With Internet security on everyone’s mind and secure cloud on everyone’s bucket list throughout the Federal government, Verizon is expanding secure access to cloud services for Federal customers on its private IP network. Federal agencies now can securely connect to a growing roster of FedRAMP-certified cloud providers via Verizon’s Secure Cloud Interconnect (SCI) service. Featuring […]

Rep. Will Hurd (R-Texas) didn’t waste any time at a recent field hearing to say Federal agencies are dragging their feet when it comes to cloud computing. “We deserve a Federal government that harnesses innovative solutions such as the cloud to modernize record keeping, improve critical government functions, maximize security, and be wise stewards of […]

  FedRAMP last week unveiled an online training course to help users understand the new review and approve process. The training is available on the agency’s training page. The new training is intended to help FedRAMP cloud service providers (CSPs) and others understand the lengthy and complex process to receive FedRAMP compliance. According to FedRAMP, […]

The General Services Administration’s (GSA) digital services team last week introduced a new Federal cloud service intended to help agencies develop applications in the cloud. 18F, the 19-month old digital consultancy that is part of GSA’s Office of Citizen Services and Innovative Technologies, will provide agencies with a Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) solution that rests on its […]

Have you ever wondered why it’s really taking the government so long to move more than basic email services to the cloud? Well, if you have then you are certainly familiar with the standard cultural and security explanations: Federal IT managers like to be able to see and touch the blinking lights on their servers […]

Three members of Congress have been named co-chairs of the Cloud Computing Caucus Advisory Group, the organization supporting congressional efforts to boost cloud computing initiatives throughout the Federal government. Representatives Barbara Comstock (R-Va.), Ted Lieu (D-Calif.), and Mark Walker (R-NC) join founding co-chair Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) on the advisory group. Their participation in the Cloud […]

Rep. Will Hurd (R-Texas) didn’t waste any time at a recent field hearing to say Federal agencies are dragging their feet when it comes to cloud computing. “We deserve a Federal government that harnesses innovative solutions such as the cloud to modernize record keeping, improve critical government functions, maximize security, and be wise stewards of […]

Employees at the Labor Department wanted larger email inboxes. The department’s chief information officer gave them that and got much more when she moved email to the cloud. “The requirements and the benefits that we expected in the cloud – and the challenges – are as we expected. But there are some benefits, including IT […]

Cloud computing’s benefits outweigh the risks associated with moving data and applications to the cloud, panelists said at the Cloud Computing Caucus Advisory Group meeting this week. Cultural hurdles and practical concerns about making the transition from legacy systems to cloud computing continue to prevent more rapid adoption of cloud computing initiatives, and Federal agencies […]

The CIA’s new Digital Innovation Directorate — the first new directorate established by the agency in more than 50 years — began official operations Thursday, marking what the agency is characterizing as a major milestone in the comprehensive modernization effort announced in March. The new so-called DDI is tasked with accelerating the integration of advanced […]

Cloud Service Provider (CSP) Esri last week earned a rare distinction – its Managed Cloud Services became the first system to transition from a CSP supplied package to an agency FedRAMP authorization. Esri, based in Redlands, California, initially earned its Authority to Operate (ATO) at the moderate level from the U.S. Census Bureau. Esri provides […]

Rep. Will Hurd (R-Texas) last week urged Federal agencies to stop wasting money on legacy computer systems and move more quickly with cloud computing initiatives. “Legacy systems are expensive to operate and often make sensitive information vulnerable to cyber attacks,” Hurd said at the House Oversight Committee’s subcommittee on Information Technology field hearing at the […]

The world is a big place and we can learn a lot by studying how different governments and business cultures approach the pressing technology challenges of the day. David Bray recently had a chance to do just that. As a 2015 Eisenhow Fellow, Bray spent 5 weeks visiting with senior government and industry leaders in […]

Rep. Will Hurd (R-Texas) on Tuesday urged Federal agencies to stop wasting money on legacy computer systems and move more quickly with cloud computing initiatives. “Legacy systems are expensive to operate and often make sensitive information vulnerable to cyber attacks,” Hurd said at the House Oversight Committee’s subcommittee on Information Technology field hearing at the […]

The massive, governmentwide efforts to consolidate data centers and squeeze more efficiency, cost savings and security out of cloud computing are not without their challenges. Both require new ways of thinking and a willingness to embrace change — two things that can be very difficult for entrenched bureaucracies that are uneasy with the perceived loss […]

The FAA awarded a $109 million contract Monday to IT services firm CSC and its team of previous rivals — including Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure and other strategic business partners — to deliver cost-effective cloud services, data center consolidation and cloud migration capabilities. Under the contract, which could be worth $1 billion over […]

Federal CIO Tony Scott might have set the tone for the day when he said the essence of cloud is speed. Cost savings are great, and agility is cool, but speed is what will make the biggest difference, he said. If you didn’t catch Tony there, you can still see him here. But he was […]