The South African public sector is displaying a newfound openness towards cloud delivery models.
So says Andrew Soddy, sales director at Mimecast, who notes that the public sector - at municipal, provincial and district level - is showing interest in the technology, thanks to the benefits that it presents.
According to Soddy, previously there has not been enough education about the benefits of cloud computing within the public sector. The biggest fear that the public sector had about cloud computing mainly centred around security, Soddy notes.
However, he notes that such risks about cloud computing are perceived, but not real. "Data is as safe in the cloud as it is when hosted on premise," he notes. "When it is in the cloud, data can be encrypted and only the rightful people will have access to it."
Soddy points out that it is a widely acknowledged truth that the public sector is, at all times, subject to the watchful eyes of the millions that it serves.
The task of moving strictly controlled national or provincial entities forward in terms of IT adoption is slow and demanding, says Soddy
"The good news is that we are now witnessing a marked change in government's attitude towards cloud platforms in South Africa - particularly in reference to software-as-a-service and managed hosting platforms."
He reveals that state-orientated departments are increasingly seeking out new ways to store, manage and access official data, often opting for cloud platforms as the best way to reduce cost and increase efficiency.
"In the last year we, at Mimecast, have documented considerable growth in this environment. Departments at both a national and municipal level are becoming more open to accessing critical daily functions, such as e-mail and file sending, via cloud-orientated infrastructures."
To Soddy, this often has more to do with education than necessity. The biggest obstacle to growth in this market is the assurance that state information will not fall into the wrong hands, he points out, adding that by observing domestic and international data storage and compliance standards, local technology vendors are now finding it easier to attract the interest of government departments.
"This attitude also suggests a newfound sense of responsibility towards confidential information at a state level. It is clear, through both the introduction of the Protection of Personal Information Act and an amplified interest in formally vetted cloud storage models, that government is taking its role as a custodian of public data very seriously."
As a result, Soddy says, there is significant opportunity for responsible vendors to partner with public entities and parastatals.
According to Soddy, it is also worth noting that the South African government is actively in search of technical providers that are able to store data locally.
"It is an exciting time for cloud service models within the public sector. While it can be argued that government is less agile than the private sector when it comes to technical adoption, this newfound openness towards innovative ideas is inspiring.
"Now it is up to us to transfer the necessary knowledge and trust required to partner with these entities. The interest certainly exists. Success will ultimately rely on confidence and trust," he concludes.
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