Describe the Federal Cloud Computing Strategy of 2011
With legislation enacted to support and fund the government's IT vision, with organizations aligned and roles and responsibilities understood, and with tools and technology in place to support that vision, the U.S. government delivered its first comprehensive strategy on cloud computing for Federal agencies.
In 2011, Federal CIO Vivek Kundra released the Federal Cloud Computing Strategy, a comprehensive approach to how cloud computing will be utilized "to play a major part in addressing [government] inefficiencies and improving government service delivery."
From its beginning, it notes that an estimated $20 billion of the federal government's annual $80 billion in IT spending (or 25%) is a target for migration to cloud computing solutions.
The strategy institutes a "Cloud First policy" where cloud computing is prioritized first over making any new investments.
The strategy enumerates how the government may be made more efficient, agile, and innovative through its usage of cloud computing, and outlines its purpose to:
- Articulate the benefits, considerations, and trade-offs of cloud computing
- Provide a decision framework and case examples to support agencies in migrating towards cloud computing
- Highlight cloud computing implementation resources
- Identify Federal Government activities and roles and responsibilities for catalyzing cloud adoption
All government agencies are tasked with re-evaluating technology sourcing strategy and modifying their IT portfolios to "take advantage of the benefits of cloud computing."
Unleashing the power of the cloud
The strategy first defines cloud computing, then notes that:
- cloud computing is a fundamental shift in Information Technology
- cloud computing can significantly improve public sector IT
- efficiency improvements shift resources to higher value activities
- assets may be better utilized
- demand aggregation will greatly reduce dupicate spending and efforts
- data center consolidation can be accelerated
- IT will be simpler and more productive
- agility improvements will make services more responsive
- services will be more scalable
- innovation improvements will rapidly enhance service effectiveness
- entrepreneurial culture will be encouraged by reducing risk
Decision framework for cloud migration
The strategy also establishes a decision framework for cloud migration, which includes:
- selecting which services to move to the cloud
- identifying sources of value
- determining cloud readiness
- provisioning services in the most effective manner
- managing services rather than assets
Case examples to illustrate framework
Because cloud computing is not just a technology shift but also a mindset shift, the strategy also focuses on a new framework for Federal IT focused on:
- tailoring a solution to protect security and maximize value
- provisioning to ensuring competitiveness and capturing value
- redefining IT from an asset to a service
Catalyzing cloud adoption
The strategy provides a call to action. It lays out:
- how to leverage reference architectures
- how to ensure a trustworthy cloud environment
- how the procurement process can be streamlined
- which established cloud computing standards should be used
- the international implications of cloud computing
- just how important of the need for governance is
Supporting data and first steps
Finally, to demonstrate how it will be applied, it provide appendices with potential spending by agency and some resources for starting the first steps.