Enabling Public Sector Cloud Procurement: Appropriate Procurement Processes are Crucial, says the Asia Cloud Computing Association

MANILA, PHILIPPINES –
Media OutReach – 27 May
2019 -�The Asia Cloud Computing Association (ACCA) has published a white paper
which on best practice recommendations to help government agencies overcome
hurdles in purchasing cloud and position themselves to modernise the delivery
of government services. The report From Vision to Procurement: Principles
for Adopting Cloud Computing in the Public Sector, outlines a set of
principles for government purchase of cloud products. Each principle is
accompanied by concrete and actionable recommendations for policymakers and
procuring agencies to follow.  

“While governments
recognise the value addition of cloud computing and have adopted Cloud First policies, procurement
challenges continue to hinder actual adoption of cloud services. Thus, more
flexible and agile procurement processes must be adopted”, said Ms Lim May-Ann,
Executive Director of the ACCA.

“Cloud-based
technologies will drive much of the public sector’s future transformation by
presenting a secure and cost-efficient model for delivering citizen-centric
services”, said Mr Jarom Britton, Chair of the ACCA’s Public Sector Special
Interest Group, ACCA. “Cloud products differ in some meaningful ways from
traditional IT resources, which presents governments the ability to drive
better outcomes but also requires thoughtful policies and processes to ensure
they can capitalise on the potential”.

“Adopting cloud and cloud
services will help government agencies to achieve greater efficiency and enhanced citizen inclusion
“, added Ms Lim May-Ann, Executive Director of the
ACCA. “The ACCA believes that there is a clear need for a forward-looking cloud
procurement strategy to create a trusted environment for the public sector to utilise
such services.”

Mr Eric Hui, Chair, ACCA,
echoed these views, saying that “the ACCA’s seven principles for public sector
cloud procurement will help address government concerns regarding the inherent
ability of cloud technologies to safeguard their data and operations, align
local regulations with global compliance standards, and enable government
agencies to utilise cloud to achieve objectives such as environmental
sustainability and improved access to government services.”

The report may be
downloaded at the ACCA website,
https://www.asiacloudcomputing.org

Principles for Adopting Cloud Computing in the Public Sector
Part 1: Protecting Government with the Cloud	Principle 1: Security	Information management systems security is fundamental for the public sector.
	Principle 2: Privacy and Personal Information	Governments need to ensure that privacy rights are respected.
	Principle 3: Availability, Integrity and Resilience	Governments need information and technology to be reliable.
Part 2: Facilitating a Move to the Cloud	Principle 4: Regulatory Compliance and Global Standards	Technology solutions must be measured to clear, verifiable benchmarks for quality and service reliability.
	Principle 5: Accountability	Technology procurement must align to agencies’ duty of accountability.
Part 3: Why Cloud for the Public Sector	Principle 6: Accessibility and Inclusion	Technology adoption should support government’s broader societal goals.
	Principle 7: Sustainability	Technology should help improve environmental sustainability.

About the Asia Cloud Computing Association (ACCA)

The ACCA is the apex industry
association representing the stakeholders of the cloud and data ecosystem in
Asia Pacific. Our mission is to accelerate the adoption of cloud computing in
Asia through the creation of a trusted and compelling market environment,
supported with a safe and consistent regulatory environment for cloud computing
products and services. Drawing on subject-matter expertise from member
companies, working groups and special interest groups, the ACCA constantly
develops best practice recommendations and other thought leadership materials
to achieve our mission. As a vendor-neutral industry association, we welcome
engagement with all members and stakeholders in the public policy and
government sectors.

 

To find out more about
how to get involved and how to join us as a member, email secretariat@asiacloudcomputing.org, and visit
our website at www.asiacloudcomputing.org.