Effectively using cloud computing at your federal agency

What's the best way to use cloud computing at your agency?

That's a question many federal CIOs are currently grappling with.

Kevin Paschuck is Vice President for the Public Sector at Right Now Technologies and helps federal agencies move into the cloud.

He told the Daily Debrief that there are three main benefits to using cloud computing technologies in the federal space.

"It enables cost reduction. Two, it enables a rapid modular implementation -- and then, three, is something that we call the virtual CIO."

Paschuck said the concept of the cloud is defined in three areas, as well: software-as-a-service, platform-as-a-service and infrastructure-as-a-service.

"You have the complete infrastructure running in a secure cloud, in the government's case, and it allows them to adopt technology innovation much quicker and faster than the traditional method -- on premise implementation."

Right Now Technologies is currently working with 14 cabinet-level agencies in the government, as well as some additional agencies. They are also working with over 30 different states and more than 200 schools and universities, as well.

"We're kind of the cloud pioneer. We've been doing government business for over 10 years. We've been doing the cloud computing business for 12. When we first started out, we had about a 50-50 mix -- 50 percent on premise, which is a traditional software model . . . And the other 50 percent in the cloud. We started off with e-service, [which is] knowledge at the point of action for the customers who go to a Web site and need information. Then it expanded through a contact center, and even now today we're across the social platform."

Paschuck said the federal government is already kind of set up for operating in the cloud, especially when it comes to security.

"The government, in a sense, has always operated with a contractor operated, contractor owned model through ASPs. The government issues a lot of these service-level, performance-based contracts where the prime integrator will actually run and manage everything for them. [Cloud computing] just takes it to the next level. It applies SLA security -- what I like to even think of as enhanced security; as well as the ability to consume innovation and functionality much quicker than the traditional model."

Right Now Technologies currently has three options for its government customers: standard, a dedicated government cloud, and a unique SaaS partnership with the Defense Information Systems Agency.

"One thing we've learned is, if you're going to go to the cloud, security cannot be compromised. So we have an offering . . . of what we call our dedicated government cloud [which is] dedicated hosting facilities -- actually, there's more than one, because you have to have your COOP and your backup. We built it from the ground up on the NIST 853 Moderate guidelines . . . [and] we're following the outcoming draft version of NIST standards for cloud . . . and with that, we're putting only the U.S. Federal government into that data center."

He added that only U.S. Citizens with specific security clearances can use the special government cloud.

He also talked about the partnership with DISA and it's apps store, Forge.mil.

"[T]he Air Force Personnel Center, the Army and some others went to DISA and said -- we've consolidated all of our contact centers onto Right Now Technologies, we want to leverage and benefit from the cloud. So these organizations are implementing in the DISA DECC and with that, get to take advantage of the Right Now SasS offering, but DISA offers the platform and the infrastructure. So now, for a DoD customer, you can go right to DISA, you can leverage your Right Now SaaS application, but can become 100 percent cloud by leveraging the two others."

Paschuck added that Right Now Technologies is currently working on getting posted on Apps.gov, as well.

Right Now Technologies -- Web site

GSA -- Apps.gov

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