In effort to extract as much value as possible from investments in information technology, Australia’s public sector is embracing cloud platforms at an accelerating rate.
Rather than continuing to deploy on-premise hardware and applications, departments and agencies are adopting a ‘cloud first’ policy and taking advantage of the evolving ecosystem of resources and services that is available.
Governments are finding cloud-based options are particularly relevant when it comes to data storage, data analytics and operational efficiencies. The on-demand nature and scalability of the cloud means capacity can be adjusted as required to match both current and future demands.
The trend comes at a time when the volume of data being handled by governments is growing exponentially. At the same time, the ways in which it can be put to use to deliver value to citizens are expanding by the day.
Success stories
There are a range of examples where cloud-based resources have already helped governments to achieve more within constrained IT budgets. By adopting cloud-based resources, they’re able to quickly respond to demands while also obtaining maximum value from their technology investments.
One example is the California Department of Technology (CDT). This department is charged with overseeing all aspects of technology across the state.
Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, the CDT realised California needed a centralised and authoritative location from which data about the virus could be shared. The CDT worked to integrate Snowflake with its existing Ersi GIS software and Tableau.
Then, by using Snowflake’s data Marketplace, the CDT was able to securely share data with state agencies and healthcare providers. It was also able to establish a state-based COVID-19 website that provided a portal to allow members of the public to access regular updates on the pandemic.
Meanwhile, in Australia, the University of Sydney has used Snowflake to enhance the way it manages and queries very large data sets. The university was able to take a query that had not been possible to run on its existing platform and have it completed in less than a minute. This was achieved without the need to invest in additional, on-premise equipment or software.
Overcome the skills shortage
Government departments and agencies are also discovering ways to overcome the ongoing skills shortage occurring in many countries around the world.
Using platforms such as Snowflake, governments are able to manage and query data without having to rely on data engineers with specialised skills. Agencies can instead store structured and semi-structured data natively and only require staff with SQL skills to query it.
Governments need to also keep in mind the effort and resources needed to share and exchange data with external parties securely. The Data platform they choose needs to be cloud agnostic to ensure seamless data sharing without heavily relying on staff with specialised skills that are already in short supply.
Snowflake is enabling governments to gain better insights into their data sets. Using the platform, departments and agencies can run queries against large datasets using a wide variety of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and business intelligence tools. In many cases, these are tools that are already in place and include products such as Tableau, Microsoft Power BI, Qlik and Looker.
The benefits for citizens
For citizens, the benefits of governments taking this approach to data storage and management are significant. Better services can be delivered without the need for additional spending.
For example, in the United Kingdom, the National Health Service is better managing its resources by reducing the readmission rates of patients. The NHS has combined Qlik, Snowflake, and DataRobot to create an analytics platform that enables real-time prediction of readmission rates. This allows hospitals to better allocate resources to ensure the highest possible levels of care are provided at all times.
Future trends
With data volume growth showing no sign of slowing, the challenge faced by governments is only going to increase. For this reason, it’s important to take the required steps now to ensure the best possible services can continue to be delivered to citizens.
An effective way to achieve this is by taking advantage of cloud-based resources and services. Rather than having to invest additional money into on-premise systems, capacity can be accessed as required and paid for only for as long as it is needed.
The result is improved flexibility and the opportunity to achieve maximum value from existing systems. As well as making good financial sense, this approach also improve the levels of service delivered to citizens.
As Australia emerges in a post-pandemic world, the role of government will continue to be critical. By ensuring the most value possible is extracted from IT and data, the nation can be in the best possible position to flourish in the months and years ahead.
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