G2G Cloud Solutions

About the Program

Category: Information Technology (Best in Category)

Year: 2012

The current information technology market trend today is geared towards cloud computing solutions. Businesses and communities that have adopted a cloud computing network have found it to be extremely beneficial as they can access information anywhere, anytime. In 2011, Oakland County launched G2G Cloud Solutions, a cloud infrastructure set up to support technology sharing among governments via the web. Through G2G Cloud Solutions, Oakland County can further leverage its IT solutions to benefit other municipalities, helping to achieve lower governmental operating costs for all. G2G Cloud Solutions enables governments to use enterprise IT applications and services on an as-needed basis, reducing operating costs for participating governments. Through G2G, Oakland County has been making a wide array of applications available not only to its local municipalities, but also any other government who wishes to use the technology. G2G Cloud Solutions also allows other governments to add their applications to the same cloud, to further share technology solutions with each other. As a government-backed and controlled system, G2G Cloud Solutions ensures that market fluctuations will not affect the stability of technology solutions and investments. Furthermore, information on the cloud is more secure on G2G than it would be on a private server. Currently, G2G Cloud Solutions offers two services, being an online payment system and a cloud publishing application. Online Payments enables a government to accept web-based payments for traffic tickets, court fines, utility bills, property taxes, and so on. The Web Publishing Suite provides governments with a complete web site management solution to help create and maintain a government web presence. G2G Cloud Solutions efficiently leverages existing technologies, paired with the calculated expansion of web service delivery methods, resulting in lower-than-average costs. Total development costs for the current phase of G2G were $147,108. Tangible benefits are projected to be more than $1.4 million in the first five years, with a projected cost avoidance of more than $740,000 in the first five years. Results of the G2G program have been outstanding, as the cloud network has reduced operational costs and time constraints for other governments. Governments using G2G Cloud Solutions’ Online Payments service achieve operational cost reductions through streamlined payment processing and benefit from increased payment collections. The governments currently participating in G2G Cloud Solutions have recorded a combined total of $144,713 in revenue from Online Payments alone to date.