GDIT’s Kristie Grinnell: Transitioning to Cloud Calls for Agencies to Understand Data Strategies First

Kristie Grinnell, global chief information officer and vice president for supply chain at General Dynamics’ information technology business, wrote in a guest piece published Friday on FedScoop that government agencies seeking to optimize the capabilities that cloud offers should first understand their data strategies and identify which cloud service could best support the needs of their organizations.

Grinnell said moving to the cloud requires an organization to start with the right questions.

“With every engagement, we began by asking: ‘What type of data do you have? How sensitive is it? What do you want to do with it when you get there? Who needs access to it?’” she said.

She also cited the advantages of working with multiple cloud service providers, such as preventing vendor lock-in arrangement, managing data in the most appropriate cloud environment and having the right security level.

Grinnell said agencies looking to transition to the cloud should address the challenge of organizational change, and partner with a contractor that works with multiple cloud providers and has the “breadth and depth of experience” in helping federal, state and local government agencies deploy cloud services.