The Office of Management and Budget released the final Cloud Smart strategy on Monday to help federal agencies accelerate the adoption of cloud platforms. The Federal Cloud Computing Strategy retains the proposed programs and measures stated in the draft strategy issued in September and calls for agencies to rationalize their application portfolios to facilitate cloud adoption.
The app rationalization process will include the assessment of the need for and usage of apps and a move to discard redundant, obsolete or overly resource-intensive apps. The new strategy focuses on procurement, security and workforce elements and came a week after the Federal CIO Council released a new playbook designed to help agency portfolio managers facilitate app rationalization under the Cloud Smart program.
“To be Cloud Smart, agencies must consider how to use their current resources to maximize value: re-skilling and retraining staff, enhancing security postures, and using best practices and shared knowledge in acquisitions,†Federal CIO and 2019 Wash100 Award winner Suzette Kent wrote in the document. “Cloud Smart is about equipping agencies with the tools and knowledge they need to make these decisions for themselves, rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.â€
Kent also mentioned the advantage of app rationalization and the need for agencies to transition to the “solve before buy†approach.