The General Services Administration adoption of cloud computing is "inevitable," said a GSA top official while speaking to an industry audience June 24.

"It's the speed and pace and direction that we're always uncertain of, but it's an inevitable move because the computing industry itself is moving in this direction," said Dave McClure, associate administrator for GSA's Office of Citizen Services and Innovative Technologies, during an INPUT-sponsored event.

McClure told event attendees that he wants to consolidate data centers and better leverage what's already out there with an eye toward collaboration. "Everybody's familiar with Forge.mil, it's time to create Forge.gov," he said, referring to the Defense Information Systems Agency-hosted open source application collaborative development website.

GSA is currently seeking quotes for a cloud infrastructure, with responses due by June 30. GSA will use contractors to formulate a more simplified acquisition process for agencies, with compliant, competitively priced options for cloud services. "We're not trying to create only a one-stop shop for all of cloud computing. We're just again evolving it out to illustrate to the rest of government that this is doable," said McClure.

For more:
- see the GSA enterprise email and collaboration services RFP

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