Governmental Cloud – the solution for a simplified and efficient interaction between public institutions and citizens
Ymens and NEC propose a development model for the governmental cloud through investments in the private environment, thus enabling the users from the public sector to access advanced IT services.
Through G-Cloud private operators which are running governmental cloud infrastructure by adding specific SaaS (Software as a Service) facilities, the model proposed by the two companies supports the public institutions in optimising the costs and in increasing the operational efficiency, thus bringing real benefits for the relationship with the citizens and, consequently, with the society. Such optimisations are obtained by moving the initial investment to the private sector, through the subscription-type cost model, by eliminating the dependency on the human factor and by ensuring a reduced cost.
The governmental cloud is a concept already functional in other countries, such as the United Kingdom (under the name G-Cloud), providing qualitative public services which are much more accessible to the citizens. Ymens and NEC bring on the Romanian market the technology and the expertise necessary to provide innovative cloud solutions for the public sector.
Bogdan Balaci, Ymens CEO:
„Building an integrated and unitary market of governmental cloud implies the establishment of different private operators to manage the access to cloud solutions and to operate, in an advanced manner, the infrastructure of public institutions. By working with NEC, Ymens aims to facilitate the access and the use of IT solutions integrated in cloud, at national level, with minimal investments from the state budget.”
The initiative of Ymens and NEC agrees with the EC directives, which encourage the use of cloud technology in eGovernment projects for generating savings for the public administration’s budgets.
The governmental cloud dedicated to Romania can be built on three main pillars:
- online access – the crossroads of the public institutions and the beneficiaries of the services provided by the Romanian State;
- integration - it includes the specific services of the regional institutions and their joint processes, from accounting to infrastructure management;
- interoperability – facilitating the data exchange between the public institutions, even if they use different cloud solutions.
Nicolae Varvara, Vice-President of NEC Europe:
“The new role of the G-Cloud private operator becomes essential in the governmental cloud ecosystem. This will ensure and secure the management of the cloud services provided to the citizens through public institutions, as well as an integrated SLA for all these services. In order to implement this model, we must work with the Romanian authorities for elaborating the public policies that define the entire framework where cloud technology could be implemented, as well as the specific requirements for the G-Cloud private operators.”
Thus, in order to implement this concept in Romania, it becomes necessary to develop a certification flow for the providers of cloud services agreed for the public sector, as well as to define the appropriate legal framework.
Enhanced efficiency for public administration
Creating a governmental cloud market has the potential to increase the technology level in the public sector, thus covering the IT needs of the central and local administration, through an alternative approach to the traditional solutions currently in use. According to Nicolae Varvara, Vice-President of NEC Europe, “the public administration may consequently become a more transparent institution and a more efficient provider of IT services for the citizens”.
The governmental cloud solutions do not require investments in IT systems from the authorities. The resources are used based on a monthly subscription and the responsibility for the administration and maintenance of the infrastructure lies with the private operator of cloud. Thus, the costs are predictable and the problems related to the lack of specialised staff, within the public institutions, are solved.
“Employed in the public sector, the cloud technology comes to support the citizens by simplifying the procedures and by enabling the access to solutions that would radically transform the experiences with the public administration.”, added Varvara.
High-quality services, quickly delivered to citizens
Governmental cloud means simple access to information for citizens, reduced errors within the files, simplified interaction between user and public administration, significant decrease of the frequent trips and reducing the time spent at the counters.
“The establishment of a framework for opening the market of public services for private operators of governmental cloud becomes essential in an age governed by mobile technologies which simplify citizens’ life”, declared Bogdan Balaci, CEO of Ymens.