>Federal Govt locks in âcloud firstâ stance >Author: Paris Cowan >Published: October 8, 2014 >Source: >http://www.itnews.com.au/News/396584,federal-govt-locks-in-8216cloud-first8217-stance.aspx > > >Coalition cloud policy released. > >The federal government has stepped up cloud adoption by handing down a >long-awaited âcloud firstâ ultimatum to agencies. > >Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Finance Minister Mathias >Cormann put their signatures to the Commonwealthâs new cloud policy, >which demands agencies âmust adopt cloud where it is fit for purpose, >provides adequate protection of data and delivers value for moneyâ. > >It becomes the second jurisdiction in Australia to adopt the âcloud >firstâ rhetoric first launched into the political mainstream by UK and >US administrations. > >Queensland embraced a similar stance in May, which requires agencies to >obtain approval to go with non-cloud options for new tech purchases. >Turnbull has long hinted that he planned to follow suit. > >[http://www.itnews.com.au/News/386551,qld-orders-agencies-to-buy-cloud-as-default.aspx >and >http://www.itnews.com.au/News/353668,coalition-would-adopt-cloud-first-policy.aspx] > >In a combined statement, Turnbull, Cormann and Attorney-General George >Brandis have complained that the public serviceâs cloud adoption has >been too slow. > >âThe Government procures approximately $6 billion of ICT services >annually, but only a fraction of this is spent on cloud services,â they >said. > >The policy itself describes âmodest use of cloud services by government >to dateâ with a total of just $4.7 million since July 2010, according to >an analysis of published contracts. > >However Canberra has left itself a number of caveats in the new >procurement stance. > >The new rules will only apply when: > > > - Cloud solutions are fit for purpose, > - The cloud option offers best value for money, > - The cloud option offers adequate security as defined by the > Protective Security Policy Framework, > - Purchasing bodies are central government departments or agencies > (not government corporations). > >The new policy also seeks to ride the newfound momentum gained when the >Attorney-Generalâs Department dumped its unpopular offshore data hosting >policy, which required procurement officials to obtain the approval of >the Attorney-General and their own minister before they could send any >citizen information overseas. > >[http://www.itnews.com.au/News/391678,govt-dumps-controversial-labor-offshore-cloud-policy.aspx] > >âUnder the new arrangements, agency heads will be able to approve >proposals to place certain information in either offshore or >domestically hosted (onshore) public cloud. > >âThe removal of this unnecessary red tape will promote productivity and >the efficient use of Government resources,â the statement explains. > >The new cloud policy represents the formal dumping of Laborâs National >Cloud Computing Strategy, issued in May 2013. > >[http://www.itnews.com.au/News/344919,govt-agencies-forced-to-consider-cloud-in-new-strategy.aspx] > >However it doesnât stray too far from the planâs original sentiment. The >Labor strategy stated that: > >> "Government agencies will choose cloud services, where the service >> represents the best value for money and adequate management of risk, >> compared to other available optionsâ >> >> - National Cloud Computing Strategy > >It also made more explicit demands, requiring agencies to choose public >cloud services as default for test and development uses and for public >facing website information whiich are echoed in the new plan. > >The Coalition strategy also hints at plans to follow their NSW peers >down the path of a consolidated government computing solution. It sets a >December 2014 deadline for the Department of Finance start to trialling >the relocation of agency data to a âsecure government cloudâ. > >[http://www.itnews.com.au/News/391098,nsw-govt-data-centres-on-track-to-be-australias-greenest.aspx] >
"Lost Anchors" - Now available on Amazon in both print and Kindle versions. Print: http://www.amazon.com/Lost-Anchors-J-Kirsten/dp/1502541556/ Ebook : <http://mybook.to/lostanchors>myBook.to/lostanchors Melbourne, Victoria, Australia jw...@janwhitaker.com Twitter: <https://twitter.com/JL_Whitaker>JL_Whitaker Blog: www.janwhitaker.com <https://www.amazon.com/author/jlwhitaker>JL Whitaker "On A Life's Edge" - US Amazon print and digital http://viewBook.at/OALEdge Apple iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/au/book/on-a-lifes-edge/id893736824?mt=11 Sooner or later, I hate to break it to you, you're gonna die, so how do you fill in the space between here and there? It's yours. Seize your space. ~Margaret Atwood, writer _ __________________ _ _______________________________________________ Link mailing list Link@mailman.anu.edu.au http://mailman.anu.edu.au/mailman/listinfo/link
