Built on Collaboration

I read with interest a blog from the White House (see the blog here) which was announcing the launch of Apps.gov. It is described as an "online storefront for federal agencies to quickly browse and purchase cloud-based IT services, for productivity, collaboration, and efficiency". In other words, it is a way for government agencies to buy SaaS or cloud computing technologies - something that many were reluctant (or unable) to do before due to outdated policies or restrictive procurement processes.

Technology is moving fast, and by using technologies from the 90's, Goverment agencies (and many private companies) have been missing out on the advantages of SaaS. This is something that was acknowledged, with the blog contining to say "Our policies lag behind new trends, causing unnecessary restrictions on the use of new technology. Past practices too often resulted in inefficient use of purchased IT capabilities across the federal government. We are dedicated to addressing these barriers and to improving the way government leverages new technology." Wow. That is a great forward step in policy.

It will be interesting to see how effectively this initiative works, or whether procurement managers will revert to their own and familiar ways?

Labels: Global trends, Good practice, Technology