Islamabad: Pakistan’s federal cabinet has approved the cloud first policy to enable digital transformation in the public sector.
The policy simply means that organizations seeking to update their technology should consider cloud-based systems before other options. The cloud first policy was approved along with the personal data protection bill that aims to safeguard the personal information of citizens and organizations available online.
Sharing the details of the cloud first policy, Minister for Information Technology Syed Amin-ul-Haque said that the technology policy “would help develop a common platform for all public sector departments,” allow easier management of data and help save time and money. Currently, the federal government has 34 ministries and more than 200 affiliated departments besides numerous provincial ministries and affiliated offices - all of which have their own data centres.
The availability of collective cloud service would enable migration from data centres to the central cloud for government ministries and departments. “This would significantly reduce government expenses, enhance data protection and increase the efficiency of government services,” the minister said.
“The government’s own cloud infrastructure enables cross-government economies of scale, better resilience to cyber threats, compliance, huge cost savings and meeting environmental and sustainability targets,” Haroon Ali, director cyber security, Australian Cyber Corporation, told Gulf News. However, cloud first strategy should not be mistaken for a cloud-only strategy. “Pakistan’s objective should be cloud smart policy as one size doesn’t fit all and it has to be about equipping departments with training and tools they need to move to the cloud that fits their requirements,” Ali said.
Australia, New Zealand and the United States are among the countries ranked top when it comes to cloud adoption. The public cloud is transforming the Australian economy. The adoption of cloud services by Australian businesses resulted in a cumulative productivity benefit to the economy of $9.4 billion over the last five years, according to a 2019 Deloitte report.
What is cloud?
The cloud refers to software and services on the Internet instead of locally on the computer and without the need to buy or maintain data centres. Cloud computing, which involves delivering hosted services over the internet, is recognised as a core technological building block for digital innovation.
What is cloud first policy?
The cloud first policy allows governments to deliver services faster and more efficiently with transparency and increased inter-agency collaboration. The adoption of cloud first policy by government and public-sector agencies has the potential to transform public sector services, improve service delivery and reduce spending of taxpayer funds.
How governments can benefit from cloud computing?
Shifting the government system to the cloud can help future-proof public service, according to experts. This is how governments can benefit from cloud computing:
1. Reduce costs by upgrading to cloud services that streamline government operations, lower costs and improve overall efficiencies.
2. Improve the government’s response and reaction time to match the needs of citizens and businesses with remote exchange of information among multiple stakeholders and access to productivity tools.
3. Enhances public sector resilience and recovery capabilities in times of crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
