Cloud is more important now than ever to provide the necessary flexibility, security, and scalability to support the growing remote workforce. While government agencies have made significant progress in adopting cloud – through OMB’s Cloud First and Cloud Smart policies – there is still more to be done.
According to a recent survey, 75 percent of Federal, state, and local IT decision makers say they need to move to cloud more aggressively. Interestingly, while Cloud Smart is only mandated for Federal agencies, nearly all public sector leaders are looking to the directive to support cloud progress moving forward. The majority – 71 percent of Federal agencies and 57 percent of state, local, and higher education institutions (SLED) – say Cloud Smart is increasing their pace of adoption.
Specifically, IT leaders say Cloud Smart is helping to:
- Increase flexibility in IT procurement decisions;
- Improve IT service delivery;
- Spread cloud education efforts and best practices; and
- Standardize cloud protocols across government organizations
In addition, 82 percent of Federal and 69 percent of SLED IT managers say Cloud Smart will be integral to their organization’s cloud success. Much of the Cloud Smart guidance aligns with the current needs of today’s telework reality.
While cloud can help, Federal and SLED IT managers agree that one cloud does not fit all. Research shows that the most effective cloud approach is hybrid. Agencies need detailed migration planning, evaluating all cloud models, and selecting the right cloud for each workload – on prem, off-prem, or in a co-location facility.
Want to know what the “cloud leaders” are doing differently? Please join MeriTalk, Microsoft, and Dell Technologies on April 21 for a complimentary webinar that will discuss survey findings, explore how to manage cloud risk in hybrid environments, and what is needed to modernize acquisition for cloud.