Cloud Planning Basics
Cloud adoption is bigger than just moving to the cloud — it's an opportunity to reconsider the what, why, and how IT holistically supports your agency's mission.
The questions become more than just "how to move to cloud", and more about:
- What programs are you responsible for?
- Are there any that are inefficient, obsolete, duplicative, or no longer relevant to your agency's mission and goals?
- How much work are you doing manually that could be automated, freeing you up to focus on more sophisticated tasks or to provided new capabilities to the agency?
Whether you're focusing on the business or the technical aspects of implementation, there are a few universal principles that are worth keeping in mind:
- Think creatively about cloud - In addition to the obvious benefits, some of what cloud offers may surprise you. How can you reduce the time, effort, and investment currently required to maintain your IT portfolio?
- Start small and build over time - Pilot programs can help you determine the right products, the right services, and the right Cloud Service Providers (CSPs) to use. They can also help you demonstrate success early on, building support for IT modernization more broadly at your agency.
- Pay attention to your process - Once you figure out what works in pilots, you'll need a plan to transition cloud services at scale — templates that work over and over again. Keep an eye on what works and what doesn't, and use every new program (or sprint, if you're working in agile ways) to try something new.
Cloud Roadmap
Implementation
Learn more about implementing cloud at your agency. We've broken this work into two discrete areas:
Business Considerations
The "human side" of cloud deployment. What skills does your team need? How do you manage change? What's the best approach to training?
Technical Implementation
The mechanics of getting cloud deployed. How do you take inventory of your current assets? What maintenance will you be responsible for? How do you migrate and scale effectively?