Amazon and IBM Fight to Build the First CIA Cloud

First CIA Cloud

The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has recently decided that the cloud is where it's at. The CIA has recently put out a request to numerous cloud companies to build a private cloud for the agency. The biggest bidders were Amazon and IBM. Initially, the CIA chose Amazon, but that might not be the way things work out.

IBM Contests

According to various sources, IBM wasn't thrilled with the CIA's choice of cloud providers. So, IBM has contested the CIA award. IBM now has 60 days to prove that its private cloud building abilities are better than what Amazon could offer. It's interesting to note, too, that Amazon's bid was $54 million more than IBM's but the CIA still chose Amazon.

In sixty days, we'll see which company the CIA choose to go with. There's one more interesting bit to this puzzle that you may want to chew on: Amazon has openly argued against the merits of private clouds, stating that a share cloud were more secure. If Amazon does wind up with the CIA bid, it could mean a major competitive edge for the company.

What the CIA Cloud Might Look Like

If Amazon wins this bid, the new CIA cloud will be highly secure (obviously), and it will mimic the cloud offerings that Amazon currently sells to the public. The CIA found Amazon's cloud offerings to be superior to the setup that IBM has created (Amazon's top cloud competitor in this race). What does all of this mean? For one thing, the CIA is more tech-savvy than it's ever been.

The CIA Is Connected

It really shouldn't come as much of a surprise that the CIA collects information. That's just what the CIA does. Now, though, the CIA can collect organized information that's easier to gather and sift through.

Data is absolutely essential when it comes to keeping criminals in-check. It's also a hot topic of debate when the general population is, once again, reminded that the government collects information on a regular basis (really, this shouldn't come as such a shock!).

Regardless, the CIA's move to the cloud means something else too: it means that the government trusts the cloud – or, at least, what Amazon has been doing with cloud operations. Logically, enterprises considering a move to the cloud will follow the agency to whatever cloud company is chosen. Just how much does a private cloud cost?

First CIA Cloud: Millions Sent to the Cloud

Reportedly, the CIA is ready to invest $600 million (according to Business Insider) in the new cloud structure. That's a lot of dough to spend on a new government cloud – is Amazon offering some kind of new security technology that other cloud providers can't match? Maybe. But, the fight between IBM and Amazon isn't over yet.