IMC Inc.’s EVP Suresh Shenoy and VP of Technology Atul Mathur have taken a large part in creating a roadmap for U.S. cloud computing through TechAmerica Foundation. They served as commissioners, as stated in TechAmerica Foundation’s recent release of recommendations from the Commission on the Leadership Opportunity in U.S. Deployment of the Cloud. This commission of 71 experts from various industries and academia worked together to draw the roadmap of the federal government’s adoption of cloud computing to further develop policy recommendations for the continuing U.S. leadership in cloud innovation.
“The TechAmerica assignment was an excellent exercise in public-private sector collaboration,” Shenoy said. “Adoption of new technologies such as cloud-based shared services requires fundamental changes in how the government plans, funds and acquires products and services while maintaining a level playing field. It will require examination and rationalization of business processes, training and a continuing dialogue among legislators, the Administration and vendor community to establish transparency and realize the promised savings through shared, cloud-based services.”
Salesforce CEO and Chairman Marc Benioff and VCE CEO and Chairman Michael Capellas led the commission and provided suggestions, including a “Cloud First Buyer’s Guide for Government” to the administration. These recommendations are focused on how the U.S. government, along with industry, academic and other worldwide countries can adopt policies that foster development and growth of the cloud and deploy the cloud effectively for cheaper and smarter government services.
“Innovation in cloud-based services that emerged in the last couple of years is not necessarily in the technology, which uses the same underlying applications to deliver services,” Mathur said. “What is new is the business model, which the private sector is adopting rapidly due to cost savings. The ‘seller’ side of the continuum is ready and now the government needs to adopt innovation on the ‘buyer’ side to ensure tax-payers benefit from cloud delivery. For the public sector to accomplish this some changes are needed to their budgeting and acquisition process, as well as normalization of business processes across agencies to ensure a smooth transition.”
The commission has also developed a “Buyer’s Guide” that gives guidance to the federal agencies on issues to be considered in evaluating and implementing cloud services.
“Cloud computing is the latest example of how American innovation sets the pace for the world,” said Phil Bond, President and CEO of TechAmerica and TechAmerica Foundation Board Member. “This report examines the steps that the U.S. government must take as a buyer and as a policymaker to ensure that we keep setting the pace. An increasingly competitive world is right on our heels looking for an opportunity to pass the U.S. in the new deployment. I’m betting on America.”