AWS Public Sector Migration and Management: Bringing Gov’t to the Cloud

Over the past decade, cloud computing has emerged to the forefront as a dominating technology. As a result, the private sector is actively using the cloud and saving time, resources, and money. In a world experiencing accelerated digital transformation, it is becoming increasingly difficult to rely on legacy systems and maintain an ability to “keep up” in modern environments to remain competitive.

While the process has been slow, many government entities are actively looking at solutions and overcoming the challenges linked to this massive transition. This is not an easy process since many are running on legacy systems that are decades old, but the cloud is a solution offering many rewards once the migration is complete.

Amazon Web Services (AWS) is one solution many agencies are turning to due to its cost-efficiency, scalability and other strategic advantages. While migration to AWS does have some challenges, generally speaking, government cloud migration is a good fit with AWS. Red River is equipped to provide a well-defined strategy to make the transition as painless for your agency as possible.

Why is the government slow to adopt cloud solutions?

Despite the tangible value of cloud solutions being demonstrated in the private sector, the public sector has been sluggish when it comes to modernization and moving from legacy systems and on-premises servers to cloud solutions.

A huge obstacle to cloud migration is the lack of competitiveness that drives the private sector to modernize and upgrade. They also face other barriers such as:

• Reliance on legacy systems not compatible with the cloud
• Funding and appropriations are earmarked for maintenance of legacy systems
• Oversight on purchases driven by legislative or departmental rules
• Must maintain adherence to multiple regulations and laws on cloud use

Government agencies are more budget-driven rather than feeling the pressure to “keep up” with the rest of the world from a competitive advantage standpoint. While adopting cloud solutions has been slow for governments, they are now realizing the value associated with cloud migration.

Why are governments now migrating to the cloud?

Numerous government agencies have identified the value of cloud computing and, as a result, have begun to migrate to cloud solutions, including AWS. Legacy systems do not provide the same value and efficiency they once did, whereas cloud solutions offer tangible advantages that equate to higher cost savings and better efficiency.

From driving down costs to heightening security – and much in between – migration to a solution, such as AWS, can offer tangible advantages. Let’s take a look at some of the top benefits government agencies can assimilate into their organizations through their transition to the cloud.

Cost efficiency and savings

Legacy systems are difficult to maintain and need consistent attention and resources to prevent them from failing. Not only are parts difficult to procure due to scarcity, but there are higher costs involved due to modern technologies, such as the cloud, displacing older types of computing. In other words, fewer companies are specializing in legacy systems as knowledge and training resources are more dedicated to newer tech solutions.

Overall, while significant planning and perhaps resources are needed before a cloud migration, once completed, you can easily bring down your agency’s expenses. Consider, managing on-premises physical services is costly and time-consuming. According to a June 2021 report by the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation, leveraging cloud computing can bring down infrastructure costs by 31% and 51% savings when costs for IT staff and unplanned downtime are factored in. More recent figures indicate companies reduce the total cost of ownership by up to 40% once they migrate their infrastructure.

Bottom line, why pay for storage capacity you don’t need? Government agencies can save money with pay-as-you-go features, empowering them to move services up and down in real time as needed. Not to mention, not having to pay for electricity, cooling, physical space and other costly factors associated with on-premises servers.

Scalability

One of the most attractive attributes of transitioning to the cloud is the scalability and flexibility it affords. For example, once AWS public sector migration is complete, government agencies can easily scale their resources as needed, whether needing more or less, without having to purchase new hardware or software.

Legacy systems do not offer anything close to the level of scalability any organization needs in today’s technology-driven world. Oftentimes, a legacy system will need other solutions to help work around limitations, which can be time-consuming and costly. In the end, it also still may not offer the level of scalability needed.

Essentially, as needs change, the cloud offers the agility needed to respond quickly and make adaptations. No long-drawn-out processes associated with formal bids and procurements. With AWS cloud services, the approval is already in place, so adjustments are easier to manage with changing needs.

Enhanced security

Security is a high priority for any government agency as cybercriminals are not letting up, and this is not expected to change in the future. If anything, exploiters will increase their efforts. The question many government decision-makers must now ask themselves is “What is the best way to maintain security?” They must evaluate their needs, weigh their capabilities to maintain security and then decide which option(s) provides the best security.

The cloud is typically viewed as more secure because cloud providers, such as AWS, maintain strict protocols for security to protect customers’ data. Government agencies must deal with bureaucracy associated with upgrades and this can take a long time.

Threat actors aren’t going to wait, they are going to identify vulnerabilities and jump on them, exploiting sensitive data or installing ransomware. Antiquated systems often found in government agencies provide them with the perfect opportunity.

Cloud systems, on the other hand, usually come with state-of-the-art security with the most recent preventative tools to battle cybercriminals. AWS GovCloud provides services to all security classification levels, including unclassified, sensitive, secret and top secret.

Strengthen business continuity and disaster recovery capabilities

Disaster isn’t usually predictable and, in the event one occurs, government agencies need to depend upon their data to remain safe and secure. Cloud-based servers mean business continuity needs are taken care of because all data is consistently and regularly backed up and accessible.

In the event of a weather disaster, cyberattack, fire or other disaster, agency leaders can rest assured knowing their data is safely stored offsite on cloud servers. Constructing business continuity and disaster recovery strategies is difficult and expensive to achieve with legacy systems due to the complexities involved and risks associated with the storage of data on-premises.

Data modernization

Modernizing systems goes a long way toward upgrading, updating and being compatible. For instance, government entities tend to have systems installed up to 50 years ago, and they’ve been long discontinued. To maintain them, special licensing might be necessary, which is another obstacle.

Migrating to the cloud will instantly modernize systems and the data they house. As technology continues to evolve, it will be a lot easier to consistently apply upgrades, rather than waiting decades to be able to do so. While the upfront migration for any given government entity might involve growing pains, in the end, future upgrades will be far easier to do with far fewer complexities and higher levels of cost-efficiency.

Streamline operations and boost workflow efficiency

Once a cloud migration is complete, government entities can expect to see an uptick in productivity because data and operations will be streamlined. With everything housed in AWS public services, employees will have a central location to easily and rapidly obtain the information they need to be productive. Not to mention, cloud computing simplifies remote and mobile capabilities because government employees can work from anywhere, when necessary.

Operations are also streamlined from a customer service perspective, because government agencies can offer the public self-service, cloud-based tools to empower them to get access to the information they need, file applications or perform other functions they need. In-house operational efficiencies are improved because processes can be consolidated.

Initially, there may be a lag until the cloud migration is complete, but once done, an agency will see better productivity, less downtime and better collaborative abilities. Performance improvements associated with technology will be pretty significant.

Better collaborative capabilities

The cloud also offers better collaborative capabilities within a singular agency or across several agencies, providing an efficiency level that decentralized, legacy systems cannot provide. Once in the cloud, employees can use tools to share documents, integrate datasets and work jointly on projects, significantly reducing redundancies. Additionally, communication is streamlined and simplified as well, helping agencies to get more done with fewer hours spent.

Why AWS Solutions?

Amazon offers public sector solutions designed to align with government agencies’ needs and protocols. AWS has management and governance tools to manage cloud operations while maintaining government agencies’ ability to adhere to compliance rules.

AWS GovCloud

Amazon has developed a leading, industry-regulated cloud solution to provide government entities with the opportunity to modernize and migrate while maintaining their ability to:

• Manage and host sensitive data
• Control unclassified information
• Enable mission and business-critical high-value assets
• Meet regulatory and compliance requirements
• Adheres to FedRAMP, ITAR and Department of Defense (DoD) compliance rules
• Operate in a secure environment

GovCloud is operated by two physically isolated U.S. sovereign regions (one in the east and one in the west). Each is operated by U.S. citizens holding the proper credentials and working on American soil.

AWS Migration Acceleration Program (MAP)

MAP is a comprehensive, agile, cloud migration program that is reliable and proven. AWS has migrated thousands of its enterprise customers to the cloud. While it is important to acknowledge that cloud migration is not always the easiest task, using MAP principles involves a three-phased framework to help streamline the process:

• Assess
• Mobilize
• Migrate and modernize

These can also help accelerate the transition to the cloud with good results. By leveraging MAP, strong AWS cloud formations can be built, while simultaneously accelerating the process and reducing risks associated with migrations to the cloud.

Red River, an Amazon-approved and credentialed partner, employs this approach when we migrate our customers to AWS. We will work closely with you to help you select the right strategy for how the transition to cloud computing will be the right one for your agency.

Summary

Today’s technology challenges require modern solutions. Making the decision to migrate to the cloud will pose growing pains, but the end result will easily overshadow any hurdles because your agency will be able to enjoy many benefits, including but not limited to:

• Achieving cost-efficiency
• Enjoying stronger productivity
• Being more scalable and flexible
• Getting the ability to be more agile
• Gaining a capacity for data-driven decision-making
• Accessing increased security
• Adhering to compliance requirements

Relying on legacy systems is not just problematic from a cost perspective, over time the hurdles become more numerous and solutions harder to identify. Modernization of your government agency by implementing cloud solutions is a great step towards ensuring better continuity and gaining an ability to remain up to date with future initiatives as technology evolves.

Ready to Learn More About AWS Public Sector Migration? Red River is Here to Help You!

Transitioning to the cloud is difficult for any enterprise-sized organization, but government agencies face specific challenges not found in the private sector. Red River is equipped to help you overcome any challenges your agency faces and will work closely with you to identify a solution that aligns with your strategic vision, your budget and any security/compliance requirements.

We realize there is no one-size-fits-all solution to cloud migration and will sit down with you to discuss your current infrastructure, along with your current and future needs. Once we gather all the information, we’ll perform an analysis to aid you in making your decision on how you want to approach your agency’s migration to AWS public sector cloud services.

To learn more about AWS public services, its benefits, challenges and the logistical factors involved, contact Red River. Our professional team of experts will discuss your agency’s specific pain points and help you identify the right solution.