Page 26 - FCW, October 2017

DATA ANALYTICS
CLOUD FUELS DATA INNOVATION
Realize the potential of your data, leverage the power of the cloud.
AILEEN BLACK
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, INDUSTRY LEAD AND GROUP LEADER, U.S. GOVERNMENT GOOGLE CLOUD
GOVERNMENT AGENCIES have spent years modernizing their information technology, resulting in good improvements in efficiency and capability. During this time,
one truth has emerged: Data has the potential to be the innovation engine for government agencies. Its value lies not in what it is, but in what it can fuel your agency to do.
Actual transformation of agency capabil- ities comes from the secure, efficient access, processing, and use of data. There is no other agency asset that delivers a bigger impact on mission success.
1. Analytics and Big Data
When agencies prepare to tap into the com- pute power and ease of use in the right cloud, it closes the gap between big data analytics and the mission/business user. The cloud becomes a significant fueling agent in the analytics workflow, enabling teams to quickly and securely convert all types of raw data into easy-to-follow reports and highly visual dashboards. It revolutionizes the way agency teams leverage data and analytics to drive insights that fuel change.
2. The On-Ramp for New Technologies
Previously, a move to cloud meant primarily benefiting from a lower total cost of ownership of infrastructure and more agile deployment of applications. However, cloud is now the access ramp to new technologies that harness data in transformative ways, such as machine learning and AI. For maximum benefit, these technol- ogies should be planned for and democratized beyond the scientific and technical community more broadly to the business user.
3. Scale of Security
As users, workflows, and infrastructure grows within an agency, security should grow seam- lessly as well. When planning for security
in the move to cloud, agencies should plan
for security scalability throughout the entire agency stack, out to each user and across each workflow. That involves tapping into individ- ual security methods, leveraging clouds that contain a deep understanding and control of the entire data stack, and doing continuous testing and monitoring. This approach can yield better, more effective security now, and as the agency’s needs grow in the future.
Aileen Black is executive director, industry lead and group leader, U.S. government at Google Cloud.
SPONSORED CONTENT
The combination of data and the cloud can be a force- multiplier, fueling innovation and true transformation.
But for agencies to harness its real transfor- mational benefits, they need to shift attention to a different element—the infrastructure.
Agencies need to focus on leveraging the cloud to empower data initiatives during their transformation planning. Otherwise, they significantly limit the impact of their cloud investment and remain trapped in old work- flows and methodologies.
The combined power of data and cloud is a force-multiplier. That’s when data starts to fuel innovation and true transformation, and even the smallest of government agencies can become as innovative as a large agency.
Here are three things to keep in mind when transitioning to the cloud, as they can deliver big benefits for your agency.