Your Top 10 Tips for Implementing and Using the Cloud: Training Recap

These days, it seems as if everyone is talking about the cloud. Private and public sector organizations are moving their data to the cloud, seeking to gain cost savings and improve efficiency. The buzzword has taken the digital world by storm and transformed how organizations manage their data.

Even though cloud is a hot topic, many still have questions about this emerging technology. What exactly is cloud? How do I implement cloud services in my agency?

GovLoop explored many of those questions during an online training “Your Top 10 Tips for Implementing and Using the Cloud.” During the training, GovLoop welcomed NetApp Chief Technology Officer Kirk Kern, TechAmerica senior director David Logsdon and GovLoop senior research analyst Patrick Fiorenza.

The panel discussed public sector use cases and recommended best practices to ease your organization’s transition to the cloud.

Fiorenza began the discussion with an introduction to common cloud deployment and service models. Deployment models include private, public, hybrid and community cloud. Software-as-a-service (SaaS), platform-as-a-service (PaaS) and infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) are the primary service models.

He also provided some insights from GovLoop’s recent cloud computing, Innovations That Matter: How Cloud is Reinventing Government. According to a GovLoop survey, 61 percent of respondents are unsure of which service model their agency is currently using. More so, 55 percent of respondents are unsure as to which deployment model their agency is utilizing. These results indicate the growing need for cloud education and training amongst public sector officials.

Fiorenza also highlighted a government cloud use case from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). Since implementing cloud, JPL has been able to maximize its operations and technologies. From initiatives like the Mars landing to missions in the Artic, the cloud has transformed the way that NASA JPL operates.

Fiorenza shared a quote from JPL chief technology officer Tomas Soderstrom, which can also be found in the cloud report, “We use [cloud] for everything, it is now part of our DNA.” To hear more about this captivating case study, listen to the entire online training.

The second half of the training featured NetApp chief technology officer Kirk Kern. Kern elaborated on how to determine which service and deployment models to best fit your agency’s data and operational needs. It is important to consider who uses your data, how they use it and how data moves throughout your agency before deciding on a deployment or service model.

Kern showcased a use case from the State of California. Once the state determined what they needed to accomplish with their data, they decided to implement a multi-tenant private cloud built on NetApp. After implementing this service, the agency experienced a 30 percent reduction in their data storage footprint and a 300 percent increase in data storage capacity. Additionally, their service levels improved by 70 percent.

Just like NASA and the State of California, your agency can also experience the benefits of cloud implementation. But, there are still many concerns on how to approach cloud. Here are a few of the best practices the training panelists recommended to facilitate the transition to the cloud:

For more best practices and to hear additional advice from our cloud experts, be sure to tune in to the entire training session.

NetApp creates innovative products—storage systems and software that help customers around the world store, manage, protect, and retain one of their most precious corporate assets: their data. We are recognized throughout the industry for continually pushing the limits of today’s technology so that our customers never have to choose between saving money and acquiring the capabilities they need to be successful.

Avnet Government Solutions’years of experience, strong supplier relationships and new vision for government IT provide a true advantage that partners and suppliers can leverage with confidence.