart of the UK’s digital infrastructure, despite being governed by the US CLOUD Act.  Under this legislation, government data, even if data is hosted in the UK, could still be accessed by US authorities if stored on Google’s platform", said Mark Boost, CEO at Civo.

 He added, "This move risks entrenching the very vendor lock-in the Government claims to be escaping. Relying on a single overseas provider concentrates too much power in too few hands. We’ve already seen how geopolitical tensions can spill into tech policy, from software sanctions to sudden export controls. Cloud infrastructure isn’t immune".

Even with progress, some concerns remain regarding the UK's growing dependency on US cloud providers. Google has yet to comment on how the US CLOUD Act may impact this partnership.

Mark Boost noted, "I am determined to secure a new deal for the British taxpayer. For too long, too many governments haven't done enough to build the positive relationships that Britain needs to prevent the taxpayer being short-changed when it comes to procuring technology".

Google Cloud and Additive Catchments have jointly launched an artificial intelligence platform to monitor and enhance river health in the UK. By combining the IoT, big data, and Earth observation data, the project will provide real-time diagnostic and early warning capabilities with global potential for scalability.

The Imperial War Museums, along with Capgemini and Google, is using AI to transcribe and translate 20,000+ hours of oral histories. This brings access to wartime records around the world through interactive methods and metadata in record time.