first published week of: 02/03/2014
Among city government IT managers, cloud computing has drawn a lot of interest, as well as suspicion. Along with the touted advantages of the cloud has come considerable caution over its drawbacks, not least for its potential security and privacy hazards. Consequently, cities have been slow to adopt cloud-based services.
At least, that used to be the story. But the financial squeeze that has encircled all governments over the past few years, coupled with a drive to use IT to provide better services to citizens, has caused a major reappraisal.
If you are the IT manager of a small city that’s been on the cloud sidelines, it may be time to consider moving it up your list of options as a way to both limit costs and provide the technology needed for innovation.
“A couple of years ago most cities still had a theoretical and tentative approach to cloud,” said Eric Woods, research director of Navigant Research. “What does it mean, what are the strategic implications and so on. But I think that’s now all gone.”
In its place is an acceptance that cloud is the modern way of delivering services. “There’s been a transformation over the past 12-18 months in the way people look at this,” he said. continued…