How Different Agencies Have Adopted SaaS
Many government agencies have adopted cloud computing as part of their IT infrastructure. By and large, these have been public cloud deployments. Although private cloud computing is relatively new, some agencies plan to adopt the secure private model to deliver SaaS. Among them are the following agencies.
National Institute of Standards and Technology
The National Institute of Standards and Technology is considering moving its IT service ticketing system to a private cloud as part of a larger move to an IT Service Management (ITSM) model for providing services to end users. NIST wants to migrate the trouble-ticket system to the cloud, in part so that IT can focus more on other applications that directly affect the agency’s mission.In the long run, NIST hopes that other departments, such as telecommunications, security and building maintenance, will be able to use the cloud-based ticketing system.
Census Bureau
The U.S. Census Bureau plans to use a private cloud to deploy a virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) and reduce the costs associated with providing and maintaining desktop service. The agency is also looking to the private cloud and VDI to comply with the Telework Enhancement Act of 2010.
By running virtual machines in the cloud and ensuring that sensitive data resides on cloud-based storage, Census aims to protect the data while enabling workers to be productive remotely. The Census cloud will reportedly support single sign-on and two-factor authentication.
Utah Department of Technology Services
Utah implemented a hybrid cloud approach that combines some public cloud services with private cloud services for specialized access and security requirements. The Beehive State supports a number of public services where individual county and city governments pay only for their usage.
In addition, the state’s Department of Technology Services (DTS) is now completing a private cloud. The state is moving many of its applications, which previously resided on about 1,800 physical servers in more than 35 locations, to a virtual platform of 400 servers. This initiative is expected to save $4 million in annual costs for the state. Going forward, DTS plans to extend virtualization to desktops across the state.
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