http://news.idg.no/cw/art.cfm?id=B3894FB7-1A64-6A71-CEAAA097234C65DB

There is no single model for how best to mix all the various cloud service permutations, but a few consistent models have emerged:

While those who developed the Internet had a clear vision and the power to make choices about the road it would take — factors that helped shape the Web — Georgetown University professor Mike Nelson wondered during a panel discussion whether the current group of developers possesses the foresight to continue growing the Internet.

http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/200829/cloud_computing_will_surpass_the_internet_in_importance.html

“I think there is a chance that if we push hard … we can get to this universal cloud,

Like other public sector managers, my first thoughts about life under the coalition have focused on the likely areas, depth and impact of budget cuts. For IT we’ve already had announcements that high-profile projects, including the ContactPoint database and ID cards, are to be scrapped. More will follow.
While these moves are not surprising, there are real concerns at Socitm about indiscriminate slashing of IT spending. Making blanket cuts could be a disaster.

http://www.publicservice.co.uk/feature_story.asp?id=14483

You cannot apply IT over the top of outdated and inefficient processes and hope that, as if by magic, technology will change everything.

It is fair to say that phrase has achieved notoriety in taking the shortest time from buzzword-creation to CIO-cynicism.
There is no shortage of opportunities for IT leaders to listen to suppliers telling them why they should be going into the cloud. Cloudwash has replaced greenwash as the focus for marketing brochure hype.

http://www.computerweekly.com/blogs/editors-blog/2010/07/what-the-cloud-really-means-to.html

More than anything else, what “the cloud” really offers IT leaders is the opportunity to innovate.

But this government faces two basic ICT (information and communication technologies) issues that could make or break their entire program, and both depend entirely on the Internet.
Firstly, can the government overcome its own internal ICT challenges, which are formidable, while reducing expenditure, losing headcount, migrating technologies, and reversing under-investment in infrastructure? It’s a task not unlike changing all four wheels on a car while it’s still moving.

http://www.internetevolution.com/author.asp?section_id=920&doc_id=194213&f_src=internetevolution_gnews

While there is a limited penetration of the market by cable service companies, the bulk of Internet connection in the UK is through landlines managed by the de-nationalized telco BT (previously British Telecom). The problem is that much of the existing network is good old-fashioned copper.

http://www.informationweek.com/news/government/leadership/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=225702116

The job of CIO in government has become more challenging and more visible. InformationWeek Government recently hosted the Government IT Leadership Forum, where more than a dozen CIOs and CTOs shared their strategies. Here are highlights from the event

Lawmakers question the security of cloud computing|Census Bureau counting heads in the cloud

Businesses and industry analysts are getting fed up with this cloud computing version of “don’t ask, don’t tell,” where non-disclosure agreements (NDA) dominate, questions aren’t answered, and data center locations and practices are treated like national security secrets. But public cloud service providers argue their penchant for secrecy is appropriate for the cloud model — and at any rate, everyone’s doing it. They often hold out their SAS-70  audit certifications to appease any worry (though some don’t have even that)

http://www.networkworld.com/news/2010/070610-cloud-computing-secrecy.html

Getting into the cloud can be a security and legal minefield

That was the bottom line from a report issued today by the watchdogs at the Government Accountability Office that stated until rules that specifically address information security for cloud computing are developed, federal agencies may be hesitant to implement cloud computing, and those programs that have been implemented may not have effective information security controls in place placing information at risk.

http://www.networkworld.com/community/node/63159

Worry over rules, access, hackers darkens cloud computing outlook

The savings expected from each government department has increased from 20 per cent over a four-year period under Gordon Brown’s government to 25 per cent over the same period under the coalition, according to today’s emergency Budget. More specific details on how departments will meet these savings will be released in the annual spending review on 20 October.

http://www.computing.co.uk/computing/news/2265270/budget-likely-increase-demand

As pressure to reduce costs intensifies

But at the RSA Conference earlier this year, a panel came together to talk about security and cloud computing, to examine the intersection of cloud computing, security, Internet services, and Internet-based security practices to uncover differences between perceptions and reality.

http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/70195.html?wlc=1276540188

For reasons just and unjust alike, cloud computing has developed a reputation that makes some IT pros cringe when they think about security. What’s the difference between perception and reality in this field? It comes down to determining acceptable and comfortable risk. In the cloud, you can’t hide behind the usual firewalls and encryption systems; what matters is the application itself.