Digital Discourse / Software Events / Cloud/Gov

This Week in the Federal Cloud: April 2-6

April 6, 2012 By

As it does every spring, Federal IT took center stage in Washington, DC this week, as the Washington Convention Center hosted the annual FOSE Conference and Trade Show.  This year featured tracks on mobility, cybersecurity and cloud & virtualization, as well as keynotes from Federal CIO Steven Van Roekel and former U.S. Senator George Mitchell.  A lot of buzz in the halls on innovation, the future of federal IT, security in the cloud and the upcoming FedRAMP certification process.

This week in Federal Cloud also saw contract awards for the Army Private Cloud (APC2) and more talk about the need for acquisition to evolve to support cloud deployment.

  • FOSE Conference brings together hundreds of government IT leaders from around the country
    (Federal Times, April 3)
    (Washington Technology, April 4)
    (Federal Computer Week, April 3)
  • US Army awards $250 million private cloud contract to HP (ITProPortal, April 4)
  • McClure says acquisition officers must retool for cloud (Fierce Government IT, April 4)
  • Australia:  Federal government opens up to smaller cloud deals.  Aim is to make sure technology can be acquired as it becomes available (IT News Australia, April 3)

Michael Hettinger is VP for the Public Sector Innovation Group at SIIA.

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Filed Under: Cloud Computing, Cloud/Gov, Government, Policy, Policy - Cloud Computing, PSIG, Software Tagged With: ,

This Week in the Federal Cloud: March 26-30

March 30, 2012 By

A lot happened this week around the federal government’s move to cloud computing and related technologies – everything from GSA’s Dave McClure announcing that current IaaS BPA holders will be the first to go through the FedRAMP certification process, to the federal government announcing a $200m “big data” investment to GSA Chief Martha Johnson pushing shared services and Amazon and NIH announcing plans to put human genome project data in the cloud. The links below give you more information.

Michael Hettinger is VP for the Public Sector Innovation Group at SIIA.

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Filed Under: Cloud Computing, Cloud/Gov, Government, Policy, Policy - Cloud Computing, PSIG, Software Tagged With: ,

Dispatch from Cloud/Gov: Perfect Storm for Cloud and the Public Sector

February 23, 2012 By

Government officials and cloud vendors were enthusiastic when sharing their case studies and predictions for public sector cloud adoption at  last week’s Cloud/Gov conference in Washington, DC. Here are a few media highlights:

Government Moves Toward Cloud Computing ‘Perfect Storm’ (CIO Magazine)

In his opening keynote, GSA’s David McClure discussed the factors that have aligned to make this the best possible environment for public sector cloud computing adoption:

“I think we now have a perfect storm. We have a budget crisis, a new wave of technology that’s actually entered in [to the government]. We have a new generation of CIO and IT leadership in the federal government that I think is very open to this kind of environment.”

GSA creating cloud marketplace for federal services (Federal News Radio)

McClure took it a step further, sharing news about plans for a federal cloud marketplace:

“We want to create a robust environment so that the government is maximizing the use of its computing environment, which is not occurring and which has not occurred historically,” McClure said after a speech Thursday at the Cloud/Gov 2012 event sponsored by the Software and Information Industry Association in Washington. “We are talking to government entities that we think are natural candidates to be in that provisioning space. The second step we have to do is to address the policy, security and all those other things that from a government-to-government interaction, that we have a process in place that is quick, efficient and used the same across government.”

Salesforce.com: ‘Cloud computing debate Is over’ for public sector (IT World)

Cloud and IT vendors from Google, IBM, Red Hat and Salesforce.com were candid about cloud computing security goals.

“You need to evaluate the security controls that are in place and not just say, ‘Oh I’ve got a private cloud so it much be secure,’” said [David] Mihalchik [of Google], who argued by way of analogy that a private plane, say a two-seat Cessna, is not necessarily as safe as a commercial, “multi-tenant” jetliner available to the public.

 

Laura Greenback is Communications Director at SIIA.

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Filed Under: Cloud Computing, Cloud/Gov, Policy, Policy - Cloud Computing, PSIG, Software, Software Events

What is Next for US Federal Cloud Implementation?

February 15, 2012 By

By Andras Szakal, vice president and chief technology officer for IBM U.S. Federal

The government is making steady progress in executing the reforms outlined in its 25-Point Plan, delivering many ahead of schedule. At the core of this is the shift to cloud-oriented shared services, which hold great promise for government. Avoiding the redundancy of having each department’s IT shop develop its own software for managing personnel or dealing with public-information requests accounts for nearly half the $932 million in IT savings it has identified through its TechStat program for reviewing IT.

New Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) security standards are an important step to make it easy for agencies to purchase cloud and other services from approved vendors. They outline ways to standardize security requirements and contract language for implementing cloud-based IT applications. But they are just that — an outline — rather than a detailed roadmap to cloud implementation.

To be sure, cloud won’t be a one size fits all approach when it comes to government implementation. In most cases, a combination of different approaches — private clouds, hybrid clouds and public clouds — should all be examined to determine which approach makes the most sense for the specific need that is being met.

Applications like e-mail, content management, and back-up have been relatively easy to move to the cloud. But using cloud architectures to improve core functions and make development of processes quicker, while reducing duplication of effort will require careful analysis of each application to determine the best migration path.

Functions that are common to many agencies are natural fits for a traditional cloud model, while unique, dedicated functions are often better managed in dedicated systems that allow the flexibility to adapt to underlying business flows. Law enforcement case management and intelligence analysis systems, for example, require unique capabilities and security needs, which require greater agency control and dedicated systems support.

In cases like these, it often makes sense to use virtualization technologies inside government data centers. Many government programs have security needs that are easier to secure internally. Agencies can achieve some of the cost-cutting benefits of cloud technology by adopting “private clouds,” which are easier to secure because information never moves outside of a dedicated data center.

The coming year is an exciting time for Federal IT, as FedRAMP and the move to shared services — whether in the form of public or private clouds — provide the structure that will help new projects for cost cutting take root, ultimately saving taxpayers money by helping government become more efficient.

Andras Szakal is participating in a panel on the U.S. Government’s efforts to reform and improve the operational efficiency of its massive IT infrastructure tomorrow at CloudGov.

Andras Szakal is responsible for IBM’s industry solution technology strategy in support of the U.S. Federal customer.

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Filed Under: All About the Cloud, Cloud Computing, Cloud/Gov, Government, Policy, Policy - Cloud Computing, PSIG, Software Tagged With: ,

Reply to Chertoff: Do Not Let the Perfect be the Enemy of the Good on Privacy and the Cloud

February 10, 2012 By

In his recent op-ed (Cloud computing and the looming global privacy battle, February 9, 2012), Michael Chertoff properly worries about privacy in the cloud. But he’s wrong to think that all problems are equally important or that they all must be solved at once.

We shouldn’t wait for harmonized privacy regimes before making progress on cross border data flows. The priority going forward should be a system of clear and simple procedures that allow global companies to comply with substantively different privacy regimes. In the absence of simple compliance procedures, millions of dollars will be spent on unnecessary bureaucratic paper shuffling instead of on productive investments that can generate economic growth and jobs. Eliminating this waste must be a priority, especially given the worldwide economic challenges.

One way forward is through international agreements that put streamlined compliance procedures in place. To accomplish this, countries have to be willing to approve data transfers across borders when companies demonstrate that they are in compliance with local rules. Mechanisms adopted by the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation group move in this direction. Proposals tabled in the Trans Pacific Partnership trade discussions also contain this key idea. And the European Union’s proposed data protection regulation provides that compliance can be based on contracts, binding corporate rules or codes of conduct approved by single EU member regulator.

Deep integration of privacy regimes is a worthy, but distant goal. Fostering interoperability and cross border data flows are urgent immediate needs. We shouldn’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good.

Mark MacCarthy, Vice President, Public Policy at SIIA, directs SIIA’s public policy initiatives in the areas of intellectual property enforcement, information privacy, cybersecurity, cloud computing and the promotion of educational technology.

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Filed Under: All About the Cloud, Cloud Computing, Cloud/Gov, Policy, Policy - Privacy, Software Tagged With: ,

Leaders from NIST & GSA will Discuss Efforts to Move Apps & Services to the Cloud at Cloud/GOV Conference

January 11, 2012 By

As the cloud continues to revolutionize the way government operates, Cloud/GOV is assembling some of the nation’s top tech leaders to discuss how cloud adoption is moving forward—and to identify the services and requirements that are shaping the future of cloud computing in the public sector.

Cloud/GOV, the nation’s leading annual forum on cloud computing in the public sector, will take place February 16 at the Westin Washington, D.C. City Center Hotel.

Keynote speakers include:
• Dawn Leaf, Senior Executive for Cloud Computing, NIST
• David L. McClure, Associate Administrator, U.S. General Services Administration’s Office of Citizen Services and Innovative Technologies

Cloud/GOV is a key resource for government executives, integrators, and independent software vendors involved in shifting applications and services to the cloud in compliance with FedRAMP. As the leading association actively focused on cloud development and implementation, SIIA has worked with Deltek—the authority on government business—to bring together a diverse group of federal, state and local government IT leaders, as well as software vendors who provide cloud-based services.

Learn more about the conference or check out SIIA’s recent policy work on cloud computing.

Laura Greenback is Communications Director at SIIA.

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Filed Under: Cloud/Gov, Government, Policy, Policy - Cloud Computing, PSIG, Software Tagged With: ,

Cloud Computing: Job Creator

November 1, 2011 By

At SIIA we aren’t shy about touting cloud computing’s economic potential. We’ve highlighted it in a whitepaper for policy makers, showcased it in a collection of interviews from 45 member CEOs, and we plug it in the media every chance we get.

David LeDuc, our senior director of public policy, was happy to broach one of his favorite topics in a National Journal article by Sara Jerome called “Silver Lining” (print or online subscription only). The story explores the cloud’s effect on the job market: Will it help fuel a cross-sector entrepreneurial boom, or will it just lead to the end of the in-house IT manager?

Jerome’s article cites a British think tank’s study that predicts cloud computing will create 2.4 million jobs over the next four years in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. Though no similar research has been done in the United States, LeDuc says the gains should be even greater for the United States.

“The massive computing infrastructure in the United States gives us an edge,” LeDuc says.

The article goes on to say that “unemployment for IT professions was just 5 percent in September, far less than the national average,” and cites a Microsoft study that says 54 percent of IT decision makers are “hiring as a result of the cloud.”

With the national unemployment rate stagnant at 9.1%, areas of growth like cloud computing should be given the tools they need to thrive. Read our whitepaper or check out some of the research we’ve compiled to learn more.

Laura Greenback is Communications Director at SIIA.

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Filed Under: Cloud Computing, Cloud/Gov, Policy, Policy - Cloud Computing, PSIG, Software Tagged With: , ,
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