Australia's Senator Lundy outlines Govt support for the cloud

Australia's Senator Lundy outlines Govt support for the cloud

The Federal Government in Australia has confirmed its commitment to the cloud with the rollout of its policy for the use of the service.

Announcing the policy - which will see federal agencies now being required to consider implementing cloud computing in relation to all future technology purchases, under the Government’s National Cloud Computing Strategy - was Attorney-General, Mark Dreyfus QC, and Senator Kate Lundy, the Minister Assisting for the Digital Economy. Each of them reiterated the Government's commitment to become a leader in the “appropriate use” of cloud-based services.

Senator Lundy told The Drum: "This Government is an enthusiastic supporter of new technology such as cloud computing, especially where it not only facilitates Government business but helps us get the best value for the tax payer dollar.

"Cloud technology offers not just agility, flexibility and scalability, but also cost savings. In fact, cloud computing is fundamentally changing the way we think about communications technology,” Senator Lundy went on to say.

When combined with the implementation of the National Broadband Network, cloud computing “has the potential to revolutionise how we consume and use digital technology,” Lundy added.

The new policy will also see all public-facing Government websites moved onto public clouds in the near future, and guidance explaining how federal agencies should do this will be released by the end of this year by The Australian Government Information Management Office and Department of Finance and Deregulation.

Businesses looking to move services into the cloud, should evaluate the performance of their existing network and consider setting up a leased line or MPLS network.