Lockheed Martin UK has expanded its offering of cloud computing services available to the UK government after recently being selected to provide G-Cloud 2 IT support.

This new contract succeeds the previous G-Cloud 1 program and will run for 12 months, allowing Lockheed Martin UK to provide an even wider range of services that includes infrastructure, software and specialist cloud capabilities.

Under the G-Cloud 2 framework agreement, better known as CloudStore, Lockheed Martin will now offer support such as computing and storage, e-mail and collaboration, cloud strategy and integration; cloud security; mission centric activities; green IT and energy optimization; cloud brokering; virtualization consulting; assessment for Oracle virtualization; and virtual desktop as a service assessment.

"Lockheed Martin's selection for the G-Cloud 2 program reinforces that our proven cloud solution meets the expanded needs outlined by the UK government," said Vicki Schmanske, vice president of the company's IT and Security Solutions organization.

"We look forward to working with UK government departments and agencies and leveraging our U.S. cloud experience to deliver innovation-led, efficiency savings."

Lockheed Martin will support G-Cloud 2 through its Solutions as a Service (SolaSTM) secure cloud delivery innovation.

This mission-focused approach to secure cloud computing combines best-in-industry partnerships, unprecedented domain expertise and advanced technology to deliver private, community and hybrid offerings for a variety of customers.

The corporation began its investment in cloud solution development in early 2008, with its first cloud implementation in early 2009. Since then, Lockheed Martin has been on the front lines of the cloud evolution.

Lockheed Martin is the leading provider of IT services to the U.S. federal government. In the UK, Lockheed Martin was the IT prime contractor for the 2011 Census, and the inclusion in the G-Cloud 2 framework agreement will strengthen the corporation's IT service activities across the broader UK public sector.