Governments work in the clouds.

• Position: TRENDS AND TRANSITIONS - Apps.gov

Cloud computing is touted as a great way to save costs and improve work efficiencies in information technology. It provides access to computer resources over the Internet, so users don't need to purchase their own servers and software, and pay only for the services they use.

A growing number of government entities are examining the benefits of cloud computing to acquire the infrastructure and software they need while making operations faster, cheaper and more sustainable. Experts predict government IT shops can save on equipment, licensing, staffing resources, office space, storage and more. And, if state and local governments combine their purchasing power to acquire computer resources via the cloud, they can achieve even greater savings.

In September 2009, the federal government launched Apps.gov, a web-based storefront for federal agencies that makes it easy for them to get cloud services such as hosted e-mail, word processing, collaboration, website creation and more. Michigan plans to build a new data center that will provide cloud computer services to state agencies, local governments and schools. It's a particularly attractive option for IT agencies struggling to provide services after significant budget cuts, says Michigan Chief Information Officer Ken Theis. He expects "all levels of government in...