US government dives into cloud

WASHINGTON, USA: The US government has recently launched Apps.gov is an online storefront for federal agencies to quickly browse and purchase cloud-based IT services, for productivity, collaboration, and efficiency.

The move is expected to help continue the President’s initiative to lower the cost of government operations while driving innovation within government, said an official blog posting by Vivek Kundra, Chief Information Officer for the U.S. Government.

According to the blog, the federal government spends over $75 billion annually on information technology (IT). This technology supports every mission the government performs - from defending the borders to protecting the environment. “IT is essential for the government to do its work, and it is essential that we have access to the latest and most innovative technologies,” says Kundra.

Apps.gov is a one-stop source for cloud services – an innovation that not only can change how IT operates, but also save taxpayer dollars in the process.

Citing the reason for adopting the use of cloud computing, Kundra said “Federal agencies and departments encounter many difficulties in deploying new IT services and products. Procurement processes can be confusing and time-consuming. Security procedures are complex, costly, lengthy and duplicative across agencies. Our policies lag behind new trends, causing unnecessary restrictions on the use of new technology. Past practices too often resulted in inefficient use of purchased IT capabilities across the federal government. We are dedicated to addressing these barriers and to improving the way government leverages new technology.”

Kundra is sure that it will take time before the government can realize the full potential of cloud computing, “As with Data.gov, Apps.gov is starting small – with the goal of rapidly scaling it up in size. Along the way, we will need to address various issues related to security, privacy, information management and procurement to expand our cloud computing services,” he added.

Kundra, a 34-year-old Indian American, was appointed as the federal chief information officer (CIO) at the White House in March this year to advance the administration's technology agenda. He was born in Delhi.