US DHS “Climbs” the Cloud

US DHS “Climbs” the Cloud

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The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is embracing cloud technology, agile methodology and open-source development in an effort to better carry out its mission and become an IT model for the federal government. The cloud is considered a key to doing that, said CTO Michael Hermus.

“DHS needs to be a tech company with guns and security, just like Southwest Airlines calls itself a software company with planes,” he said during a keynote speech at the Advanced Technology Academic Research Center’s Federal Cloud Computing Summit on July 26.

Hermus said cloud technology shifts the focus from maintaining IT infrastructure to providing mission-oriented services.

According to FCW website, the changes associated with those technologies, however, also bring challenges for which there are no easy solutions.

An upcoming memo by the Office of Management and Budget on the Data Center Optimization Initiative will help agencies move ahead with cloud technology and some of the efforts it enables, such as data center consolidation and shared services. GSA, which provides centralized procurement for the federal government, will be involved in their management.

Earlier this month, Infor, a leading provider of applications built for the cloud, announced a suite of comprehensive software-as-a-service (SaaS) applications that are specifically designed for organizations operating under the umbrella of the Federal Government, and is designated to help Federal agencies optimize procedures using cloud technology.