Finding the Right Fit for the Cloud in State and Local Government
The rush to embrace cloud tools and services in the government is just a means to an end – it’s about experimentation and innovation and understanding the potential of what cloud can do. That’s according to Gunnar Hellekson, chief strategist for Red Hat U.S. Public Sector.
In a recent interview with American City and County, Hellekson explained:
“If you’ve ever skipped a project because the capital costs were too high, been afraid to experiment with a new technology, or reluctant to add complexity to your data center, a cloud infrastructure can help.”
Although adoption is growing, cloud is still in its infancy in the public sector. “Most governments are still learning the mechanics: how to make the economics work, how to govern different cloud platforms, how to charge internal departments by the hour, and so on,” says Hellekson.
State and Local Agencies Vary in Cloud Commitment
That investigation is reflected in state and local government. Some are exploring cloud, some not (Alabama), while others (Wisconsin, West Virginia and Vermont, to name just a few) put the cloud at the center of their future IT plans, where appropriate, reports Brookings.
But smaller cities are also looking to benefit.
Government Technology predicts that the cloud will give them. “For a resource-strapped city that had traditionally purchased expensive enterprise software licenses, modularized cloud-based software as a service solutions will make purchasing cheaper, more flexible and more efficient.”
Choosing a Cloud that lets you Use the Tools you Have
Red Hat’s advice to these agencies is to plan for a hybrid cloud. Hybrid clouds allow users to manage data from their internal infrastructure to a pubic cloud.
“You’ll always have some traditional work, and some cloud work, and you don’t want different management and tools for each. When you’re worried about configuration management, or patching a security problem, you shouldn’t care where the systems live. So you want management tools and development practices that make it as easy to work on-premise as it is in a cloud,” said Gunnar Hellekson.
“That also means you need an exit strategy for all your cloud work. If you’re locked into one cloud or tool vendor, you’ve lost much of the advantage the cloud can give you.”
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