Liberating the potential of hybrid multicloud in public sector
With remote working becoming the new normal for many companies, it’s increasingly challenging for the management and IT teams to ensure stable, secure and reliable network performance. Hybrid cloud is becoming the go-to approach to cloud because it gives enterprises the best of both private and public cloud models. They gain the security and reliability of private cloud for mission-critical data and applications, while also benefiting from the cost-efficiency and flexibility of public cloud.
In APAC, around 90 percent of firms surveyed say they have multiple cloud environments in place with varying degrees of interoperability, from mostly siloed to completely hybrid. In fact, more than half are already using hybrid cloud – seamlessly delivering functions across multiple cloud environments.
The public sector in APAC has been accelerating the move to cloud. The Hong Kong Government has announced that it will modernize its existing cloud infrastructure. The new version of GovCloud, a platform that offers digital government services, is targeted to launch in the third quarter of 2020. The Singapore government, for example, is expected to move the bulk of its IT systems to commercial cloud services over the next five years in ongoing efforts to deliver citizen services in a faster and more cost-effective manner. The Australian government, which started its cloud first journey only five years ago, is now a significant spender on the public cloud, investing AU$1 billion (US$702m), in 2018 alone according to IDC.
With such developments, the move to a hybrid cloud environment should be seen as inevitable for the public sector across APAC, not just in developed markets. For the governments across the region to move effectively and seamlessly to the cloud, they would need to collaborate with the right cloud solutions and data management partner. This will allow them to develop a solid cloud framework to enable successful deployment.
To achieve that, there are three ways in which government agencies across the region can accelerate their move to hybrid multicloud.
Adopt a “solve before buy” approach to hybrid cloud migration
To help ensure that government agencies are equipped with the tools, knowledge and flexibility they need to move to cloud according to their requirements. It really boils down to helping agencies be smart about their journey to cloud, rather than following a one-size-fits-all approach or trying to re-engineer custom solutions in the cloud. That means carefully evaluating options based on service and mission needs, assessing requirements, identifying gaps and making informed decisions about what applications and data should stay, move to the cloud or be replaced.
Create a single repository of truth
In order to leverage multiple cloud environments, public sector agencies will need the ability to create environments on demand. This can be achieved by building a single repository of truth. This repository will store not only application code and dependencies, but anything that is needed to build an environment from version control. A single repository of truth will also include application code, database schemas, environment creation tools, scripts, automated tests, and even documentation and release notes.
This will allow agencies to predictably build environments in a repeatable way, no matter which cloud you choose as a foundation for your workloads.
Develop a hybrid multicloud strategy roadmap
Finding the right cloud for the right job within mandated timelines can be tough for government IT leaders, and personnel may lack the expertise to determine which workloads should be moved to the cloud or how to effectively implement hybrid multicloud scenarios. Shifting workloads to multiple cloud providers can also add new security and data distribution challenges.
Like for the private sector, it is important for public sector agencies to develop a strategic roadmap for their hybrid multicloud adoption. This enables agencies to optimize networks, simplify hybrid multicloud complexity and distribute security controls, and data and analytics to the edge.
Speed, agility, and flexibility are the top factors that drive a successful transformation to a hybrid multicloud environment.
- Contact us at [email protected]
-
Integration of GIS and BIM can drive development of smart city Dr. Winnie Tang
The China Association for Geospatial Industry and Sciences (“the CAGIS”) released the Top Ten Highlights of China's Geographic Information Industry in 2023, which provides much inspiration. The
-
Equip young people for the future Dr. Winnie Tang
In late February, the inaugural flight of an air taxi from Shenzhen Shekou Cruise Homeport to Zhuhai Jiuzhou Port took only 20 minutes with an estimated one-way ticket price of 200 to 300 yuan per
-
Are we raising a generation of leaders, or of followers? Brian YS Wong
The essence of education is defined not by the facts it imparts, but the potential knowledge it inspires students to individually pursue on their own. Put it this way – the ideal form of education
-
The urgent need for reforms to sex education in Hong Kong Sharon Chau
Nearly one in every four university students (23%) in Hong Kong has been sexually harassed, according to a 2019 report published by the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC). A 2019 study found that
-
STEAM should be linked to real life Dr. Winnie Tang
In the 2017 Policy Address, STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education was proposed as one of the eight major directions to promote I&T development. Since then, funding has
