Background

Cloud computing and technologies

Cloud services are available through the internet and provide scalable, secure and highly resilient ICT infrastructure, application and data services. Government agencies can utilise these services to support their ICT operations that deliver services to their customers.

Cloud-based services include:

• infrastructure tools such as servers, data storage, and service management
• on-demand applications, networking, platforms, analytics and intelligence.

These cloud services are commonly grouped as Infrastructure as a Service, Platform as a Service and Software as a Service.

Cloud First policy

The New Zealand government recognises the benefits of adopting cloud computing as a foundational ‘building block’ to enable New Zealand’s digital economy and digital public service.

Cabinet direction to accelerate adoption of public cloud services

The government’s Cloud First policy requires its organisations to adopt public cloud services in preference to traditional IT systems, following risk assessments.

Cloud First policy for government agencies

Benefits of adopting cloud computing

Enabling a modern, agile public service

The government’s Cloud First policy will accelerate the benefits of cloud for the public service to drive digital transformation. This includes enhancing customer experiences, streamlining operations and creating new delivery models.

Accelerating the use and benefits of cloud for the NZ government

Supporting business continuity

The use of cloud services supported continuity in the delivery of government services during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. It enabled many New Zealanders to work, learn and innovate from home in more agile, resilient, secure, efficient and ways.

Tools that government organisations are using for working remotely

Enabling and investing in a digital economy

The COVID-19 pandemic has also shown the role that cloud can play in enabling the digital economy.

Recent research has identified the potentially significant economic benefits of cloud and the important role it will play in helping New Zealand to build its economy and workforce in response to COVID-19 through supporting our digital industries to grow and thrive.

There have been New Zealand investment intentions announced by major hyperscale cloud service providers. Investments like these are strong and positive steps for New Zealand’s digital maturity.

Next steps

The Government Cloud Programme acknowledges that there is more work to do in New Zealand and across the public sector to ensure that the benefits of these new capabilities are harnessed.

The Digital Public Service branch (DPS) at the Department of Internal Affairs is delivering the Cloud Programme that is focusing on supporting agencies to adopt cloud services.

Future work

To support the programme objectives, the Cloud Programme has established 8 workstreams to deliver activities that support the acceleration of the adoption of services.

The workstreams are:

• Leadership
• Kaupapa Māori
• Access
• Accelerate
• Innovate
• Security
• Policy
• Cloud Programme Management Office (PMO).