Why Cloud Computing Is Like Water

Grazed from GovExec. Author: Kimberly McCabe.

Federal acquisition professionals feel they lack expertise in cloud computing services and they are having trouble structuring contracts to buy them, according to two recent polls of subscribers to ASI Government’s Virtual Acquisition Office—an online center of research, tools and on-call support.

Because cloud computing offers agencies opportunities to reduce costs, enhance efficiency and empower innovation, it’s important for program and procurement professionals to become better cloud consumers. It helps to think about buying cloud computing as similar to purchasing water for a building…

Building managers pursue a contract with a local water company that provides water service to the area. In the cloud, agencies buy computing resources as a service. Buying as a service eliminates the need for the building to tap, purify, regulate and distribute its own water. The as-a-service approach to buying cloud computing reduces the need for agencies to own and maintain information technology hardware and software…

Read more from the source @ http://www.govexec.com/contracting/2014/03/why-cloud-computing-water/80641/?oref=dropdown

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