USDA moves to the cloud

The U.S. Agriculture Department announced Wednesday that it will become the first Cabinet-level agency to move to a cloud-based messaging system. The system will use Microsoft's Business Productivity Online Suite -Federal cloud collaboration tool and will consolidate 21 messaging systems into one.

BPOS-Federal, which will serve 120,000 users, will contain all of USDA's enterprise messaging services, which include e-mail, Web-conferencing, document collaboration and instant messaging, according to a department news release. The shift will begin in early 2011.

"USDA's IT modernization will allow us to streamline our operations and help us use taxpayer dollars more efficiently," Chief Information Officer Chris Smith said in a statement. "With a focused cloud roadmap, we saw a clear opportunity to help achieve our cost savings and consolidation goals and tap into the promises of the cloud." USDA did not provide an estimate of expected savings.

In a Microsoft news release, Smith said the move was similar to car ownership: "Basically, the car we owned was getting ready for a major engine overhaul. All our servers were at least three years old. We're going from owning the car and paying for the tires, the oil and the upkeep to basically buying a Zip car that's wherever we need it, whenever we need it."

With BPOS-Federal, USDA will use Microsoft Exchange Online for messaging and calendaring, SharePoint online for document collaboration, Office Communications Online for instant messaging and Office Live Meeting for Web-conferencing, according to Microsoft.

USDA's cloud will host the software on dedicated infrastructure in secure facilities, where physical access will be controlled through biometric security measures.

The move follows news last week that the General Services Administration will become the first federal agency to move to a cloud-based e-mail system for all employees. GSA is using the Google Apps for Government platform.

Cloud computing allows agencies to pay for and access information technology as needed through third parties, instead of through government-owned and operated servers. To reduce IT costs and greenhouse gas emissions, the White House has been pushing federal agencies to replace in-house servers and software licenses with cloud computing approaches. Last month, the Office of Management and Budget ordered agencies to take a "cloud first" approach to IT solutions starting with the fiscal 2012 budget.