iHaveNet.com
Government Takes a Step Toward Cloud Computing | Technology
  • HOME
  • WORLD
    • Africa
    • Asia Pacific
    • Balkans
    • Caucasas
    • Central Asia
    • Eastern Europe
    • Europe
    • Indian Subcontinent
    • Latin America
    • Middle East
    • North Africa
    • Scandinavia
    • Southeast Asia
    • United Kingdom
    • United States
    • Argentina
    • Australia
    • Austria
    • Benelux
    • Brazil
    • Canada
    • China
    • France
    • Germany
    • Greece
    • Hungary
    • India
    • Indonesia
    • Ireland
    • Israel
    • Italy
    • Japan
    • Korea
    • Mexico
    • New Zealand
    • Pakistan
    • Philippines
    • Poland
    • Russia
    • South Africa
    • Spain
    • Taiwan
    • Turkey
    • United States
  • USA
    • ECONOMICS
    • EDUCATION
    • ENVIRONMENT
    • FOREIGN POLICY
    • POLITICS
    • OPINION
    • TRADE
    • Atlanta
    • Baltimore
    • Bay Area
    • Boston
    • Chicago
    • Cleveland
    • DC Area
    • Dallas
    • Denver
    • Detroit
    • Houston
    • Los Angeles
    • Miami
    • New York
    • Philadelphia
    • Phoenix
    • Pittsburgh
    • Portland
    • San Diego
    • Seattle
    • Silicon Valley
    • Saint Louis
    • Tampa
    • Twin Cities
  • BUSINESS
    • FEATURES
    • eBUSINESS
    • HUMAN RESOURCES
    • MANAGEMENT
    • MARKETING
    • ENTREPRENEUR
    • SMALL BUSINESS
    • STOCK MARKETS
    • Agriculture
    • Airline
    • Auto
    • Beverage
    • Biotech
    • Book
    • Broadcast
    • Cable
    • Chemical
    • Clothing
    • Construction
    • Defense
    • Durable
    • Engineering
    • Electronics
    • Firearms
    • Food
    • Gaming
    • Healthcare
    • Hospitality
    • Leisure
    • Logistics
    • Metals
    • Mining
    • Movie
    • Music
    • Newspaper
    • Nondurable
    • Oil & Gas
    • Packaging
    • Pharmaceutic
    • Plastics
    • Real Estate
    • Retail
    • Shipping
    • Sports
    • Steelmaking
    • Textiles
    • Tobacco
    • Transportation
    • Travel
    • Utilities
  • WEALTH
    • CAREERS
    • INVESTING
    • PERSONAL FINANCE
    • REAL ESTATE
    • MARKETS
    • BUSINESS
  • STOCKS
    • ECONOMY
    • EMERGING MARKETS
    • STOCKS
    • FED WATCH
    • TECH STOCKS
    • BIOTECHS
    • COMMODITIES
    • MUTUAL FUNDS / ETFs
    • MERGERS / ACQUISITIONS
    • IPOs
    • 3M (MMM)
    • AT&T (T)
    • AIG (AIG)
    • Alcoa (AA)
    • Altria (MO)
    • American Express (AXP)
    • Apple (AAPL)
    • Bank of America (BAC)
    • Boeing (BA)
    • Caterpillar (CAT)
    • Chevron (CVX)
    • Cisco (CSCO)
    • Citigroup (C)
    • Coca Cola (KO)
    • Dell (DELL)
    • DuPont (DD)
    • Eastman Kodak (EK)
    • ExxonMobil (XOM)
    • FedEx (FDX)
    • General Electric (GE)
    • General Motors (GM)
    • Google (GOOG)
    • Hewlett-Packard (HPQ)
    • Home Depot (HD)
    • Honeywell (HON)
    • IBM (IBM)
    • Intel (INTC)
    • Int'l Paper (IP)
    • JP Morgan Chase (JPM)
    • J & J (JNJ)
    • McDonalds (MCD)
    • Merck (MRK)
    • Microsoft (MSFT)
    • P & G (PG)
    • United Tech (UTX)
    • Wal-Mart (WMT)
    • Walt Disney (DIS)
  • TECH
    • ADVANCED
    • FEATURES
    • INTERNET
    • INTERNET FEATURES
    • CYBERCULTURE
    • eCOMMERCE
    • mp3
    • SECURITY
    • GAMES
    • HANDHELD
    • SOFTWARE
    • PERSONAL
    • WIRELESS
  • HEALTH
    • AGING
    • ALTERNATIVE
    • AILMENTS
    • DRUGS
    • FITNESS
    • GENETICS
    • CHILDREN'S
    • MEN'S
    • WOMEN'S
  • LIFESTYLE
    • AUTOS
    • HOBBIES
    • EDUCATION
    • FAMILY
    • FASHION
    • FOOD
    • HOME DECOR
    • RELATIONSHIPS
    • PARENTING
    • PETS
    • TRAVEL
    • WOMEN
  • ENTERTAINMENT
    • BOOKS
    • TELEVISION
    • MUSIC
    • THE ARTS
    • MOVIES
    • CULTURE
  • SPORTS
    • BASEBALL
    • BASKETBALL
    • COLLEGES
    • FOOTBALL
    • GOLF
    • HOCKEY
    • OLYMPICS
    • SOCCER
    • TENNIS
  • Subscribe to RSS Feeds EMAIL ALERT Subscriptions from iHaveNet.com RSS
    • RSS | Politics
    • RSS | Recipes
    • RSS | NFL Football
    • RSS | Movie Reviews
Government Takes a Step Toward Cloud Computing
Jessica Rettig

HOME > TECHNOLOGY

 

Federal agencies are woefully behind when it comes to technology

Each year, the U.S. government spends approximately $80 billion on information technology, making it the largest consumer of IT in the world.

But because of a drawn-out budgetand approval process, which often takes as long as three years -- an eon in the tech world -- federal agencies lag far behind the private sector when it comes to IT. "Steve Jobs gets an iPhone; we get a budget," says Jeffrey Zients, deputy director and chief performance officer at the Office of Management and Budget, referring to the time it took the Apple chief executive to develop his product. "That's not an acceptable trade."

Realizing the potential loss of productivity among federal workers due to outdated equipment, White House officials, including Zients, recently announced a new round of structural reforms for IT acquisition and implementation. Among them is a "cloud-first policy," which directs federal agencies to choose "cloud-computing" options when feasible. Officials say they hope the policy, which takes effect in April, will encourage a leap forward for federal agencies and give them a chance to finally get their money's worth from the ever-expanding technology industry.

"The promise of cloud is it's going to enable us, for example, to implement technologies at a lower cost, much faster, and where you don't have to turn every single technology implementation into a multibillion-dollar custom project," says Vivek Kundra, the federal chief information officer.

Based almost entirely on the Internet, cloud computing offers users on-demand access to a network of shared resources, such as files or software programs. To understand how cloud computing works, Kundra suggests comparing today's compartmentalized government IT systems to a time when each village or household had its own water well. With cloud computing, he argues, federal IT would function more like the shared public utilities model, in which services operate on a high-capacity network, can easily be turned on or off, are monitored by a specialized team of professionals, and are not billed unless they're used. The OMB says that by increasing the adoption of cloud solutions, the government could consolidate its more than 2,000 data centers (i.e., water wells) nationwide by up to 40 percent by 2015. Starting with the 2012 budget process, the reform will make cloud-computing options the default when agencies shop for technology solutions.

Critics of cloud computing most often cite Web security issues as their top concern. However, the federal government has taken steps to ensure that its information remains safe and accessible, officials say. For example, cloud-computing vendors will have to earn security certification before agencies may consider them. Also, Kundra says, any information that is sensitive or vital to national security will be housed within government-owned-and-operated systems. And last week Kundra announced that the administration will finalize a proposal within six months for the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program, or FedRAMP, which will authorize additional security monitoring services for cloud-computing systems.

Vendors have responded to the federal cloud-computing initiative by re-engineering well-known private sector applications, like those for search, E-mail, and real-time file sharing, for use on a secure and specialized .gov platform. As the government begins to adopt these cloud services, officials say, it can save money on both technology infrastructure and the energy required to operate on-site systems. Likewise, the cloud applications offer federal workers easier ways to collaborate with other agencies on projects.

Another benefit of cloud computing is that it offers the federal government the chance to catch up to the private sector and some state and local governments that have already moved to the cloud. Since cloud computing doesn't require many, if any, new machines or personnel, a switch would be almost instantaneous. "The government has an opportunity to have a late-mover advantage," said David Mihalchik, a top business development executive for Google Federal. "The government has been behind in information technology, but cloud computing actually offers an almost immediate way for the government to become up to date.

 

 

Available at Amazon.com:

Fujitsu ScanSnap S1300

Planon DocuPen Xreme X05

NeatDesk Desktop Scanner and Digital Filing System

TiVo TCD746320 Premiere DVR (Black)

TiVo TCD748000 Premiere XL DVR (Black)

Moxi 3-Tuner 500GB HD Digital Recorder

Moxi Mate MP-1000 Digital Video Recorder (Black)

Sling Media Slingbox

Dish Network VIP 922 Sling Loaded Hd DVR

 

  • The Great E-reader Roundup
  • The NFL's Highest-scoring Apps
  • New Gadgets Straight From the Big Screen
  • A Game Plan for Protecting Stored Data
  • The Drive for Real-time Collaboration
  • Hang Onto People Who'll Help You Advance
  • Leading New Developments in Visual Computing
  • Meet Mr. Industrial: Justin Lassen's Music Machine
  • Must-see TV on the Internet
  • Share Safely on Social Networks
  • 6 Essential Rules for Safe Online Shopping
  • Five Steps to Kid-friendly Surfing
  • High-tech Help for Weight Loss
  • Create a Web Site or Blog for Your Family
  • Video Eyewear for Sunglass Cinema
  • Smart Phone Apps Help Stop Distracted Driving
  • Online Computer Backup Services Remove Hassle
  • Cut Your Carbon Footprint and Save Money With New Gadgets
  • The 25 Best Apps for iPads, iPhones and Droids
  • Government Takes a Step Toward Cloud Computing
  • Is Our Obsession With Internet-Based Media Veering Into Addiction?
  • Stop Information Overload
  • Cool Technology Tools for a Carefree Life
  • Apple iPhone versus Google Android
  • Apple Enters Rental Biz
  • Cool Technology and Gadgets for Hot Summer Fun
  • Smart Tools For a Paperless Home
  • Formspring.me - Teens' Ugly Scrawlings Go High Tech
  • Guide to Great Educational Websites for Kids
  • 5 Social Media Tools for College Students
  • 5 Do's and Don'ts for College Students Using Social Media
  • Is Facebook Killing Your Mojo?
  • Internet Safety Tips for Teens
  • 10 Cool Gadget Gifts for Grads
  • New DVR Recorders Do More Than Record TV
  • 4G Networks Promise True Wireless Broadband
  • Tools That Make it Easy to Network Home PCs
  • GPS: Cool Devices That Know Where They Are
  • Ultimate HDTV HD Television Buying Guide
  • How to Save With Cutting-Edge Tech
  • Suddenly Instant Photos Are Everywhere
  • Technology Opens Doors for Investors
  • The Art of Self-Marketing Online
  • Is Your Next Job a Click Away?
  • Archiving Twitter Tweets: Dumbing Down Journalism
  • These Financial Blogs Are Worth Your Time
  • iPad Launch: Perils of the iPad
  • iPad Launch: What Buyers Need to Know
  • Apple's iPad: 5 Reasons Why the Apple Tablet Will Flop
  • Apple's iPad: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
  • 'Dotcom' Turns 25: Predictions for What Comes Next
  • Costly Incompatible Glasses Threaten 3D TV Sales
  • Mobile Tech That Stole the Decade
  • The Biggest Technology Flops of the Decade
  • M.B.A. Programs Are Biting Apple's iPad
  • Democracy in Cyberspace
  • The Digital Disruption
  • Bashing Bosses on Social Media
  • New Applications Turning Cell Phones Into Medical Devices
  • Job Hunting With Smart Phones
  • Nobel Winner Right About Risks of e-Books

 

Copyright © 2010 U.S. News & World Report. All rights reserved.

Search Powered By Google

Google Search   

Job & Career Search

career & job search                    job title, keywords, company, location

ADVERTISEMENT

Advertisement

IT & Technology Jobs

Technology Jobs

IT Jobs

ADVERTISEMENT

Advertisement

  • HOME
  • WORLD
  • USA
  • BUSINESS
  • WEALTH
  • STOCKS
  • TECH
  • HEALTH
  • LIFESTYLE
  • ENTERTAINMENT
  • SPORTS

 

  • Services:
  • RSS Feeds
  • Shopping
  • Email Alerts
  • Site Map
  • Privacy