William D. Eggers says the government is giving up the costly infrastructure investments in favor of cloud computing, and the Feds are leading the way.
Eggers writes:
"Federal CIO Vivek Kundra recently announced a "cloud first": "When evaluating options for new IT deployments, OMB [Office of Management and Budget] will require that agencies default to cloud-based solutions whenever a secure, reliable, cost-effective cloud option exists. To facilitate this shift, we will be standing up secure government-wide cloud computing platforms."
Cost efficiencies are the goal, and the feds expect to close 800 of their roughly 2,100 data centers by 2015. In December, the General Services Administration announced it would become the first federal agency to adopt a cloud solution for e-mail."
FULL STORY: Cloud Computing in Government Explodes
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HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
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HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Tufts University, Department of Urban and Environmental Policy & Planning
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