Jerry Petersen
Government agencies have for years faced calls to modernize their legacy on-premises data centers, whose weaknesses include limited access by security partners and a lack of support for various emerging technologies, according to Jim Gwiazda and Don Wiggins of data center and colocation provider Equinix.
Strategic Approach to Cloud
And while transitioning to the cloud is a valuable option for agencies working to achieve IT modernization, such a move should nevertheless be approached strategically, Gwiazda, Equinix’s vice president for public sector sales, and Wiggins, the company’s senior global solutions architect, said in a column published Tuesday.
Data Security
When considering the cloud, agencies should factor in data security. Providers with authorization under the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program ensure the protection of sensitive data, but the question then becomes: Where can such cloud providers be found? Gwiazda and Wiggins said that their company makes FedRAMP-authorized cloud services available via low-latency cloud on-ramps, thereby “helping agencies access the secure cloud services they need, when and where they need them.”
Cloud Adjacent Infrastructure
Agencies should also factor in cost and vendor lock-in. To avoid these, agencies could build a hybrid multi-cloud environment using cloud adjacent infrastructure, which Equinix also offers. Gwiazda and Wiggins said that using this strategy, agencies can store data in an environment they maintain control over while having the option to quickly copy relevant datasets to the cloud when needed.
