If the administration implements effectively on the “nuclear nod” of the SOU speech, and this initiative, then I will be impressed. The following budget language is encouraging, at least as a strategy statement. I couldn’t guess if there will be any execution behind this, as the agencies who own the computing cockups are remarkably resistant to innovation. BTW, saving 85% is not at all crazy if the American government switched to doing software like Google:
When it comes to cloud computing, the Obama Administration is putting some skin in the game.
Everyone talks about the capacity of cloud computing to transform government and reduce costs (one study estimates that federal agencies could eventually save 85% of their IT budgets by moving to the cloud). But the vast majority of the federal government’s IT spending today is spent on traditional desktop or client-server computing. And until that changes, the federal government won’t have the ability to tap the true potential of cloud computing.That’s why the inclusion of cloud computing in the Obama Administration’s new FY 2011 budget is a big deal. Check out page 42 of the budget overview which identifies the problem:
“Under the leadership of the Federal Chief Information Officer, the Administration is continuing its efforts to close the gap in effective technology use between the private and public sectors. Specifically, the Administration will continue to roll out less intensive and less expensive cloud-computing technologies; reduce the number and cost of Federal data centers; and work with agencies to reduce the time and effort required to acquire IT, improve the alignment of technology acquisitions with agency needs, and hold providers of IT goods and services accountable for their performance.”
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