The Department of Defense is devoting more resources to the cloud, according to a press release from the Defense Information Systems Agency. Following announcements made earlier this year, it will incorporate 23 new cloud service offerings for "Non-Controlled Unclassified Information," also known as "Impact Level 2" data, the lowest possible sensitivity level issued by the DoD. The solutions come from providers that have met the standards of the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program.
The service offerings included in this list received Provisional Authorization, which is only an initial approval but demonstrates what DoD CIO Terry Halvorsen called "an important step" toward gradual cloud migration.
Earlier this year, Halvorsen addressed an issue related to cloud use, BYOD management, and said that implementing a government BYOD plan effectively would be important for tasks such as hiring new talent and maintaining productivity.
In an FCW article last month, Bob Stevens of Lookout referenced those statements when he said that "without a BYOD program that can help the government set policies on what kinds of phones and versions of operating systems can connect to its network, federal IT managers could find themselves stuck footing a very expensive bill if they want to make their workforce as mobile as the private sector employees they're trying to recruit."
To help transition to a cloud-ready environment connected to an existing mainframe, enterprises should invest in mainframe modernization tools that will enable them to ensure security while embracing the advantages of a less-centralized approach.
Government organizations can obtain the same degree of assurance from a browser based terminal emulator, along with the convenience of being able to run important applications through a link based entirely online, without extra configuration. Simplifying these processes makes them easier to implement and control.