Google in Government? Wyoming To Use Google Servers for Exec. Branch Computing
- Posted on June 22, 2011 at 9:15pm by
Billy Hallowell
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CHEYENNE, Wyo. (The Blaze/AP) — Wyoming has become the first state to begin using a suite of cloud computing tools from Google for its entire executive branch of government, allowing data and applications to be stored on remote servers and accessed over the Internet.
New technologies enabled by Google Apps for Government include desk-to-desk video conferencing and live online collaboration while creating documents.
The system, which went online in Wyoming on Monday, was formally unveiled Wednesday as Gov. Matt Mead cut a red data cable with scissors.
“Wyoming likes to be first and that’s a great message for us. This is kind of an early round in this technology and for a company like Google, we need the right partners to work with,” said Dave Girouard, president of enterprise for Google, who flew to Cheyenne for the event. Watch the Google-produced story about Wyoming’s use of these products, below:
Wyoming expects to save at least $1 million a year because it won’t need to maintain some servers and will rely instead on secure remote servers operated by Google. The state also won’t need to bother with figuring out how to update platforms, which Google handles.
Meanwhile, all state agencies will share a uniform email system containing an employee directory for the first time.
Several cities including Los Angeles have begun using Google Apps for Government over the past year or so. Federal agencies including the General Services Administration and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration likewise have chosen Google over government services available through competitor Microsoft.
Wyoming doesn’t have a reputation as a high-tech state but that could change. This month Mead plugged a $70 million National Center for Atmospheric Research supercomputing facility near Cheyenne as a project sure to draw more tech business after it becomes operational next year.
Google Apps for Government will enable the state to save through government efficiency that’s difficult to quantify, said Flint Waters, the state’s chief technology officer.
“In man-hours saved, I’m sure that $1 million is very, very conservative,” he said.
Wyoming has allocated $5 million for the switch but Waters said he expects the state to come in under budget.
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Comments (81)
thinkinghuman
Posted on June 23, 2011 at 12:43amSounds great until the FEDERAL GOVERNMENT decides for our “SAFETY” that they need to SHUT DOWN the internet. Then what’s a State to do?
Wyoming is a foolish state, putting their trust in a global system that they do not control.
Report Post »likwidlizard
Posted on June 23, 2011 at 12:25amThis is another taxpayer’s rip-off. Government workers were already caught buzzing all the PORN WEBSITES ALL DAY LONG while getting NOTHING DONE. OH, I forgot, this is exactly what government paid workers get paid to do. Steal from the taxpayers and enjoy their peanuts, coffee and PORN all day long at the JOB.
Report Post »wikiuptown
Posted on June 23, 2011 at 12:22amLook up at what google apps gov actually is people. Don’t assume it will be where all gov records will be kept for Wyoming. Yep. the community here has declined very badly. Just as bad as liberals spouting knowledge without researching anything. Hope you all enjoy the little pit of despair you guys seem to have created. I personally am done with this site now. God bless ya’ll and good luck.
Report Post »let us prey
Posted on June 23, 2011 at 6:57amWake up and goodbye
Report Post »Jockolantern
Posted on June 22, 2011 at 11:34pmI live here in Cheyenne and have mixed thoughts on this decision. I’m all for cost-cutting and the means by which this decision consolidates all the data-packing and server-crunching down to one central source can certainly do just that– provided the state government doesn’t spend it elsewhere. But do we enter this arrangement at the expense of throwing heavy amounts of government-related and personal, private data on the servers of Google and trust that all eyes are averted? Google has made itself known as a “global” entity and has certainly moved to support more liberal causes, from the inside at least.
I can‘t imagine they’ are the only ones involving themselves in this kind of government network business (though I could be wrong) so I wonder what nudged Mead to choose Google over a less controversial company. Great caution needs to be exercised before hopping aboard with a partner whose dealings have been so dubious; or perhaps business is simply business (and even Google will not begrudge that to anyone willing to pay); I certainly do not begrudge a private company their freedom to do business with whom they please.
Color me skeptical though I am hoping for the best. It seems like a decent enough idea on the surface and if it stays all business on both ends, it could be a fruitful, cost-saving arrangement. Mead is not making friends of many conservatives with this decision though and I‘m sure he’ll be hearing a mouthful from constituents– including
Report Post »Jockolantern
Posted on June 22, 2011 at 11:40pm“–including me.”
Not sure why it cut that final word out of my initial post but there you have it.
Report Post »nomercy63
Posted on June 22, 2011 at 11:22pmI cancelled all that crap long ago, HBO , Google, Twitter, Facebook so on life is good now!!!!!
Report Post »RODUX
Posted on June 22, 2011 at 11:07pmGoogle, huh! Sounds subversive to me. The owners of Google need to remember taking orders is no excuse for sedition.
Report Post »PelositheGreat
Posted on June 22, 2011 at 11:00pmEric Scmidt snoop? Nahhh….
Report Post »PelositheGreat
Posted on June 22, 2011 at 11:00pmEric Schmidt snoop? Nahhh……
Report Post »Sunnyr
Posted on June 22, 2011 at 10:55pmI have REMOVED Google from my computer and use only BING now, which is just as good as Google. When I found out that Google and Comrade Obozo were in cahoots to help him out in his campaign, I was totally shocked and infuriated! Google, of course denied it, but they are LIARS, just like the corrupt dufus in the White House.
I would advise everyone to boycott Google by using BING, exclusively. Let Google know we are not going to sit still for this kind of LIBERAL BIAS
Report Post »Wdawg
Posted on June 22, 2011 at 11:40pmBing is good cause they have been copying google searches.
Report Post »the_ancient
Posted on June 23, 2011 at 11:28amYou might want to look at how embedded Microsoft is with Law Enforcement and What positions the company takes with regards to personal freedom, and data ownership… They make Google look like Innocent little Children
Report Post »endgamer
Posted on June 22, 2011 at 10:54pmThe cloud is a big mistake.. Backing up data (maybe) but not computing. Taxpayers need to speak out on this one.. Google is NOT your friend.
Report Post »the_ancient
Posted on June 23, 2011 at 11:20amHow is the cloud a “bad idea” the cloud is not even an idea, it is marketing term invented by companies to promote SaaS, IaaS, PaaS, etc
With todays growing Mobile word it is the ONLY solution to get your data sync’ed across a phone, laptop, desktop, tablet etc.
It just has to be implemented correctly
Report Post »lketchum
Posted on June 22, 2011 at 10:51pmGoogle sees itself as an “internationalist” in more than just a commercial context.
Google views its role in the world as being an integral part of a globalist form of National Socialism – International Socialism according to a model that enables and shelters select, compliant corporations that serve the state.
Google does not see itself as an American company and it views such things as individual privacy and individual liberty as temporary blocks against the expansion of a globalist state. To that end, Google redefines “evil” in ways which are not consistent with our Constitutional Republic, and it justifies any action it takes against its own users pursuant to its efforts to support the globalist agenda. In each case, The United States of America and its Constitution are seen as the primary targets they must destroy.
Do not use Google, or any Google product. Do not trust them, or any affiliate. They hate liberty and they hate the United States.
Report Post »Sunnyr
Posted on June 22, 2011 at 10:57pmSwitch to BING, as I did, and uninstall Google from your computer!
When they start losing millions of Users, they might change their corrupt methods of operation.
Report Post »the_ancient
Posted on June 23, 2011 at 11:14amYes because Microsoft is an innocent virgin who loves Freedom ROFL…
They dont have special tools and backdoors in to windows for LEO, no no
They have never has any antitrust convection’s, no no
Microsoft is a saint…..
ROFL
Report Post »standwithIsraelstandwithGod
Posted on June 22, 2011 at 10:48pmThis is what a RHINO aligns himself to-glad I didn’t vote for the idiot.
Report Post »standwithIsraelstandwithGod
Posted on June 22, 2011 at 10:45pmI live here and this is freaking crazy. With all the BS Google has been involved with my stupid state throws itself at the whims of a corrupt company. Fan-@#%!*(+-tastic.
Report Post »kapnkd
Posted on June 22, 2011 at 10:25pmVERY Bad move Wyoming!! …WAKE UP!!!
Google is WAY too closely aligned and involved with our “Current” Federal Government leaders.
Report Post »wikiuptown
Posted on June 22, 2011 at 10:07pmI am currently living in Cheyenne, and have no problem with this. This so called hacking everyone is seeing in the news is being blown out of proportion. The “hackers” are only DDoS. Google it if you don’t know what it is. hehe, google it.
A savings of a million bucks will help keep my state free from B.S. state tax and help get us out of the red. The community in the blaze is full of conspiracy theorist nutballs anymore. Too bad, used to be fun reading comments here.
Report Post »let us prey
Posted on June 22, 2011 at 10:16pmOut of the red ehh? to blue
Report Post »standwithIsraelstandwithGod
Posted on June 22, 2011 at 11:00pmState’s not in the red with our mineral rights that they are willing to just hand over to China. Should be getting a dividend here like in Alaska but people are so snowed here they haven’t a clue. We don’t need to subject ourselves to even more blatant corruption.
Report Post »Dio fan
Posted on June 23, 2011 at 9:40pm@Let us prey…”Out of the red ehh? to blue” LMAO- Well said! So now that Wyoming is the official land of ones and zero’s, who’s gonna be the first idiot to name their kid Gmail?
Report Post »NuffSaid
Posted on June 22, 2011 at 10:02pmWyoming are you Nuts? Google? I won’t even have google on my computer at all. You are running your state with these reprobates? Are you Nuts?
Report Post »Tek
Posted on June 22, 2011 at 10:01pmOh, how embarrassing…. I’ll get right on this!
Composing letter to our Governor now…
Report Post »santramir
Posted on June 22, 2011 at 9:57pmdisidiotize yourself, go: http://www.realzionistnews.com/?p=641#comment-331355
Report Post »copperstatekid
Posted on June 22, 2011 at 9:52pmFor some reason, I don’t get “Warm Fuzzies” knowing that Google is storing government information on “Its” servers. I’m already suspect of Google prying into our private lives and the data that they collect. Remember Skynet from the Terminator movie series? Google is Skynet!
Report Post »santramir
Posted on June 22, 2011 at 9:52pmstart mediotizing yourself: http://www.realzionistnews.com/?p=641#comment-331355
Report Post »miles from nowhere
Posted on June 22, 2011 at 9:45pmLets see google is owned by people who are leftist that have middleeast backgrounds. Care to talk about it?
Report Post »crabbyoldman
Posted on June 23, 2011 at 12:04amI never google. I yahoo only!!!!
Report Post »1stAmendment
Posted on June 22, 2011 at 9:34pmGovernment is kind of the definition of the word google!!!
Report Post »Psychosis
Posted on June 22, 2011 at 9:32pmtrust me, for one who is security and technologically savvy , the cloud is going to be a nightmare.
this is in response to high costs of running servers………….artificially high intentionally to push users to the new shiny thing every year
most government techies make a ridiculous amount of money, and do little to no work. trust me, i know first hand
my old roomate was a techie for trenton nj , he would work 3 or 4 hours a week, and get paid for 40 and spend the rest of that time getting high …………..typical in most government set ups ( maybe without the getting high part lol ) because a large part of our government officials are morons when it comes to technology
Report Post »Ducky 1
Posted on June 22, 2011 at 9:31pmComing to a state near you………or to your state soon!!
Report Post »Julie2010
Posted on June 23, 2011 at 1:25amOne state at a time.
WY, What have you done?
Report Post »frustratedwithgovt
Posted on June 22, 2011 at 9:25pmYeah with all the hacking going on that makes a lot of sense….
Report Post »lovenfl3
Posted on June 22, 2011 at 9:30pmTrust me, this won’t end well. I couldn’t believe during the 2008 campaign, the number of people who thought having our medical records online was a good thing. It sounds great until the hacking starts.
Report Post »http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNaZeZBGD2c
cheezwhiz
Posted on June 22, 2011 at 9:34pmSo now that google has access to ALL the WY ‘s databases of SS#, medical and financial records etc of WY residents , I wonder how google will try to profit from those data ? I mean isn’t that what their shareholders would want form google ? Now who will pay top dollars for such data , the US regime or jihadis …hmmmmm
NOTYERHUCKLEBERRY
Posted on June 22, 2011 at 9:43pmWell, before long we will be down to 49 states. Wyo, it’s been nice to know you.
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on June 22, 2011 at 10:23pmNow we get to see one more involvment of the worlds biggest information group gathering a government into it’s grasp again.
Report Post »Wyatt's Torch
Posted on June 22, 2011 at 10:30pmMama always says that “Google is the devil”
Report Post »V-MAN MACE
Posted on June 22, 2011 at 10:48pmGoogle is NSA/CIA keyword software.
Report Post »fastfacts
Posted on June 23, 2011 at 12:36amI don’t trust Google, there are no phone numbers, there are no contacts, they make up their own rules. Not a company you want to get on their bad side.
Now the government is letting them in to ‘help’ them, Google only helps itself. I guess the Senate is going after them now: http://tiny.cc/3xnrb. There are some questionable things they have been up to and so many patent laws they have broken in the past.
OH AND HAVE I MENTIONED THEY WERE FOUND HELPING OUT THE OBAMA CAMPAIGN
Report Post »gotta light
Posted on June 23, 2011 at 3:50amThey’ll be SORRRRR-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-RY & regret it before it’s over with.
Google is complacent when it comes to morality and it’s inbed with a very real “evil’
Hey bud gotta light?
Report Post »AmericanSince1619
Posted on June 23, 2011 at 6:56amWhy is it that the military does not think that current cloud technology is secure enough for the military, but other governments agencies do?
Quote from
http://www.cloudtweaks.com/2011/06/what-does-the-us-military-want-from-cloud-computing/
follows:
“Cloud computing infrastructures, in particular, tightly integrate large numbers of hosts using high speed interconnection fabrics that can serve to propagate attacks even more rapidly than conventional networked systems. Today’s hosts, of course, are highly vulnerable, but even if the hosts within a cloud are reasonably secure, any residual vulnerability in the hosts will be amplified dramatically. DARPA believes that we must not only address host vulnerabilities but must also pursue clean-slate approaches to the design of networked computations and cloud-computing infrastructures.”
Report Post »Want our country back
Posted on June 23, 2011 at 7:44amThese 2 stories about the government savings and waste are great…
Wyoming expects to save at least $1 million a year &
Your Tax Dollars Funding Lavish World Trip to Photograph…Billboards cost taxpayers nearly $12 million over the last ten years
We had better elect a ‘Responsible’ adult to clean up this government.
Make sure that barack obama is a ONE TERM PRESIDENT
I support ISRAEL & the USA
Report Post »anOpinion
Posted on June 23, 2011 at 8:00amNot that there’s a danger of it now for Google, but the more government becomes dependent on them, the more they become “Too big to Fail”, or “To entrenched to Fail”.
Report Post »Sound The Trumpet In Zion
Posted on June 23, 2011 at 10:14am@frustratedwithgovt & lovenfl3
Report Post »AMEN now they probably don’t need to be hacked. I wouldn’t be surprised if Google itself uses the information that it gathers at the governement level.