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Government Cloud

Australia releases strategy for g-cloud

By Xinghui Guo | 19 April 2011

After much anticipation and a draft paper that invited email comments from citizens and industry stakeholders, Australia has released its cloud strategy.

The 45-page Cloud Computing Strategy has been “developed in consultation with government agencies and industry as part of the Department of Finance and Deregulation’s role to monitor and provide guidance on emerging technologies”, explained Glenn Archer (pictured), First Assistant Secretary Policy and Planning, from the Australian Government Information Management Office (AGIMO).

This paper seeks to address “legal/contractual, economic and security aspects of cloud computing (that) are still relatively immature”. The strategy will do this by developing a principles and risk based pathway for agencies to rationalise their ICT asset base and to adopt cloud computing where appropriate.

Archer said that with regard to value for money and adequate security, agencies adopting cloud computing are required to comply with the Commonwealth Procurement Guidelines and also the Protective Security Policy Framework.

Agencies considering implementing a cloud solution are also required to notify the Department of Finance and Deregulation to “facilitate information sharing via the Cloud Computing Information Community (CLIC) and to identify opportunities for whole-of-government coordinated adoption of cloud computing”, said Archer.

However, agencies do not need finance department’s approval to procure these cloud services.

The paper also estimated that AU$4.3 billion were spent on ICT per annum but questions regarding how much of it were spent on cloud technology were answered. Questions on how CLIC can support agencies in the facilitation of effective outcomes for government also went unanswered.

Right now, some Australian agencies like like Australian Taxation Office, Australian Bureau of Statistics and the Department of Immigration and Citizenship have already commenced small pilots and proof of concept to “evaluate the potential of application, platform and infrastructure of cloud computing”.

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