Cloud Acquisition Strategy, Customized to the Right Cloud Model

March 17, 2015 / G C Network / Comments Off

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CloudCamp Federal 2008 – Don’t miss out !!!

By G C Network | November 7, 2008

Tickets are going fast for CloudCamp Federal 2008 on November 12th in Chantilly, Virginia !! Representatives from the following organizations are already registered to attend. 3TERAAmazon Web Services (AWS)AOLAppistryApptisBooz Allen…

Private Clouds

By G C Network | November 5, 2008

Yesterday in eWeek, Chris Preimesberger, provided a very good read in “Why Private Cloud Computing is Beginning to Get Traction“. “Private cloud computing is a different take on the mainstream…

Important Cloud Computing Events

By G C Network | November 4, 2008

Mark your calendar for the following cloud computing events. These are specifically targeted to organizations looking to leverage cloud computing technologies and techniques in support of national security requirements. CloudCamp…

Forrester: Embrace Cloud Computing to Cut Costs

By G C Network | November 3, 2008

“Forrester Research advises CFOs to take a close look at cloud computing for messaging and collaboration and enterprise applications. The payoffs could be noticeable during the current economic downturn.” In…

Government still wary of cloud computing

By G C Network | October 31, 2008

Federal News Radio interviewed Ron Markezich, a corporate vice president of Microsoft, Mike Bradshaw, president of Google federal, and Michael Farber, a partner with Booz Allen on the government’s approach…

Microsoft Azure

By G C Network | October 30, 2008

With the announcement of Azure, Microsoft has finally made it’s cloud computing plans public. Maybe Larry Ellison is now ready to revise his opinion, huh? While this announcement is definitely…

Federal Grants from the Cloud

By G C Network | October 29, 2008

In case you mised it, the Department of Interior has announced that it plans to build a cloud computing platform to manage the processing and distributing of government grants. “Grants.gov…

Economist.com : Let it rise

By G C Network | October 28, 2008

This week, The Economist provides an insightful special report on cloud computing. From “Clouds and Judgement“: “Computing is fast becoming a “cloud”—a collection of disembodied services accessible from anywhere and…

Some More Cloud Computing Survey Results

By G C Network | October 27, 2008

As promised, here are some more results from the MIT/”Cloud Musings” on-line survey! Please remember, THIS IS NOT A SCIENTIFIC SURVEY !! The purpose is only to get a sense of…

Steve Ballmer comments on Microsoft’s cloud plans

By G C Network | October 24, 2008

On October 17th in the “Redmond Channel Partner Online”, a Microsoft Partner community publication, Kurt Mackie reported on Microsoft’s CEO Steve Ballmer’s comments on the company’s vision for syncing up…

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Melvin Greer

Managing Director, Greer Institute

This year has brought big news, significant changes and increased awareness of the adoption of cloud computing in Government. In fact Cloud computing may be the biggest and most overhyped term in Government information technology today. It is also the most discussed topic in agency strategy, cyber security forums and mission / program reviews. While lots of conversation has been devoted to technology and the benefits that government customers can derive from Cloud, in the end the biggest challenge may be the acquisition of cloud services. Cloud computing presents a different set of acquisition challenges to the federal government and this shift requires a rethinking the agency acquisition process. Smart purchasing decisions require an understanding of security requirements, service models and service level agreements.

Clearly adherence to the Federal Risk Authorization and Risk Management (FedRAMP) cloud security requirements are central to acquisition of cloud services. This includes issues like data location and jurisdiction, privacy, and eDiscovery, as they are very important in a service-based environment.

An enhanced view of cloud acquisition involves the mapping of the right acquisition strategy with the right cloud deployment model. The dominant cloud deployment model in Government is the hybrid cloud model. Given that agencies will not likely limit themselves to one cloud deployment but will rather incorporate different and overlapping cloud services the acquisition strategy for the hybrid model will need to provide the flexibility necessary to map to the varying deployment models.

By focusing on a customized acquisition strategy in contracting for cloud services, agencies can reduce the risk of vendor lock-in, improve portability, and encourage competition. With these goals in mind, agencies will want to establish explicit Service Level Agreement (SLA) information for security, continuity of operations, and service quality and the impact on the cloud service provider of not meeting SLA metrics.

By developing a cloud acquisition strategy that comprehends security requirements, service models and service level agreement metrics, agencies can acquire the benefits of cloud adoption required to meet their mission needs. Learn more about the acquisition of Cloud in the ViON eBook, “The Business of Cloud”

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