Cloud & GovIT

Cloud Expo New York Speaker Profile: Jill T. Singer – NRO

Mon, 21 May 2012 07:00:00 EDT

With Cloud Expo 2012 New York (10th Cloud Expo) now just three weeks away, what better time to introduce you in greater detail to the distinguished individuals in our incredible Speaker Faculty for the technical and strategy sessions at the conference... We have technical and strategy sessions for you every day from June 11 through June 14 dealing with every nook and cranny of Cloud Computing and Big Data, but what of those who are presenting? Who are they, where do they work, what else have they written and/or said about the Cloud that is transforming the world of Enterprise IT, side by side with the exploding use of enterprise Big Data – processed in the Cloud – to drive value for businesses...?

Chief Executives and the Cloud - Leadership for the New Frontier

Wed, 16 May 2012 06:30:00 EDT

Cloud facilitates a new generation of technology and related impacts that have never been seen before. With utility computing and on demand capabilities, many organizations want to jump on the bandwagon as soon as possible. As the Chief Executive, there are some tough decisions to be made. There will be people in your organization who say that Cloud is the best thing that happened since the emergence of the internet. Others will paint a picture of gloom and doom by citing issues such as security, privacy, control over data etc. Cloud can enhance productivity by providing the infrastructure or application platforms and related tools to respond to customer needs quickly, giving organizations an edge over others that have not assessed such mechanisms, and the on-demand capabilities can lead to efficient utilization of resources. Cloud also facilitates mobility services since such services are available at a cheaper cost to the enterprise.

Cloud-Based Collaboration Services in Asia-Pacific Gov

Fri, 11 May 2012 06:30:00 EDT

Government agencies are reportedly one of the primary benefactors of managed cloud services. According to the results from a recent market study by IDC, IT decision-makers across the Asia-Pacific region (excluding Japan) found that 59 percent of public sector respondents are confident in the ability of their internal IT departments to deploy private cloud environments.

However, IDC Government Insights cautions that high levels of private cloud adoption may not bode well for a collaborative and citizen-engaging government and preemptive measures should be taken for collaboration to take place across organizational boundaries. More insights can be found in the IDC report entitled, "Cloud Computing for Government: a View from Asia-Pacific."

Frank Levering, Research Manager for IDC said, "An efficient and productive internal IT department is definitely a good to have in any organization, private or public. However, a department that is highly confident in running its own private cloud environment may run the risk of not reaching out to other internal departments to collaborate on cloud opportunities."

To counter this possibility, IDC recommends that whenever possible, governments should consider cloud-based collaboration services rather than independent private cloud solutions.

Although governments will initially be seeking cloud-based solutions to deliver cost advantages and better manage resources, eventually, cloud implementations need to be about inter-department collaborations and citizen relationship management in order to reap the full benefits of its capabilities to deliver optimal citizen services.

This is particularly important for key initiatives like data classification for security purposes; if agencies do not align their security levels, it would prove to be a massive obstacle for future joint efforts.

A positive sign is that governments across the region are growing to recognize the need for collaboration within the cloud space. There is already a significant installed base of collaborative applications in the cloud and the numbers will grow significantly in the next 12 months.

To optimize the benefits of cloud services, IDC offers recommendations to governments:

Evaluate all aspects of cloud computing. Read everything you can get your hands on. Most suppliers will have recognized that the key to their long-term success is their short-term role as an educator. Since security is a big concern, develop security profiles for all suppliers being considered.
Service-oriented architecture (SOA) first, then cloud. The right SOA needs to be in place to facilitate a smooth connection to external cloud services. Government agencies needing to build a robust SOA require a plan that tackles the transition in bite-size pieces while solidifying long-term migration to the shared services architecture. Remove the key barriers to cloud computing.
Challenges like security concerns and decentralized data storage will be blocking issues until they are acknowledged and appropriately addressed. Many of the more complex scenarios, like customer/citizen relationship management and inter-department collaboration will depend on a government's ability to get the basics right.
Know your current environment. An inventory of the current environment should provide a good indication of whether systems contain sensitive data, including taxpayers' personally identifiable information and/or mission-critical data and (legacy) applications. This will provide an excellent start to planning for cloud services adoption.

Cloud Service Brokers – ITaaS Best Practices

Thu, 10 May 2012 06:00:00 EDT

The headline theme of our upcoming events, both the GovCloud 2.0 webinar and the Drummond Reportworkshop and white paper, is the role of Cloud Service Brokers and how they will enable the transition to ITaaS – IT as a Service. The second part of our webinar will focus on the emerging concept of ‘Cloud Service [...]

Microsoft GovCloud 2.0

Thu, 10 May 2012 04:45:00 EDT

We’ve just published our first main ‘Solution Guide’, a complete snapshot of how Cloud is applied in one specific area, in this case the Microsoft portfolio. MicrosoftCloud.biz is intended as a channel marketing tool to envelop all aspects of the Microsoft Cloud supply chain, ranging from in-house Private Cloud through Azure hosting and Office 365. [...]

Public GovCloud Computing – Assessing the Requirements

Wed, 09 May 2012 08:00:00 EDT

As more and more large enterprises start to make public adoptions of cloud and service providers figuring out the role they play in the market, one of the biggest potential cloud adopters has been watching and looking for signs that the market can support one of the most public facing cloud deployments. Yes, Governments have [...]

Multi Community Cloud Services - Moving Beyond the Community Cloud

Tue, 08 May 2012 09:00:00 EDT

Community cloud services are services that are shared by multiple members of a community. They centralize the functions and can provide specific mission requirements. The mission requirements can be related to specific policies and compliance. Community clouds leverage the benefits of a public cloud but can satisfy specific requirements. These are perfect for communities with specific focus areas such as performance, auditing or policies that need to be applied across the community. A major benefit of community clouds is that many organizations can come together and pitch in for the cost of the cloud. This sharing results in significant savings compared to each organization setting up and supporting their own services. Community cloud is a term that is discussed a lot, but I have a new term for the cloud that combines multiple communities together, "Multi community cloud". Multi Community cloud services span across communities with similar functions and interests. For example, payment cloud services can be used by multiple communities (such as banking, finance, insurance etc) to make payments to individuals and companies, this would fall under multi community cloud services. These services have to be broad enough to encompass the functions of the multiple communities. With the rapid growth of the community cloud, multi community clouds will evolve to a higher level as communities identify and realize the benefits of leveraging many similar capabilities, even though some policies may be different.

FedRAMP Releases Updated Security Assessment Plan Templates

Tue, 08 May 2012 04:50:00 EDT

Last week the GSA FedRAMP Program Office released the latest version of the cloud computing Security Assessment Plan (SAR) template. This document is the most recent step toward the Federal governments goal of establishing FedRAMP initial operating Capability by June 2012. The Federal Risk Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) is a government-wide program that provides a standardized approach to security assessment, authorization, and continuous monitoring for Cloud Service Providers (CSP).

Enterprise Cloud Governance - Plug & Play for Cloud Services Is Not Enough

Fri, 04 May 2012 06:30:00 EDT

Policies and procedures for Cloud solutions and services should be established as part of Enterprise Cloud Giovernance. Plug and Play for Cloud Services is not enough! Enterprise Cloud Governance is the specification of policies and procedures for Cloud solutions and services for the organization. Many organizations struggle with having silos of Clouds without a coherent approach for Governance. It is very tempting for departments or groups to go and buy new services and try to plug them and then play to see how they works. If specific services have their own individual policies and procedures, this can lead to problems due to lack of centralized management. Without proper alignment with Enterprise Architecture and Security, this can lead to a spaghetti-like conglomeration of Cloud services without proper attention to interoperability and service management. With Enterprise level solutions that leverage hybrid services, the situation can quickly spin out of control. It is extremely important to have a strategy and vision in place to address important elements such as policy management, service management, interactions between applications and data, availability, performance and control related to services.

US Government Saves $5.5B From Cloud

Fri, 04 May 2012 03:00:00 EDT

A recent study revealed that the government is saving around $5.5 billion a year since the shift to cloud, according to this CRN article. The study was created from interviews with 108 federal IT managers and CIOs and was published by MeriTalk Cloud Computing Exchange. The study also found that if they had been more aggressive in cloud adoption, the government could have saved $12 billion.

Cloud Expo New York Speaker Profile: Henry Fastert – SHI

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 07:45:00 EDT

With Cloud Expo 2012 New York (10th Cloud Expo) now just seven weeks away, what better time to introduce you in greater detail to the distinguished individuals in our incredible Speaker Faculty for the technical and strategy sessions at the conference...

Federal Cybersecurity and IT News

Sat, 21 Apr 2012 10:00:00 EDT

Today’s federal cybersecurity and IT news: Maj. Gen. Suzanne Vautrinot, commander the 24th Air Force and Air Force’s Cyber Air Component to USCYBERCOM emphasized the importance of “full-spectrum” cybersecurity that prepares for offense, defense and exploitation. More here. The U.S. Cyber Emergency Response Team warned of social engineering attacks against utilities’ industrial control systems by hackers posing as Microsoft customer support. [...]

A–Z of Cloud Computing & Big Data: Cloud Expo 2012 New York

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 07:00:00 EDT

Only ten weeks to go! Time for an alphabetical summary of the many leading-edge themes & topics to be discussed at Cloud Expo 2012 New York (10th Cloud Expo) - being held June 11-14, 2012, at the Javits Convention Center in New York City and co-located with Big Data Expo 2012 New York (1st Big Data Expo). There is truly no bigger or better event on earth that allows you to play catch-up via so many different technical and strategy sessions devoted to Enterprise IT's two fastest-growing trends - Cloud Computing & Big Data - under one roof.

G-Cloud Update From VMware

Sat, 31 Mar 2012 18:00:00 EDT

Last year on our Open Government webinar Andy MacLeod of Cisco presented on G-Cloud, the UK program to adopt Government Cloud Computing, providing an initial basis for our G-Cloud section in GovCloud.info. (Join our GovCloud Linkedin networking group here).

What You Need To Know About FedRAMP

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 08:00:00 EST

The Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) is a government-wide program established in December 2011 to speed the adoption of cloud computing. FedRAMP includes a set of requirements for federal cloud computing and universal procedures for approving services and providers to work with the government. When contractors feel that they have met FedRAMP requirements, [...]

Happy Thanksgiving Weekend To All Our Cloud Expo Friends!

Fri, 25 Nov 2011 08:00:00 EST

As we head into Thanksgiving Weekend, we bring a brief round-up of some of the many follow-up comments we have been receiving since November's 9th Cloud Expo in Santa Clara, CA. Thanks for your thanks, and see you on the other side...when the countdown steadily begins to New York's mega-event: 10th Cloud Expo | Cloud Expo New York (June 11-14).

The Cloud Computing Wave Hits Silicon Valley

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 15:30:00 EST

The doors open today on 9th Cloud Expo - Cloud Expo Silicon Valley - the biggest event in the world-beating Cloud Expo series to date, with more members of the cloud computing ecosystem gathered than anyone has ever seen before in one place, to play catch-up with Internet technology's most compelling alternative to running all applications within a traditional corporate data center.

Cloud Expo Speaker Profile: Terry Woloszyn - PerspecSys

Thu, 03 Nov 2011 06:30:00 EDT

What better time, with just a few days now to go before Cloud Expo Silicon Valley (9th Cloud Expo), to bring you a series in which we introduce you in greater detail to our incredible Speaker Faculty for the technical program at the conference? We have technical and strategy sessions for you dealing with every nook and cranny of Cloud Computing, but what of those who are presenting? Who are they, where do they work, what else have they written and/or said about the Cloud that is transforming the world of Enterprise IT?

Security and Cloud Computing

Fri, 07 Oct 2011 07:30:00 EDT

Security remains the number one obstacle to adoption of cloud computing for businesses and federal agencies. Regardless of the deployment model selected--private, public, community, or hybrid—conquering security concerns is required for cloud computing to achieve its full potential as the next generation of IT architecture. This collective representation of senior cyber leadership views from more than two dozen private, federal, academic, and other institutions associated with the AFCEA Cyber Committee centers on three focus areas: visibility, collaboration, and workforce enrichment.

Leading C-Suite Perspectives Upcoming at Cloud Expo Silicon Valley

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 03:30:00 EDT

What does the CIO of the National Reconnaissance Office have in common with the CEOs of Abiquo, Apprenda, Tier3, OutSystems and OpSource, the Co-Founder & CTO of Dell Boomi, the CTOs of Rackspace, rPath, Compuware, BMC, NextIO, SoftLayer, SOASoftware, Gale Technologies, CiRBA and UShareSoft, and the Chief Cloud Executive at VMware? Answer: all are members of the distinguished Speaker Faculty of Cloud Expo Silicon Valley, due to take place November 7-10, 2011, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA - the heart of Silicon Valley.

An A-Z of Cloud Computing at Cloud Expo Silicon Valley

Wed, 21 Sep 2011 05:00:00 EDT

An alphabetical selection of some of the many themes & topics to be discussed at Cloud Expo Silicon Valley (9th Cloud Expo) - being held November 7-10, 2011, at the Santa Clara Convention Center, CA. The markets may still be melting, but Cloud Expo is definitely coming of age!

Will Vivek Kundra’s Departure Have a Negative Effect on Green IT in Gov?

Fri, 01 Jul 2011 11:00:00 EDT

I wonder how much Vivek Kundra's departure will slow down the government's innovation, which is already too slow! I may be able to understand Vivek's frustration with the Federal Government. He is responsible for Data.gov. His plans to consolidate over 800 federal data centers, the Federal Cloud Strategy, and his legacy of the "25 Point Plan" are stuff of legend. I mean how long does it take to steer the course of an aircraft carrier? The federal government is a huge ship that moves very slow. Vivek's a pretty young guy, so he may not know that it takes a while to move large federal agencies within the beltway, or maybe he does and he's too impatient to see it through. Nevertheless, he did a great job as the nation's first CIO. Saving a 3 billion dollars with the IT Dashboard, while serving the President of the United States is no shabby undertaking. My fear is that the government will return to the status quo. This position requires extreme technical intelligence, business practicality, and fiscal activism. My hope is that Richard Spires, CIO of the Department of Homeland Security ensures that the next CIO sticks with the plan. The last thing we need is the beltway shuffle with these innovative initiatives.

Is Cloud Computing for Real?

Fri, 24 Jun 2011 07:15:00 EDT

In October 2009, Enterprise Cloud Computing was considered bleeding edge technology by many but there was something that seemed different about its value potential and adoption rate. For CIOs, it seemed a chance to provision affordable infrastructure quickly, alleviating delays to mission critical deliveries. Federal CIOs interest in Enterprise Cloud Computing was limited to innovators and early adopters. Two years later, where does Enterprise Cloud Computing stand? Is it for real?

Cloud Expo New York Preview: CIO of the NRO to Present June 6

Mon, 30 May 2011 05:00:00 EDT

In the Fall of 2009, while she was Deputy CIO of the Central Intelligence Agency, Jill Tummler Singer shared with attending conference delegates her view that Enterprise Cloud Computing was "The Infrastructure's Ultimate Revenge" - noting it was a faster, better, cheaper, and safer computing environment for the enterprise. Then she wrote about Enterprise Cloud Computing for Cloud Computing Journal, defining it as "a behind-the-firewalls use of commercial, Internet-based cloud technologies specifically focused on one company’s or one business environment’s computing needs."

Cloud Expo New York Preview: The Economic Impact of GovCloud on IT

Sun, 29 May 2011 06:45:00 EDT

In December 2010, the U.S. Federal government awarded cloud computing contracts that totaled over $2B in value. It also announced a mandatory "cloud first" policy, requiring every agency to deploy at least three of its services to the cloud. This transition represents a monumental change in Federal IT strategy. It may also threaten the business model of some of the world's largest IT providers. In his session at the 8th International Cloud Expo, Kevin Jackson, Engineering Fellow with NJVC, will explore the economic impact of GovCloud from the position of the information technology and professional services industries. He will also explore the new business strategies for this new environment.

San Francisco Goes With Microsoft Exchange Cloud

Thu, 19 May 2011 04:39:00 EDT

The City & County of San Francisco has decided to let Microsoft host the email accounts for 23,000 employees in an Exchange Cloud Computing architecture, at a cost of about $1 per week per person. It will consolidate several existing email systems in the process. The $1.2 million annual contract was announced by City & County CIO Jon Walton, who said that alternatives from Google and IBM (Lotus Notes) were also considered. He also touted a 20% savings in overall costs, as mandated by the City's new mayor Ed Lee. Exchange Server has been around since the early 1990s, of course. Lotus Notes is even older. But Exchange's most recent incarnation is being offered by Redmond as part of its "all in" commitment to Cloud Computing. Microsoft has added enough performance improvements, collaboration features, and Cloud-centric focus to win the trust of this major government customer. Walton also mentioned the disaster preparedness aspect of Cloud Computing, something that should resonate with people in an area known for occasional large earthquakes. A big fear within IT departments with Cloud Computing is loss of jobs. Walton said this was not an issue with the Exchange deal, noting that IT employees will now be able to offer better service to the thousands of city and county users rather than spending their time on routine maintenance issues. This is what Cloud technology vendors (and many reporters) have been saying about Cloud all along. Let's see if Walton as good as his word.

Cloud Expo 2011 New York Offers Rays of Light

Wed, 06 Apr 2011 23:35:00 EDT

I'm returning to the US this week after spending more than a year in Asia. I'm pessimistic about many things, as I recently explained in a separate article. But let's talk about the rays of light in today's grim global greyness. Let's talk about Cloud Expo. I don't know much, but I do know that Cloud Expo (at New York's Javits Center June 6-9) presents a golden opportunity for IT managers and executives to see what's on display, listen to the why's and how's of Cloud, and network with their colleagues. I would never underestimate the power of such networking. Say what you will about virtual events: they do save money. But I think you get what you pay for with them. A virtual event is virtual in the human sense of “not really,” rather than virtual in the IT-centric sense of “in effect.” The opportunity to compare notes with one's colleagues, do a reality check, and maybe have a Mojito or two has tremendous value, even if you can't put a price on it. Cloud Expo will have thousands of delegates, has a couple dozen major sponsors, numerous other exhibitors, and a three-day, multi-track conference with an all-star conference faculty that has no equal in the world. Hope to see you there.

Data Centers & Dedicated Servers: What Will Govt Cutbacks Mean to You?

Thu, 17 Mar 2011 06:45:00 EDT

We have discussed this before and I'm sure we will talk about it again - government cutbacks and consolidation of cloud hosting. New York has opened an enormous new data center in Brooklyn where the city will centralize all its infrastructure for its agencies of the decade. It has invested $11 million in equipment for the massive facility and will pay about $3 million yearly to lease the space but in theory it stands to recoup more than $100 million over five years. This of course is where we are currently, the credit crunch is still with us along with the recession and up until a few years ago data center charges were something that organizations didn't really keep an eye on... Now savings in infrastructure can be obtained easily, all government agencies are bearing down on the cloud route. This of course is exacerbated by the fact that all their budgets have been pulled from under them.

Vivek Kundra’s Decision Framework for Cloud Computing Migration

Thu, 03 Mar 2011 09:30:00 EST

The decision framework for cloud migration that US Federal CIO Vivek Kundra recently published as part of his Federal cloud computing strategy, offers advice applicable to all organizations. In my last blog, a cloud of two speeds, I mentioned Vivek Kundra's very readable cloud strategy and the industry stimulus effect this approach can have on the emerging cloud industry. By presenting his strategy not simply as a way to cut costs and reduce budgets, but as a way to get more value from existing IT investments, he enlisted IT as an ally to his plans, instead of a potential opponent. Section two of the strategy - summarised below - is a pragmatic 3 step approach and check-list for migrating services to the cloud, which can also be valuable for organizations outside the governement and outside North America.

Cloud Computing From "Agile Cloud Integration" to "Zero Latency"

Sat, 19 Feb 2011 05:00:00 EST

Delegates, speakers, sponsors and exhibitors will be traveling from all over the world to New York this coming June 6-9 to attend 8th International Cloud Expo in New York City, co-located at the Jacob Javits Convention Center with 11th Virtualization Conference & Expo. Here is an early sneak-peek at some of the many Cloud & Virtualization themes and topics due to be discussed in the breakout technical sessions scheduled in the course of the four days.

Federal Cloud Computing Strategy: First Look at New Document

Sat, 12 Feb 2011 07:30:00 EST

Since the CIO.gov site is down for maintenance I wanted to help spread the word on this new document, the Federal Cloud Computing Strategy. I hate to say this, but I have not read it myself yet! But I have read everything else Federal CIO Vivek Kundra has had a hand in publishing and I know this will be important for us all to read and digest and thought you might want an early look.

Vivek Kundra, Cash-for-Clunkers & Cloud Architecture

Tue, 01 Feb 2011 06:15:00 EST

In reading Vivek Kundra’s “25 Point Implementation Plan To Reform Federal Information”, I was struck by the anecdote regarding how the lack of scalability was the cause for outages and, ultimately, delays in processing transactions on the Car Allowance and Rebate System (CARS) or as it was more commonly known as Cash-for-Clunkers.

Obama Endorses the Value of U.S. Social Technologies

Sat, 29 Jan 2011 09:00:00 EST

"We are the nation that put cars in driveways and computers in offices; the nation of Edison and the Wright brothers; of Google and Facebook. In America, innovation doesn’t just change our lives. It’s how we make a living." With this one sentence, President Barack Obama ushered in once and for all the Age of Sociotechnology, the age that recognizes the importance of the interaction between people and technology in both workplaces and society.

Azure Canada - Unleashing Social Innovation

Thu, 27 Jan 2011 13:29:56 EST

The most compelling argument for Governments to adopt Cloud Computing is Open Government. Migrating the legacy data-centre to the Cloud will happen but will move slowly due to IT complexities and the usual resistance to outsourcing, whereas in contrast the Cloud is ideal for public-facing web 2.0 community sites, achieved through enterprise content systems with social media capabilities. Accessing these on a SaaS basis will enable agencies to meet directives to make themselves more transparent and to enable enhanced levels of public participation, and demonstrate the quick wins that the directives ask for.

US Treasury Moves to the Cloud

Mon, 17 Jan 2011 07:00:00 EST

Public-facing web sites belonging to the US Treasury Department like the agency main site treasury.gov and little numbers like MyMoney.gov, TIGTA.gov, SIGTARP.gov and IRSOversightBoard.treasury.gov have moved to Amazon EC2 according to government contractor Smartronix, responsible for the migration. It’s supposed to be first cabinet-level agency to follow US CIO Vivek Kundra’s advisory and take to the cloud. The redesigned Treasury.gov site is supposed to be the largest SharePoint implementation in the federal government. It also uses Windows Server and SQL Server 2008, Systems Center Operations Manager and Dta Protection Manager.

Level Five Open Government Innovation

Sun, 16 Jan 2011 12:00:00 EST

Open Government best practices can be utilized to transform national innovation programs. Canada is scoring a 'D for Innovation', and falling behind other nations in their innovation capacities. They also have perceived issues around the bite of their Open Government watchdogs, and while these may seem like unrelated issues, I'd suggest they stem from the same root issue. Ie. An overly involved, authoritarian culture of government will inhibit both. Therefore it highlights the paradoxical nature of the challenge, and why citizens and businesses need to step up their demands in these areas, and participate directly in the solution. While the government isn't as accountable to the public as they should be, then it's no surprise their efforts to improve innovation and subsequent economic growth aren't performing as well as they should. Government organization resistant to public input and scrutiny is by its nature resistant to change and innovation.

One Day the Cloud Really Will Be Big: The Economist

Mon, 03 Jan 2011 07:30:00 EST

"One day the cloud really will be big..." concludes an article in this week's international print edition of The Economist, an intriguing article that sets out to quantify the size of the three main layers of the cloud computing ecosystem.

Putin Says "Da" to Free Software

Wed, 29 Dec 2010 04:15:00 EST

A few months back, in a story mostly about Microsoft’s complicated relationship with the Russian government and its seemingly dualistic role in the ongoing suppression of various free speech and human rights organizations, we also surfaced contemporaneous reports in the Russian language media about an indigenous, government-funded Linux initiative, called Linuksovskaya. The new “national operating system” was reported to be on an aggressive schedule and expected to be released some time in 2012. Fresh reports this week from inside the country now indicate that Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is now personally involved in making sure that happens in the second quarter and that by 2015 the whole government is running on free software.

Our Top Five Cloud Predictions for 2011: Kevin Jackson & Larry Carvalho

Tue, 28 Dec 2010 09:45:00 EST

Cloud Computing Journal authors look at the short- and mid-term future of the Cloud. Today we start with KEVIN L. JACKSON Editor, Government Cloud Computing on Ulitzer, and LARRY CARVALHO, the 2011 Instructor of Cloud Expo's ever popular Cloud Computing Bootcamp.

Cloud-First Initiative Threatens Federal Systems Status Quo

Tue, 21 Dec 2010 00:05:00 EST

Vivek Kundra, the CIO of the United States, is getting down to business on the “Cloud First” initiative that was announced by the OMB a few weeks back. He’s been showing a snappy slide deck around town in DC the past few days that will probably affect different people in very different ways. Taxpayers should love it because it is a plan for saving money and improving efficiency throughout the government. Commercial CIOs should learn from it, because it illustrates a practical and practicable approach to cloud computing. And the freebooters and freeloaders of the “federal systems” fraternity should be very, very afraid of it because it says their back-scratching days may be numbered.