Agencies are making progress in terms of their enterprise ability to support cloud computing. Accenture, a global management consulting and professional services company, looks at three key criteria to gauge readiness and level of progress toward a Cloud First approach.

In 2011, the White House formally committed to a Cloud First strategy, citing the potential for mass cost savings and improved agility as key drivers. Cybersecurity was another emerging priority as threats to legacy systems evolved.

However, according to a 2016 flash poll by Government Business Council, federal employees now feel true cloud readiness also means addressing technical and business case requirements which are integral to the migration.

Are federal agencies cloud-ready?

Agencies are making progress in terms of their enterprise ability to support cloud computing. We looked at three key criteria to gauge readiness and level of progress toward a Cloud First approach.

Three key criteria

Has your agency…

Established business case and cost requirements for moving to the cloud?

Addressed the security requirements associated with cloud computing?
Acquired the technical capabilities—skills, processes, and tools—to effectively manage cloud environments?

What agencies can do now

About a third of federal agencies are only minimally addressing these three key criteria. Here's how your agency can more fully embrace cloud readiness—in action and approach.

Establishing a case: The cloud isn’t just a security transition. It’s a structural transformation.

Agencies should prioritize business, technical, and organizational policies that take full advantage of the cloud.

Addressing security requirements: seek the aid of advanced cloud practitioners both in and out of government.

By seeking out industry expertise, agencies can more rapidly deploy proven solutions that meet their fundamental requirements.

Acquiring technical capabilities: approach transformation confidently.

Agencies can be more confident in their cloud journey by specifying performance metrics in service level agreements (SLAs), and by ensuring communication and accountability every step of the way.