PAKISTAN CLOUD FIRST POLICY business and to avoid duplication of efforts, support of provincial governments is utmost necessary for the adoption of this policy in their jurisdictions. The salient takeaways of cloud computing are: a. Efficient (cost of) governance: Efficient technology resources can be procured on a “pay as you use” basis and is cost-efficient. Resources of a cloud data center are shared among many organizations. Therefore, fewer servers, storage, network equipment and power & cooling equipment are utilized. Furthermore, the frequent purchase of ICT equipment to replace obsolete equipment every few years is also replaced with paying for only the services utilized. This will result in cost efficiency for organizations and will reduce the overall import bill of Pakistan. b. Information security: CSP hold internationally recognised security certifications that are assessed by third-party security professionals. Information security challenges are adequately addressed via cloud computing by following international standards and best practises c. Data privacy: CSP implement technical and administrative controls to protect data – both stored and in transit. Furthermore, formal engagements with CSP generally define data protection standards and establish SLA that outline security and privacy measures. These measures including but not limited to adequate technical controls, such as end-to-end encryption or tokenization as well as data loss prevention tools. d. Transparency and accountability: Cloud computing improves transparency and accountability in the public administration. Likewise, it enables open access to (publicly available) government information and data for governments, citizens, and businesses, leading to increased engagement and participation, as well as fostering trust. e. Innovation in public sector delivery: Cloud computing accelerates digital transformation through agility and innovation. A variety of tools such as social media, mobile platforms and analytic tools are available to PSE on subscription basis which result in enhancing e-citizen services. f. Resource optimization: Cloud computing is efficient in resource utilization as compared to segregated data centres because it is based on the concept of sharing services and hence maximizing the effectiveness of resources. An on-premises data center is mostly underutilized. The equipment usually does not do much more than handling routine tasks and stay powered on over the weekends and during off work hours. Whereas in a cloud environment, the unutilized compute cycles of one organization may be used by another organization. Furthermore, it results in optimum utilization of Human Resources as it is easier to manage centralized infrastructure with fewer and highly skilled human resources. g. Environmental Benefits: Cloud computing reduces energy consumption, waste and carbon emissions. Cloud decreases the rate of carbon emissions by reducing energy requirement and consumption. Cloud adoption means that fewer machines are utilized to serve more users and thus utilizes less energy and have a lower impact on the environment. Vision This policy envisions digital transformation of Pakistan by optimized ICT spending, efficient utilization of latest cloud-based technologies, swift delivery of citizen services, better governance, increased collaboration among the government organs and enhanced transparency & accountability. Page 6 of 21