Page 12 - FCW, April 2017

CAPITALIZING ON THE CLOUD
FROM SERVERS TO
CUSTOMER SERVICE LEVELS
Modernization requires a renewed focus on IT’s central role in agencies’ missions.
SPONSORED CONTENT
TIM MERRIGAN
VICE PRESIDENT OF STATE, LOCAL AND EDUCATION, VMWARE
THE NEXT EVOLUTION of cloud technology offers government agencies a unique opportunity to transform the way they deliver services, both internally and externally. It begins by recognizing the vital role IT organizations play in helping agencies deliver on their missions.
There are many approaches to simplifying and modernizing how IT is delivered. One
of the most effective is to centralize IT operations so agencies define their needs and expectations, and the IT team decides how
to address them. Whether the service resides on-premises, off-premises or in a hybrid cloud is up to the IT organization, but the goal is to deliver the same cloud-like experience, level of performance and security agencies have come to expect.
Technology Transformation
Software-defined computing, networking and storage are often the logical places to start. when centralizing and moving existing services to the cloud. This approach provides the agility, simplicity and security required to drive down costs and risks. Because this approach can help an agency quickly adapt to advances in technology, security and mobility, it is easier to modernize how it delivers services.
A key consideration is understanding agencies’ performance-level expectations. First responders and law enforcement officials, for example, are always on high alert. Some activities, though, have a built- in seasonality—such as tax filing. In those situations, the IT team might decide an application should reside in a lower-cost, off-premises cloud for most of the year, when there is less demand, and then shift to an on- premises data center during the busy season.
Some agencies are now transferring workloads from on-premises private clouds to off-premises public clouds and back again in real time, and they’re doing it seamlessly and securely. That extended functionality across the network is a significant step forward in making the cloud a truly indispensable tool. Indeed, VMware and other companies are forming partnerships so customers can move between cloud service providers without the traditional expense and effort involved in switching platforms, making the cloud an even more effective tool for IT organizations.
Cultural Transformation
As IT teams transition into being brokers
of IT services, they will need a plan for modernizing their employees’ skill sets so they can embrace the changes taking place across the industry. Given tight state and federal budgets, IT leaders will have to find creative ways to build ongoing education into the culture of their organizations.
Some state and local IT teams have begun rotating their employees through different roles and positions to give them exposure to other aspects of the business. This approach re-energizes employees who might have been in government for a long time, teaches them new skill sets and enhances their awareness of all the moving parts that go into delivering IT services. In short, it makes them more effective at what they do.
Shifting the focus to customer experience and service levels instead of tactical data center issues promises to revolutionize the way governments view IT—to the benefit of agencies and the public.
Tim Merrigan is vice president of state, local and education at VMware.
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