GSA seeks to create governmentwide cloud portfolio
The Office of Citizen Services and Innovative Technologies wants to explore the feasibility of creating a program that would help agencies transition to cloud computing technologies and services.
WHAT: A request for information on cloud portfolio analysis support services from the General Services Administration’s Office of Citizen Services and Innovative Technologies (OCSIT).
WHY: The RFI, issued Jan. 6, seeks to explore the feasibility of creating a program that would help agencies transition to cloud computing technologies and services.
The effort supports GSA's move to break down cloud barriers through the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program, which ensures that agencies have access to secure cloud computing services. According to the RFI, industry and the government see FedRAMP as largely successful in setting standards on how to secure cloud services and establishing a "mini-marketplace" of trusted cloud vendors.
Furthermore, GSA's 18F has helped promote cloud services by seeking to transform federal IT, disrupt outdated practices, and encourage agencies to make better use of the cloud and open-source technologies.
Despite that success, "there are still distinct needs and services GSA could provide to assist agencies greater in their move to the cloud," the RFI states. That's why GSA is trying to expand its efforts with a new portfolio of products and services to help with the transition.
"Agencies still face obstacles to moving to the cloud,” the RFI states, including a drawn-out procurement process, unclear budgets from year to year, the Federal Acquisition Regulation, various procurement policies and no insight into current legacy systems.
"OCSIT cloud portfolio has the opportunity to shine the light on this path for an agency customer to have a direct journey" to the cloud, the RFI states.
Click here to read the RFI.