The Department of the Navy will soon be embracing cloud computing technology, which offers more efficient and accessible methods to obtain information.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) defines cloud computing as: “A model for enabling ubiquitous, convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources (e.g., networks, servers, storage, applications, and services) that can be
rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or service provider interaction.”
On July 10, 2012, the Department of Defense (DoD) announced a new cloud computing strategy that is designed to “create a more agile, secure, and cost effective service environment that can rapidly respond to changing mission needs,” according to a Defense Information Systems Agency
(DISA) press release.
DoD named DISA the enterprise cloud service broker. In a memo from June 26, 2012, the DoD Chief Information Officer (CIO) said the agency is in charge of “making it easier, safer, and more productive to navigate, integrate, consume, extend and maintain cloud services, within the Department, from other Federal and commercial cloud service providers.”
The DoD CIO Cloud Computing Strategy, included as an attachment to the memo, stated that the “adoption of and use of cloud computing will include reduced costs and increased IT service delivery efficiencies, increased mission effectiveness, and enhanced cybersecurity.”
The Department of the Navy is approaching cloud use in its current cost-saving data center consolidation and business IT transformation efforts. The DON is looking at all options when considering where data can be hosted and envisions a hybrid solution of commercial, private and community clouds to yield benefits, such as reduced manpower and improved security. This will ultimately lead to more efficient ways to process and access information.
Heather Rutherford is the assistant editor of CHIPS magazine. She can be reached at chips@navy.mil.
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