The 2019 Federal Cloud Computing Strategy — Cloud Smart — is a long-term, high-level strategy to drive cloud adoption in Federal agencies. This is the first cloud policy update in seven years, offering a path forward for agencies to migrate to a safe and secure cloud infrastructure. This new strategy will support agencies to achieve additional savings, greater security and faster services.

In the update, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is looking to accomplish a few key things:

• Retool security to provide flexibility for cloud access
• Improve the skills of the workforce when it comes to working with cloud; and
• Refine procurement methodology to accommodate the pay-as-you-go nature of commercial cloud computing

A key aspect of the plan involves agencies going through their application inventories and "discarding obsolete, redundant, or overly resource-intensive applications" to focus on applications that can be migrated to the cloud or at least are less expensive to maintain.

On the procurement side, the strategy says federal agencies still lack a "basic understanding of the various types of cloud services" available on government-wide contracts and in the private sector.

Many agencies are still purchasing cloud services as an add-on to other contracts, something that OMB worries could lead to security challenges and a lack of awareness about cloud assets by broader staff. To mitigate these challenges, the OMB offered what it calls its Cloud Smart Buying Strategies.  

The strategy offers several common tips for buying cloud products:

1. Agencies should leverage the bulk purchasing power of the federal government through common contract solutions. 
2. Agencies should attach specific performance metrics and expectations to service-level agreements.
3. Agencies should pay special attention to how providers treat high-value assets.

While the benefits of cloud computing may be obvious - economy, flexibility and speed – the path to getting there is less so.

There is no one-size-fits-all cloud solution, and with the speed of emerging technology, it can be hard to keep current. That's where NITAAC can help.

While many agencies may be struggling with an appropriate cloud strategy, many of our Government-Wide Acquisition Contracts (GWACs) Contract Holders have already deployed cloud solutions for agencies as diverse as the USDA, the DoD and the State Department.

Cloud Smart is about equipping agencies with the tools, knowledge and flexibilities they need to move to the cloud according to their mission needs. It’s about including a continuous security and compliance strategy that bakes these elements into maintenance and operations. It’s about using automation tools to securely audit and manage resources in the cloud. And, it’s about how cloud managed service providers are helping automate operation models to achieve continuous compliance. All the while producing efficiencies and providing mission-driven high-quality experiences for end users. NITAAC's Best in Class Government-Wide Acquisition Contracts (GWACs) are here to help agencies implement their cloud strategy by providing access to low-cost, high-quality IT products and services through our pre-vetted, highly qualified contract holders.