Cloud computing boosts federal responsiveness

In a recent address, President Barack Obama called for a restructuring of the federal government so that it may better serve U.S. citizens. The efficient use of technology and software innovations is a major factor of the sweeping governmental initiative.

“With advances in technology and service delivery systems in other sectors, the public's expectations of the government have continued to rise. The government must keep pace with and even exceed those expectations," said Obama.

According to the National Journal, the commander-in-chief recently issued a federal mandate to reinforce the "cloud first" initiative championed by the nation's leading agencies. National organizations now have 180 days to meet with the Office of Management and Budget and determine how to implement operating changes "to improve the user experience of its customers - the citizens of the United States."

Additionally, each agency must implement one major technological advancement that will help it run better. The news source reports that, given the recent actions of the federal government, most agencies will likely turn to cloud computing. Some agencies have already migrated their email to the cloud, and several more are expected to follow.

The new mandate can be seen as support for the "cloud first" initiative. According to Fierce Government IT, U.S. CIO Vivek Kundra believes that the system, once it clears regulations and data sovereignty laws, will greatly benefit federal agencies.