A new computing technique could save councils ‘thousands of pounds', according to the Society of IT Management. Council IT managers need to prepare strategies to embrace ‘cloud computing', whose impact on public sector ICT may be ‘more revolutionary than the advent of the PC', according to SOCITM. The idea is already in operation, and involves the use of software such as Google which has the same functions as standard Office applications but which can be used free or for a small fee via the Web. This negates the need to buy, install and maintain expensive software from new. The one concern for councils is that documents are stored with the provider, meaning security systems would need to be created and agreed beforehand. Briefing author, Chris Head, said: ‘It is untenable for councils to take a "fortress" approach to cloud computing. There is a certain amount of caution as people worry about security. There would need to be some kind of security pact between the provider and the business. ‘The public sector is going to be cash strapped, and this could be one way of saving thousands. There is nothing technically difficult about it. It is peoples' attitudes which need to change.'