What the Private Sector Can Learn About Government Implementation of Cloud Computing
The United States Department of Defense (DoD) has long been at the forefront of adopting new technology, accelerating developments of new systems which have impacted tremendously on the private sector and commercial market. This is especially true in such areas as aviation, computing, and energy. Without DoD support for – and development of – new technology, such revolutions as GPS and the internet itself might not even exist in their present form! Because of this, the strategies used by the DoD can serve as a guideline for private sector companies looking to adopt new technology.
Businesses today can consider the DoD’s dramatic expansion of cloud computing technology as a massive endorsement of the concept and its effects on efficiency, security, and IT costs. In the DoD Cloud Computing Strategy document, released this week, the DoD outlines a four-step plan designed to promote the use of cloud computing within the DoD, training those responsible for acquisitions how to contract cloud services and understand the technology.
According to the DoD Cloud Computing Strategy, the following four points will be essential for moving to a combined government and commercial cloud strategy:
- - Use an outreach campaign to promote the use of cloud technology in DoD facilities in order to increase the number of cloud users and cloud service providers associated with the DoD.
- - Eliminate unnecessary software duplication and unnecessary IT services in order to optimize consolidation of these in data centers.
- - Delivering cloud services through the DoD’s own vendors, departments, and associated agencies.
- - Making a move towards cloud-based hardware and software options in already-existing DoD data centers.
These four points can serve as a basic template for businesses or government agencies wishing to make a large-scale move towards cloud. More essential services include cloud-based collaboration; web-based communication via instant messaging, temporary chat rooms, conferencing, and email; and integrating multimedia and data services to ensure easy access from multiple locations.
Nearly all of DoD cloud services will be managed by the Defense Information Systems Agency, with the main authority residing in the DoD’s Chief Information Officer, Terri Takai. According to the DoD Cloud Computing Strategy, the goal of moving to the cloud is to ensure that people involved in DoD affairs can access data whenever they need it, from any device, regardless of where they are. This freedom is what distinguishes cloud computing from the pack, putting it leagues ahead of traditional data storage and management.
To bypass the possible security risks of using commercial cloud services, the DoD has hinted at rigorous control over data stored in these domains. All mission-critical data that could compromise or interrupt DoD operations if lost will not be hosted on commercial clouds. These decisions will be made by the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA). This combined model of government and commercial clouds has been seen in the past as a hybrid cloud model that has come to be accepted as an industry standard to ensure better scalability and increased security.
So how can a business apply the DoD’s four strategies to their own implementation of cloud? Perhaps by establishing the following three recommendations learned from the DOD’s strategy:
- - Actively promote cloud computing in all offices and branches of the company, incentivizing personal use, course-taking and certification, and promoting its use in company affiliates such as vendors or distributors.
- - Cut back on unnecessary IT services and avoid software and hardware duplication wherever possible to cut costs. Consolidate existing computing capabilities in optimized data centers.
- - Create a branch or division within the company charged with delivering cloud services, especially in the case of a private cloud for in-house use in order to prevent security leaks. The role and structure of DISA can be used as a guide for the organization of such a branch.
One way of promoting the technology is obviously highlighting its unique features and advantages. GMO Cloud offers functions that help organizations manage systems more efficiently. See the examples on the High Availability Features page.
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About the Guest Author:
Nida Rasheed is a freelance writer and owner of an outsourcing company. Nida often finds herself wanting to write about the subjects that are closest to her heart. She lives in Islamabad, Pakistan and can be found on Twitter @nidarasheed.
