Cloud Computing: A Driving Force for Digital Transformation of the Public Sector

The government’s transition to digital services has made hybrid IT and cloud computing indispensable. Flexibility, enhanced collaboration, and scalability are just some of the benefits that can accrue from a well-executed transition to hybrid IT and cloud services.

As we approach 2023, cloud-based products are expected to continue to grow at a higher rate compared to non-cloud IT products. As a result of this change in the rapid development of IT cloud services, the majority of businesses have started their cloud journeys in one way or another. But what about government organisations?

The Obstacles to Cloud Adoption

The jury is still out on whether ASEAN governments are fully benefiting from the hybrid IT economy. Despite the widespread adoption of Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), and cloud-first strategies in the private sector, many public sector organisations still struggle (Singapore perhaps being the key exception) to keep up by migrating their mission-critical systems to the cloud as well as to modernise, manage, and secure their intricate hybrid cloud and IT environments.

Perceived risks regarding security, integrity, and availability of vital government systems across cloud deployments are also a hindrance to a cloud-first approach. Then there’s the sensitive issue of data sovereignty. The safety of people’s personal information and confidence in the integrity, veracity, and accessibility of cloud-based information are the highest priorities for government entities.

Advantages of Using the Cloud

Ultimately, the cloud offers substantial benefits for government organisations looking to alter or update their current systems, benefits that can’t be ignored. There will be substantial improvements in the distribution of work when conventional on-premises systems are replaced by “evergreen” types of service offerings. There will no longer be a need for internal IT departments to source, install, and manage their own computing hardware and software. After all, with the cloud and its many “managed” services, you no longer need large IT teams to keep everything running smoothly.

Refactoring programs to modern, secure architectures (that exploit PaaS technologies like containers, serverless computing, and cloud-native platforms) is essential to maximising the cloud’s potential as a transformational force. To be truly successful with cloud and hybrid IT, it takes more than just a transformation of IT infrastructure to adopt such cloud-native ways.

AWS Public Sector Summit ASEAN

The cloud is changing the way we work and live in countless ways, from facilitating the delivery of cutting-edge public services to hosting petabyte-scale applications that are advancing medical research.

I believe we may see headways being made in the public sector as ASEAN governments continue to embrace the cloud and build policies to accelerate their digital aspirations over the coming years.

To find out if that’s indeed the case, I will be attending the AWS Public Sector Summit ASEAN happening this week in Singapore to learn how governments, educational institutions, and non-profits in the region and around the world are leveraging the cloud to innovate and join the pioneers who are forging the future with safe cloud services. An opportunity to recharge, go deep and start constructing.

Stay tuned for our report on the Summit.