Administration releases federal cloud strategy
February 14, 2011
The Obama administration has released its Federal Cloud Computing Strategy, designed to help guide agencies in moving systems to a cloud computing environment. It includes a mandatory evaluation of cloud options before making any investments.
Characterized by low asset utilization, a fragmented demand for resources, duplicative systems, unmanageable environments and long procurement lead times, the federal government’s current IT environment is plagued with ineffiencies, according to the report.
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“Cloud computing has the potential to play a major part in addressing these inefficiencies and improving government service delivery,” the report states. The cloud computing model can help agencies grappling with the need to provide reliable, innovative services despite a lack of resources, according to the new strategy.
The strategy consists of the cloud-first policy that is intended to accelerate the pace at which government will realize cloud computing’s value. It requires agencies “to evaluate safe, secure cloud computing options before making any new investments.”
The 39-page strategy, written by federal CIO Vivek Kundra, sets out to define cloud computing, outline the decision framework for cloud migration, cite case examples and resources, offer strategies on leveraging cloud computing, and identify government roles and responsibilities for catalyzing cloud adoption.