San Jose, Calif., steps into the cloud
Who are the key stakeholders, and what factors should they consider?
Who are the key stakeholders, and what factors should they consider?
The end users need to understand the benefits and features of the particular cloud solutions and how they benefit the customer. The technical staff needs to understand how cloud solutions are part of the overall service delivery puzzle and how to support the user base. Elected officials need to know the benefits of the care, handling and rapid retrieval of employee and constituent data, and have confidence in the security of that data. Finally, when considering citizen-facing solutions in the cloud, citizens must understand the features of such solutions, that their data is secure and alternatives to such solutions address digital divide issues. Believe it or not, not everyone has a smartphone.
What are the next steps for government agencies considering cloud strategies?
First, don’t fall in love with the word cloud. Cloud means as many things to as many people as you ask. Identify your project goals and which cloud solutions may be a viable alternative for your organization. Develop and prioritize service delivery areas that a segment of cloud vendors can address and the cost for that service. Carefully determine if cloud vendors offer the same security as you would provide, if not more, because of the shared nature of the environment. Understand your tolerance for risk based on the facts and not opinions. Talk to people who have gone through similar transitions and learn what went well and what didn’t. Reference customers are just that: people who will say great things about a vendor. Challenge them to tell you the difficult aspects of the transition. Finally, the marketplace is hungry; don’t be afraid to test the marketplace to deliver value by challenging cloud vendors to prove themselves in comparison to other vendors.