Cloud computing provides on-demand access to shared computing resources like servers, storage, databases, networking, software, analytics and more that can be rapidly provisioned with minimal management effort. It is becoming a trend and part of the computing landscape, moving from an immature technology to mainstream use. For governments, cloud computing provides opportunities to focus on core functions rather than infrastructure maintenance, with potential cost savings from rapid elasticity and pay-per-use models. However, security, data sovereignty and loss of control over unique systems are challenges to address with cloud adoption.

1. Lost in the Fog:
Is Cloud Computing the Future
for Digital Information?
Clifton Chan
CROWN COPYRIGHT ©
24 May 2010

2. What is cloud computing?

3. Undefinition
“The network is the computer”
-- John Gage, Sun Microsystems, 1982
“... computing may someday be
organized as a public utility ...”
-- John McCarthy, 1961

4. Definition
“a computing capability that provides an
abstraction between the computing
resource and its underlying technical
architecture (e.g., servers, storage,
networks), enabling convenient, on-
demand network access to a shared pool
of configurable computing resources that
can be rapidly provisioned and released
with minimal management effort or
service provider interaction.” -- NIST

5. Characteristics
 On-demand self-service
 Broad network access
 Resource pooling
 Rapid elasticity
 Measured service
-- NIST

6. Services
 Software as a Service
 Platform as a Service
 Infrastructure as a Service
 “Stack” of services

7. Types
 Public clouds
 Community clouds
 Private clouds
 Hybrid clouds

8. Fad or Trend ?
Peak of the Gartner Hype Cycle
i.e. immature

9. And yet ...
flicker twitter TradeMe Google Amazon
App Eng EC2
On-
demand
    
self-service
Broad
network
    
access
Resource
    
pooling
Rapid
elasticity  ?   
Measured
service  Free   

10. Trend
Becoming part of the landscape

11. Landscape
 Mainframes
 Mid-range computers
 PC‟s
 Internet
 Cloud

12. Implications
Implications for government

13. On-demand self-service
 Easy to buy
• T&Cs and costs upfront
• rapid deployment 
 Easy to sign up and sign off
• Low (un)deployment costs 
 Anyone can sign up
• Proliferation - new access database

14. Broad network access
 Internet / IP network for access
• Geographic agility 
• Wider range of access devices
 Internet / Network usage increases
• 24 x 7 access
• Network security
• Network costs will increase

15. Resource pooling
 Multi-tenant: 102s, 103s, 106s
• Potentially more attackers - security
 Economies of scale - buying power
• Sustainable professional expertise
• Value for money 
 Standardised offerings
• Drive standardisation and lower cost 
• Less uniqueness
• Who‟s standards?

16. Rapid elasticity
 Provider manages capacity
• Focus on adding value to business 
 Acquire and use what you need
• No underutilised resources 

17. Measured service
 Pay for what you use
• No capital expenditure 
• No money sitting around 
• Low cost of entry 
 Cost visibility
• Clear link between use and costs

18. Paradigm
It is a form of outsourcing.

19. Why the fuss?
 We outsource all sorts of things, e.g.:
• Mainframe: timeshare bureaus
• Payroll bureaus
• Watering plants
• Office cleaning
• Helpdesks
 Large body of knowledge on how to
make outsourcing work

20. Fuss:
 Biggest providers multi-nationals
• Compatible records and archiving
practises
• Records and data in the „cloud‟
 Data is likely to be overseas
• Outside NZ jurisdiction
• Data persistence

21. Summary
 Utility computing on the network
 Becoming part of the landscape
 Form of outsourcing

22. Futures
Cloud computing strategic issues
clifton.chan@ssc.govt.nz

23. Questions
CROWN COPYRIGHT ©