The cloud upgrade for public services is finally here

Technology

Sponsored by CentralSquare Technologies

How US government agencies are accelerating cloud adoption to modernise public services

Digital transformation has rapidly evolved from a long-term goal to an urgent priority. While private enterprises have long led the way in adopting cloud technologies, public organisations now face growing pressure to follow suit.

Although enterprises have long embraced cloud computing for its agility and cost efficiencies, public sector adoption has often been hindered by budget constraints, compliance mandates, risk aversion, complex integrations and lengthy procurement cycles. Now, as citizens experience the benefits of cloud solutions in their workplaces and daily lives, the expectation for governments to deliver the same level of efficiency, transparency and accessibility has risen sharply.

Legacy on-premises systems used by public agencies to support everything from government administration, permitting and licencing, 911 systems, utility billing and beyond, are struggling to keep pace with today’s expectations for real-time information, data transparency and fast, seamless service delivery. As a result, government agencies at all levels are moving to the cloud, unlocking new levels of efficiency, security and innovation.

“We’ve faced serious challenges with our on-premises servers, particularly with our basement server room flooding,” says Colonel John Ostrander, Chief Jailer for Albany/Dougherty County, Georgia. “Moving to the cloud is not a simple technology upgrade, it’s a way to literally keep our data dry and ensure uninterrupted access to our critical systems.”

Kristi Merideth, Dispatch Manager at Fairbanks, Alaska, also sees the benefits of cloud-hosted systems. “We’re not just responsible for our own agencies – we support two other dispatch centres that rely on our CAD to protect their communities,” she says. “Moving to the cloud gives us the confidence we need to support everyone who relies on us.”

This shift to the cloud is not just a trend, it’s a strategic imperative. According to a study by Cambria Information Group for CentralSquare Technologies, a leading provider of public sector software in North America, and AWS, most public agency leaders recognise the benefits of moving to the cloud and are optimistic about doing so. While cost savings ranked high among about half of respondents, most were even more motivated by the benefit of greater system resilience during disasters, stronger collaboration across departments and improved online experiences for citizens. Notably, the single biggest determining factor of optimism was how far along agencies are in their cloud journey – the farther they progressed, the more capable and confident they felt, and the easier things seemed to get.

These responses correspond to the leading factors for transformation to the cloud:

Modernization of citizen services: cloud platforms are enabling faster deployment of digital services, improving accessibility and responsiveness
Enhanced data security: adoption of hybrid models to retain sensitive data on-premises while leveraging public cloud for less critical workloads
Scalability and resilience: enhance rapid scaling during emergencies or peak usage periods, ensuring continuity of operations

There are distinctive differences between on-premises and cloud systems. On-premises systems often require large upfront investment in hardware and maintenance, lengthy deployment times, often a year or more, and have limited scalability and disaster recovery capabilities. Cloud solutions, by contrast, reduce initial investment through subscription-based pricing, making it easier to budget, speed up deployments, provide automated backups and updates, and improve both data accessibility and collaboration across agencies.

Emerging technologies such as AI, machine learning and edge computing are reshaping the public sector’s digital landscape, enabling governments to become more efficient, transparent and responsive to community needs. A recent report by global research and advisory firm Forrester, The State of Cloud in Government 2025, begins, “Governments across the globe continue to rapidly adopt cloud to increase digital capacity, be more responsive, and meet stakeholder expectations. Even in developing economies, the public sector recognizes cloud’s potential to optimize service delivery and achieve mission-based outcomes.” The report also notes that 29 per cent of government cloud decision-makers plan to prioritize modernising core applications within the next 12 months.

To explore how public sector agencies are navigating this transformation, and what it means for your community, download the exclusive whitepaper, Public Sector Cloud Adoption 2025: Benefits + Barriers, presented by CentralSquare and AWS, which explores the unique challenges and opportunities shaping cloud adoption across all levels of government