The Australian government has finally embraced cloud services as a critical element of the digital economy by releasing a National Cloud Computing Strategy.
While not quite “cloud first”, the strategy creates an explicit requirement for agencies to consider cloud services for new ICT procurements, test and development activity, and to migrate existing websites to cloud services at natural refresh points.
When combined with a range of other measures, this represents a significant step forward in the modernization of the government’s thinking and approach to ICT industry development and to its own procurement and use of ICT.
Cloud services – for the good of government, business, and the economy
We discussed the policy context that is driving demand for an Australian cloud computing strategy in our comment Amazon heralds a warming of Australia’s digital economy.
The release of the National Cloud Computing Strategy is the culmination of six months of consultation and policy iteration by the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy and the Australian Government Information Management Office (AGIMO).
It sits within the broader context of a digital economy whitepaper, which is scheduled for publication in June 2013. It also provides new strategic context for policy on the government’s use of cloud computing.