U.S. Government Agencies Using the Cloud
The U.S. Government has been making a lot of major cloud deals lately. Some of those deals reach into the millions, and it's clear that the US government trusts the cloud with sensitive data. It's also clear that the US government is trying to save money by switching to the cloud, though this has some people slightly concerned.
Cloud security is always on the back of everyone's mind. Still, plans to move to the cloud forge ahead, with some of the government's biggest departments making the switch.
Here's a rundown of all the government agencies (so far) that are moving to the cloud. U.S. Government Agencies Using the Cloud
1. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) : the CIA caused controversy when the agency chose Amazon as the major cloud host. The agency's $6 million contract is currently being bid on by both IBM and Amazon, after IBM protested the original Amazon deal stating that the bid should be open to other companies.
2. U.S. Interior Department : the interior department has created the Foundation Cloud Hosting program, which will apply cloud technology to database hosting services, web hosting services, virtual machine services, secure file transfer services, development and test environment hosting services, and SAP application hosting services.
3. Defense Information Systems Agency : most people have never heard of this department, but the defense agency is currently negotiating and considering commercial cloud options for both IT and IaaS. The department has millions to spend on the project, and we should be hearing something about this move by the end of September.
Why the Cloud Move?
If the US government can close down physical data centers and replace those centers with cloud hosting options, money can be saved (jobs will be lost, but money can be kept). Today's cloud hosting companies are also a lot more secure than they used to be, and new ways of keeping cloud data secure are popping up daily. So, the government is cashing in on an industry that's quickly moving forward.
Plus, it's hard to forget that the cloud is efficient and simple enough to use. Some departments can get rid of IT altogether and replace tech departments with full-service cloud hosts. Moves to the cloud might become something that's less unusual and more common in the near future.
Big Budgets Go Far
Even though most of the government organizations listed here have major cloud budgets, those dollars will do many different things. It's not just moving to the cloud that costs, it's a variety of things like tech support, and a variety of different projects within one agency. Still, knowing that most of the CIA's data will be cloud-bound makes some people nervous.
How do you feel about government agencies moving to the cloud? Does this make you feel secure, or would you rather see these agencies keep data physical?
If you are considering a cloud move, let us help you with any questions or concerns that you might have. Feel free to fill out the ‘ask an expert' form on this page for further details.
