Cloud roadmap for govt agencies unveiled

cloud computing, Government Computer News reports.

The roadmap will also support private-sector cloud efforts, improve the information available to decision-makers, and facilitate the continued development of the cloud-computing model, NIST officials said.

According to NIST, cloud computing providers should voluntarily adopt standards for data and software portability, Fierce Government IT says.

In the first of a three-volume draft cloud computing roadmap, released on 1 November, meant to detail high-priority tasks necessary for further cloud adoption within the federal government and elsewhere, NIST notes that moving from one cloud provider to another requires the interim step of manually moving data, software and components to a non-cloud platform or conversion from one proprietary format to another.

The roadmap includes both a big picture strategy and technical specifics in terms of how the government hopes to get there, Information Week reports. Top priorities in the draft include developing a standard cloud vocabulary, finalising a cloud computing taxonomy, and creating consistent policy for service level agreements and related terms.

The roadmap comes at a time when the Obama administration continues to push hard on agencies to move toward the cloud as part of higher profile efforts to cut spending and increase the efficiency of federal IT.