The App Store isn’t just for your iPhone anymore. Or your Blackberry. Or even your Palm, for that matter. In fact, the concept of web-based applications has gone beyond fulfilling the needs of users who need scaled down functionality to fit on their mobile device. Now, users are looking to replace heavy-duty software with scalable, customizable applications that they can carry with them. And the government’s jumping on board.
Following the lead of software giants and customer relationship management producers, the Obama administration has embraced the cloud, unveiling Apps.gov to help federal agencies cut costs in their IT budgets. Vivek Kundra was appointed chief information officer of the country by President Obama back in March, and he’s been leading the charge to update government systems and cut costs.
Specifically, this means using more off-the-shelf applications instead of creating customized software for each department. Currently, most government systems, called on to perform unique functions, rely on expensive, custom-made software suites. And while they do their job, they’re like buying an expensive foreign car: they’re harder to fix and more expensive. Instead, Kundra would like to implement apps that can be used across the board, tweaked by each department using custom application development tools that provide cheap and easy solutions.
So late last month Kundra presented Apps.gov to the world, a storefront where government entities can search for the applications they need, the same way iPhone users grab up games and tools on the go. Using cloud computing, the apps are run online, without the need for costly software installations or on-site servers. This will help agencies roll out new programs much more quickly, and cut back on the need for costly upgrades. With a $75 billion budget devoted just to IT services, Kundra wants to scale back costs wherever he can. With application integration, software development costs will plummet in the next several years.
By embracing cloud computing, government agencies and departments can share applications and use more consumer-friendly products, as is done in the private sector. The government can’t keep up with the ease of use and functionality of the consumer market because of a Darwinian weeding out process that occurs on the consumer level. Only the best products survive, constantly leading to improved software. However, with everything custom designed for the government, changes are slower to cycle through.
So what does this mean for the private sector itself? The real ramifications are going to be in the way cloud computing is showcased. First, the government making the transition signals a big shift in the way people are going to look at this technology. Cloud computing is here to stay, it says. Second, getting new technology in the hands of government officials will help them when it comes to matters of policy (need we be reminded of Ted Stevens explaining about the pipes of the Internet again?)
Kundra’s other major projects (data.gov and recovery.gov) focus on getting information out to the people on as many fronts as they can. You can bet there’s an app for that.
