The Government of New South Wales is moving towards managing the cost of running ICT infrastructure while delivering agency-wide savings.
In October 2012, the State Government launched a private cloud pilot to help agencies migrate to this platform. This pilot underscores continued interest in cloud services — while enabling end-users to benefit from a pay-per-use model and utilise scalable services.
This cloud pilot, led by the New South Wales (NSW) Department of Finance and Services, lays the foundations for a broader adoption of cloud services over the next three years.
NSW’s Minister for Finance, Greg Pearce, says the NSW Government is responsible for a large annual ICT budget. This budget is estimated at US$2 billion (AU$2 billion) a year.
“Our first public cloud pilot will scope the potential of cloud computing,” Minister Pearce says. “We want to deliver leadership in the ICT sector. The goal is to transform the NSW public service into a modern and efficient government, built around a well-defined governance framework.”
A “whole-of-government cloud strategy” is influenced by governance requirements and industry-wide consultations — while offering a sound foundation for innovation.
Cloud computing offers a cost-effective model to provision agency-wide services. This platform is supported by the State Government’s ICT Strategy for 2012, which explores the potential of cloud computing, among other platforms, while setting new goals and timelines for ICT procurement and policy reforms.
An initial cloud pilot enables participating agencies to scope out the pros and cons of hosting data in a private cloud. This approach minimises upfront risks and builds on feedback.
Over the past 18 months, the NSW Department of Finance and Services has actively consulted with government and industry about ICT procurement reforms and policy direction, Minister Pearce observes.
The decision to move to broader cloud services is influenced, in large part, by “governance procedures” while ensuring this investment enhances productivity and efficiency.
Refining the G-cloud roadmap
The NSW Government’s ICT Strategy notes that cloud computing models are being adopted by governments worldwide. Early-on adopters include the US, UK and New Zealand. Australian Federal and State governments are also building the business case for cloud services.
“Cloud services are in common use across industry,” this strategy notes. “It is timely for the NSW Government to capture the benefits of a system where IT services can be procured on demand.”
Among other benefits, cloud technologies offer governments a chance to deliver significant cost savings. These savings stem from reduced capital expenditure, adopting a pay-per-use model, and being able to use highly-resilient and scalable services.
Interest in the cloud is supported by being able to leverage small portions of a larger infrastructure built around ‘on-demand’ offerings. Among service offerings, agencies are exploring infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS), platform-as-a-service (PaaS), and software-as-a-service (SaaS).
Among the trends, Australians are increasingly using cloud-sourced services and software to work, to connect with one another, and for recreation. Increasingly, governments are weighing in with the cloud as a platform of choice.
Creating a trusted cloud environment
Establishing a trusted government cloud — that is private and available to agencies — is a first step toward broader migration plans. A pilot offers a low-risk launch pad to migrate to a public cloud, as service offerings mature, and better trust is established.
The NSW Government’s cloud deployment offers a staged rollout — firstly, starting with a private cloud pilot. This model will be refined and modified, drawing on feedback and consultation.
But clarity is needed about whether agencies should tap into public or private clouds, while tackling security, privacy and data sovereignty concerns. This is especially the case where data reside off-shore or under arrangements with multinational solutions providers.
William Murphy, Executive Director, ICT Policy, Department of Finance and Services, says: “We need to appreciate how to better work with challenges involving cloud computing. There are also privacy and security issues that need to be addressed.”
He observes that some agencies are already using the public cloud for recruitment and educational purposes. “Cloud sourcing is part of the broader ICT strategy, but it remains for agencies to decide which procurement models suit them best.”
Cloud and related ICT services must be made available to agencies in a way that is both “accessible and meaningful to their businesses,” adds Murphy.
Assessing risks in the cloud
On other fronts, the NSW Government plans a “comprehensive risk assessment” in relation to how public information is managed, stored, and maintained by cloud providers.
There are some classifications of government information that may be unsuitable for access through a cloud-based service, or hosting information at off-shore data centres.
To tackle security concerns, the NSW Government established its initial limited “private cloud” for agencies – as underlined by the launch of the October 2012 pilot project.
Canvassing key ICT reforms
New South Wales’ broader ICT reforms are the most comprehensive to date. The State’s focus, starting in 2012, maximises the use of technology across key agencies that are at the forefront of service delivery.
Overall, the NSW Government’s ICT strategy has involved talking to key cluster agencies about new platforms to deploy. These agencies’ portfolios include Treasury, Trade and Investment, Health, Education and Communities, as well as Transport. At present, the NSW Government employs over 300,000 staff.
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Shahida Sweeney
Quelle/Source: futureGov, 08.01.2013
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