CAGW Publishes “Cloud Computing 201”

November 21, 2011 Off By David
Grazed from MarketWatch.  Author: PR Announcement.

Today, Citizens Against Government Waste published its second report on cloud computing, "Cloud Computing 201." The publication aims to provide agencies at all levels of government with a coherent approach to information technology (IT) procurement, which should both increase efficiency and save taxpayers money without compromising security or performance.

"Government agencies at all levels should procure IT while following rigorous policies and principles for all solutions, including the cloud, and always consider security, reliability, and total cost of ownership. Greater efficiency and cost savings can be achieved with the cloud, but the risks of transitioning to any new tool and method must be addressed proactively. Procurement officials should keep in mind that the cloud is one of many potential solutions, none of which should be mandated; and that the cloud is simply a computing tool, rather than the basis for an overall IT strategy," said CAGW President Tom Schatz…

The report’s recommendations to improve management of IT budgets include full consideration of the agency’s mission; an assessment of current IT inventory; interagency collaborations; strategic technology and contract development; data protection and portability; security and privacy; backup solutions; and effective program management and user training.

Using these guidelines and other resources cited in "Cloud Computing 201," agency chief information officers will be able to adopt a commonsense approach to plan and develop an IT strategy that offers the opportunity to include cloud computing tools as well as any other new technology that may become available in the future.

Citizens Against Government Waste is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating waste, fraud, mismanagement and abuse in government.