There is a lot of enthusiasm for cloud deployment—and virtualization in general--in local government. Speaking at the Socitm 2015 conference, Richard Godfrey, the assistant director of Digital Peterborough joked: ‘The sooner someone builds Skynet the better.’
While Mr Godfrey (probably) doesn’t want mankind to become enslaved by a supercomputer comparable to the cyber-villain in the Terminator franchise, he is typical of many of those driving the digital revolution at the local level: virtual equals good and the sooner councils recognise this, the better.
Others are more circumspect. I spoke to Tariq Hussain, director, government with Dell UK, who strikes a more cautious note and urges local authorities to think carefully before cloud deployment. ‘The most dangerous myth,’ he warns, ‘is that cloud can solve all your problems.’
Cloud computing is supremely useful. In the past organisations had to store all their information in one place. If you saved something on your office computer, you could only access it through that machine. Individuals were tied to their desks or reduced to printing off documents and carrying bundles of paper around where ever they went. There was little flexibility and the environmental cost was incalculable.
Enter the cloud. This innovation has liberated the worker from their desk. Now they can work from anywhere there’s an Internet connection and access files from multiple devices. When you leave the office now, rather than hurrying to your car weighed down by print-offs, you can stroll unencumbered across the lot safe in the knowledge you can access everything from your laptop, Hell, even your telephone.
This is all well and good but, according to Tariq, it’s a little more complicated. Cloud, he emphasises, does deliver many advantages. It can save substantial sums of money and increase work efficiency. It also has a lot of creative potential: ‘If you take a moment to think of some of the most successful start-ups launched over the past couple of years,’ he says, ‘chances are that the majority will be cloud-based.’
This is because cloud provides flexibility. It ‘enables organisations to scale operations up and down quickly and on demand to get the most of their IT resources without need for large budgets or procurements.’ This is, he stresses, ‘something that is of utmost importance to local government in particular.’
But cloud cannot be relied upon to resolve every issue. In these times of squeezed public finances and pressures to find cost cutting solutions, digitisation can seem like a quick fix. Tariq cautions against this. ‘It’s key,’ he says, ‘that they do not treat it as the “be all and end all” solution but understand how it works and ensure that it is the right solution for their needs.’
He highlights four things local authorities should consider before cloud deployment. Firstly, they should think carefully about what it is they require. ‘Review your organization’s core needs,’ he advises, ‘and consider whether a slow, measured roll out, or full scale deployment would be best.’
Secondly, councils should identify the type of cloud service(s) they need and assess where this sits on the cost/flexibility/risk scale. Tariq stresses the importance of carrying out a thorough risk assessment: ‘In the long term, this will help the organisation avoid unnecessary risk and possible financial or reputational damage.’ It will also provide an opportunity for local authorities to evaluate whether their own operational constraints and approach to risk are in line with the cloud service they are considering.
Next, he advises councils separate legal issues from operational risk. ‘This is an important step,’ he says, ‘as legal issues are distinct from operational risks/macro political issues. By mixing up the two, you may intimidate other key decision makers and impede the adoption process.’
Finally, local authorities looking at adopting cloud should identify stakeholders and ensure that they are included in the initial evaluation process. This is especially important when it comes to those stakeholders who have a veto option. ‘Too often,’ says Tariq, ‘parties with an ability to slow down decisions are not part of the initial process, which causes significant delays.’
‘We’re still a long way off from Skynet,’ Tariq assures me. Very few organisations have transferred the entirety of their workload to the virtual sphere. Still, cloud deployment can bring a vast array of advantages and, when carried out properly, can revolutionise the way you work. But, as Tariq reminds us, it is important to think carefully before charging head first into the virtual future—you can never be sure of what you’ll find.
