5 Things to Know Before Migrating to AWS GovCloud (US)

It’s no secret that agencies are increasingly making the move to the cloud. Facing tight budgets and an explosion of data, cloud computing is a way for agencies to effectively and efficiently respond to the challenges of an increasingly digital world.

By allowing for the on-demand delivery of IT resources and applications, cloud computing eliminates the need for large upfront investments and allows agencies to procure services as needed. It’s also scalable, affordable and—perhaps most importantly—a safe.

With the launch of AWS GovCloud (US), Amazon Web Services (AWS) has tailored its cloud offerings specifically to meet the needs of government. Here’s what GovCloud means for your agency:

1. Secure sensitive data

Regardless of the mission, security is a top priority for agencies. In fact, security concerns have traditionally been one of the top reasons why agencies have lagged behind when it comes to the adoption of new IT offerings. AWS GovCloud (US) is built specifically for the needs of government, which is why it’s one of the safest, most secure cloud computing region available. AWS GovCloud (US) is an isolated AWS Region, allowing agencies to move sensitive workloads while meeting regulatory and compliance requirements. Data, networks and machines are isolated physically and logically, and only vetted U.S. personnel have access to restricted areas, networks and systems for administration.

It’s important for government to know that mission critical work is being kept safe, which is why federal, state and local agencies, the Defense Department, federally funded research and development centers, aerospace corporations and law enforcement agencies have trusted AWS with their cloud computing needs.

2. Service on-demand

In the past, computing capacity was dependent on an agency’s investment in hardware. With resources limited, agencies were forced to either invest in more capacity than needed on a daily basis, or potentially face outages in times of high usage.

AWS GovCloud (US) provides an environment that is entirely flexible and scalable. As an on-demand service, GovCloud can provide increased services when needed, eliminating the disparity between computing capacity held and capacity used.

3. Pay-as-you-go pricing

Using traditional computing strategies, agencies face a dilemma: pay for more computing power than they need, or risk outages during times of peak capacity. This is eliminated under GovCloud’s pricing scheme, which requires agencies to pay only for what they use.

With AWS GovCloud (US) scalability, agencies can retain the capacity to keep running during surges—such as emergencies when website traffic might spike—without being forced to pay for service that they do not need on an average day. What you use directly aligns with your bill and, in times of budget restrictions, it’s critical for agencies seeking to meet budget without reducing services. After switching to AWS GovCloud (US), the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) has estimated an annual savings of about $10 to $20 million.

4. Certifications matter

AWS GovCloud (US) doesn’t simply promise security—it has certifications to back it up. It adheres to the U.S. International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), as well as Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) requirements. AWS GovCloud (US) also received an Authorization to Operate (ATO) from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). This past August, it became the first cloud service provider to achieve a U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) security level 3-5 authorization. And, for the first time, DoD customers can handle unclassified but highly sensitive information in a cloud environment. As these certifications show, AWS GovCloud (US) has proven itself to be more than simply compliant. It’s safe.

5. Built for Innovation

With agencies secure in the knowledge that their data is safe, they can use the scalability, flexibility and cost savings to drive innovation within their agency. Computing is no longer about what is doable within a specific computing capacity, but rather what large-scale ideas can be facilitated by technology. For example, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) has been using AWS GovCloud (US) to drive space exploration—from the Mars Rover to search for extraterrestrial life.

“Especially for us, AWS GovCloud (US) is a safe playground, a safe place to experiment,” said Tom Soderstrom, NASA JPL’s chief technology officer in a presentation given at the AWS re:Invent conference in November.

That’s the ultimate goal of AWS GovCloud (US): provide a safe, flexible and cost efficient environment that allows agencies to think big and come up with creative solutions.

About Amazon Web Services

Amazon Web Services (AWS) Worldwide Public Sector is helping government and education customers employ cloud services to reduce costs, drive efficiencies, and increase innovation across the globe. With AWS, you only pay for what you use, with no up-front physical infrastructure expenses or long-term commitments. Over 900 public sector organizations of all sizes use AWS to build applications, host websites, harness big data, store information, conduct research, improve online access for citizens, and more.

This content is made possible by Amazon Web Services; it is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Nextgov's editorial staff.