http://news.cnet.com/8301-13772_3-10353479-52.html
As
an example of what's possible with cloud computing, Vivek Kundra pointed to a
revamping of the General Services Administration's USA.gov site. Using a
traditional approach to add scalability and flexibility, he said, it would have
taken six months and cost the government $2.5 million a year. But by turning to
a cloud computing approach, the upgrade took just a day and cost only $800,000
a year.
Three
Initiatives:
1.
The
first major element of the initiative is the brand new Apps.gov site, a clearinghouse for
business, social media, and productivity applications, as well as cloud IT
services. To be sure, the site isn't fully functional yet. In fact, a brief
survey of it resulted in a series of error messages. But it's evident that the
administration hopes that for many agencies, the site will eventually be a
one-stop shop for the kinds of services that to date have required extensive IT
spending, and Kundra said he believes that some at the Department of Energy has
already been using the site for some of its needs
2.
The
second element of the effort, Kundra said, will be budgeting. For fiscal year
2010, the administration will be pushing cloud computing pilot projects,
reflecting the effort's priority and hopes that many lightweight workflows can
be moved into the cloud. For fiscal 2011, it will be issuing guidance to
agencies throughout government.
3.
Finally,
the initiative will include policy planning and architecture that will be made
up of centralized certifications, target architecture and security, privacy,
and procurement concerns. Kundra said every effort will be made to ensure that
data is protected and secure, and that whatever changes are made are
"pragmatic and responsible."