Cloud Computing

With so much talk in the technology and telecommunications space about cloud computing, many individuals wonder why the new buzz word has emerged and where it is truly applicable. While the possibilities seem endless, government investment is one area that offers considerable promise for cloud computing solutions.

A recent Sys-Con Media post examined the possibilities of this space that offers a number of different dimensions of business benefit. One of the most obvious advantages is the ability to empower the organization to play an accelerating role in economic stimulation.

Cloud computing is gaining traction as it offers companies and non-profits a way to reduce their overall cost of operation in the IT department, while it also provides for new and more flexible ways to work. SaaS (News - Alert) applications are designed to enable new growth programs, including the “Next Generation Clusters” from Cisco known as “Innovation Clouds.”

Multi-Factor Productivity “MFP” is certainly one of the most measurable benefits of cloud computing through Cloud Innovation Hubs. The combination of savings and new ways of working produce the powerful MFP effect and this variable is stressed by Cisco (News - Alert) in a new white paper.

The white paper focuses on identifying Government best practices for economic development programs, known as Next Generation Clusters. By building on the original cluster model by Michael Porter, Cisco suggested modernization could be found through cloud computing from geographically-based to community-driven; from locally processed innovation to open, borderless innovation; and from technology-driven to technology-enabled.

In essence this updates the model to reflect the new era of Web 2.0 global collaboration, and with this in mind they also identify the insight that often governments simply treat technology as one of the sector industries to develop, rather than also harnessing it as a tool to accelerate the underlying innovation processes themselves.

Salesforce.com (News - Alert) suggests that cloud computing platforms offer such tools through Web 2.0 features that specifically address Open Innovation processes necessary to build online clusters such as these.

An equivalent from Microsoft (News - Alert) focuses on Innovation Process Management through Sharepoint content portal. Benefits are delivered through cloud computing service providers and users can enjoy a wide range of customizations to tailor solutions for more intensive enterprise scenarios.

In essence, cloud computing offers the ability to accelerate the MFP effect as it is both an industry as well as a platform of innovation. It has the ability to grow new revenues, R&D and industry revenues. It can also be used to enhance innovation throughout the nation. With the MFP effect, agencies can link into existing government initiatives to drive sustainable innovation through proven cloud computing.