By Curt Kolcun, Vice President, Microsoft US Public Sector
U.S. CIO Vivek Kundra presented a visionary plan last week for the future of federal IT, which focused on cloud computing or “light technology” as a major key to driving IT transformation. Technology is one investment that can actually save taxpayer dollars while boosting productivity, but Kundra noted that government has been too reliant on “large, custom, proprietary systems” that are expensive to build, inflexible to changing needs, and siloed from other systems. Cloud computing addresses each of these challenges. “Light technology” allows you to pay only for what you use, scale quickly according to demand, and share information more efficiently.
To prevent waste associated with unused computing resources, the administration is calling for consolidation and sharing. The federal government is currently operating 2,094 data centers, which illustrates how siloed and disparate government data really is. We have to start distributing those resources across federal agencies more efficiently, so in addition to decreasing the number of federal data centers, Kundra has outlined an innovative plan for sharing availability. Much like diners securing restaurant reservations through Open Table, this online marketplace will match agencies looking for extra computing capacity with existing data centers that have availability. Just imagine the efficiencies this tool will drive!
The private sector has had great success leveraging cloud computing for increased output and customer satisfaction while lowering the cost of doing business. Government can achieve the same goals. Kundra’s 25-point plan referenced Cash for Clunkers as a perfect example of a great idea that failed because its technology couldn’t scale to meet demand. It’s an example we’ve discussed on this blog before, and I believe the program could have succeeded if it had been supported in a cloud environment. These are the lessons we’re learning in federal IT, and the results support the “Cloud First” policy the administration is advocating for.
The great news is that serious progress is being made. Both GSA and USDA have recently announced plans to migrate e-mail and collaboration systems to the cloud, and USDA is expecting to save $6 million a year based its implementation. Kundra also cited the successful efforts by the Department of Interior’s IT leadership to consolidate 13 previously disparate email systems in the cloud, saving $36 million over the next 5 years and enabling personnel to send agency-wide communications for the first time. It’s an incredible accomplishment, and another example of government technology leaders bringing innovation to bear on our most pressing IT challenges. The future is bright in the world of government IT!