Moving to the Cloud

The IDG Research poll revealed that cost reduction and efficiency improvements are the top metrics used to measure success with cloud computing. Cost savings are crucial for most government organizations, including the City of Orlando. Its legacy e-mail and communications system was costing $133 per year, per employee. Facing steep budget and staffing cuts, the city’s CIO, Conrad Cross, says3: “I had to look at a different way of doing business.”

Orlando was one of the first major U.S. cities to adopt Google Apps, and has since cut costs by more than 60 percent: it is now paying $46 per user, per year for its 3,000 employees. “This was a savior for me, in terms of saving money,” says Cross.