Steve VanRoekel issued this reform plan and presentation Dec. 8.

Cloud computing offers a unique opportunity for the Federal Government to take advantage of cutting edge information technologies to dramatically reduce procurement and operating costs and greatly increase the efficiency and effectiveness of services provided to its citizens.

Consistent with the President’s International Strategy for Cyberspace and Cloud First policy, the adoption and use of information systems operated by cloud service providers (cloud services) by the Federal Government depends on security, interoperability, portability, reliability, and resiliency.

Over the past 24 months, the Administration has worked in close collaboration with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the General Services Administration (GSA), the Department of Defense (DOD), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the United States Chief Information Officers Council (CIO Council) and working bodies such as the Information Security and Identity Management Committee (ISIMC), state and local governments, the private sector, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and academia to develop the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP). This program introduces an innovative policy approach to developing trusted relationships between Executive departments and agencies1 and cloud service providers (CSPs).