The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has issued a draft working definition of  cloud computing which defines the term as “a model for enabling convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources (e.g., networks, servers, storage, applications, and services) that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or service provider interaction”.

For the full text of the NIST definition of cloud computing, including its five essential characteristics (on-demand self-service, broad network access, resource pooling, rapid elasticity, and measured service), three service models (Software as a Service — SaaS, Platform as a Service — PaaS and Infrastructure as a Service — IaaS), and four deployment models (Private, Community, Public and Hybrid Cloud), please refer to: http://csrc.nist.gov/groups/SNS/cloud-computing/index.html.

Cloud computing plays a key role in the President’s initiative to modernize Information Technology (IT) by identifying enterprise -wide common services and solutions and adopting a new cloud-computing business model. The Federal CIO Council under the guidance of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the Federal Chief Information Officer (CIO), Vivek Kundra, established the Cloud Computing Initiative to fulfill the President’s objectives for cloud computing.

The General Services Administration (GSA) is participating in the Federal Cloud Computing Initiative and is responsible for the coordination of GSA's activities with respect to the Initiative via its Program Management Office (CC PMO). GSA and the CC PMO are focusing on implementing projects for planning, acquiring, deploying and utilizing cloud computing solutions for the Federal Government that increase operational efficiencies, optimize common services and solutions across organizational boundaries and enable transparent, collaborative and participatory government.

• Significant Cost Reduction: Cloud computing is available at a fraction of the cost of traditional IT services, eliminating upfront capital expenditures and dramatically reducing administrative burden on IT resources.
• Increased Flexibility: Cloud computing provides on-demand computing across technologies, business solutions and large ecosystems of providers, reducing time to implement new solutions from months to days.
• Access anywhere:  You are no longer tethered to a single computer or network. You can change computers or move to portable devices, and your existing applications and documents follow you through the cloud.
• Elastic scalability and pay-as-you-go: Add and subtract capacity as your needs change.  Pay for only what you use.
• Easy to implement: You do not need to purchase hardware, software licenses or implementation services.
• Service quality: Cloud service providers offer reliable services, large storage and computing capacity, and 24/7 service and up-time. 
• Delegate non-critical applications:  Cloud computing provides a way to outsource non-critical applications to service providers, allowing agency IT resources to focus on business-critical applications.
• Always the latest software: You are no longer faced with choosing between obsolete software and high upgrade costs. When the applications are web-based, updates are automatic and are available the next time you log into the cloud.
• Sharing documents and group collaboration: Cloud computing lets you access all your applications and documents from anywhere in the world, freeing you from the confines of the desktop and facilitating group collaboration on documents and projects.
  
  

Cloud computing offers a cost-effective service oriented approach for sharing computing resources, whereby common infrastructure, applications, information, and solutions can be utilized across the Government. The overall objective is to create a more agile Federal enterprise, where services can be provisioned and reused on demand to meet business needs.

Cloud computing can provide data storage, web hosting, and virtual machines all in the cloud.  Use as much or as little as needed.  Growing adoption of cloud computing will improve data sharing and promote collaboration among federal, state and local governments. 

A strategic assessment as to how your agency can benefit by using cloud computing services should be conducted.  Browse Apps.gov to view the cloud services that are available.  Services will continuously be added to Apps.gov.  The provisioning of social media applications is discussed in detail below.  Business and Productivity applications (various cloud software as a service) and Cloud IT Infrastructure as a Service (cloud storage, hosting, and virtual machines) in most cases are offered as a monthly or even hourly use service.  Billing for these services is typically monthly, based upon use, and may require close monitoring of your monthly purchase card spending limits.

The Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) vendor offerings (i.e. Business and Productivity Apps) available through Apps.gov are currently not certified and accredited as required by the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA).  As is the standard practice for implementation and use of any new software, it is the consumer agency’s responsibility to conduct the Certification and Accreditation (C&A) process leading to an Authority to Operate (ATO). The certification and accreditation process is defined in NIST SP 800-37 "Guide for the Security Certification and Accreditation of Federal Information Systems”:

http://csrc.nist.gov/publications/nistpubs/800-37/SP800-37-final.pdf

The Cloud Computing Program Management Office is exploring opportunities that would allow for the sharing of security documentation by customer agencies.  Since this is a policy matter, direction will be issued in the future, when appropriate.

Note: The procedures below do not apply to Social Media applications.

Ordering procedures (not applicable to orders placed under Blanket Purchase Agreements)
Since cloud offerings under Business and Productivity Applications as well as Cloud IT Services are products and services currently offered under GSA Multiple Award Schedule contracts, ordering activities are to use the procedures in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 8.405-1  where a Statement of Work (SOW) is not required.
Ordering activities shall use the procedures in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 8.405-2 when ordering Schedule contract services requiring a Statement of Work.
Orders at, or below, the micro-purchase threshold:

• The ordering activity may place orders with any GSA Schedule contractor that can meet the agency's needs. The ordering activity should attempt to distribute orders among Schedule contractors.

Orders exceeding the micro-purchase threshold, but not exceeding the maximum order threshold:

• Survey at least three Schedule contractors through Apps.gov or post your requirement (Statement of Work) on eBuy and seek additional price reductions where appropriate;
• Select the best value; and
• Place the order through Apps.gov or through your own internal system.

Orders exceeding the maximum order threshold

• Review the pricelists of additional Schedule contractors in Apps.gov or post to eBuy;
• Based upon the initial evaluation, seek price reductions from the Schedule contractors considered to offer the best value; and 
• Place the order with the Schedule contractor that provides the best value. If further price reductions are not offered, an order may still be placed.

Ordering procedures  when using Blanket Purchase Agreements:

• The government is currently in the process of establishing Blanket Purchase Agreements for cloud computing.  The specific ordering procedures applicable to each Blanket Purchase will be updated on Apps.gov as those BPAs are awarded.
  
  

Cloud Computing Offerings:
including Infrastructure as a Service, Software as a Service and Platform as a Service are available to customer agencies to acquire from vendors today.  All cloud computing offerings are already available to be procured using full and open competition after development of a Statement of Work or Statement of Objectives.  Some cloud computing offerings can be procured today by placing orders against the GSA Schedule 70 in accordance with FAR 8.4 and a subset of these vendors can be found under the categories of Productivity Apps and Business Apps on the Apps.gov website. These vendors do not have BPAs; the offerings identified are available on their current Schedule 70 contracts and have been included on Apps.gov to assist your agency in learning what cloud services are already available. Schedule 70 vendors already selling Software as a Service cloud services are adding themselves to Apps.gov Productivity Apps and Business Apps sections of Apps.gov on an on-going basis. In addition to identifying already awarded Schedule 70 cloud offerings, Apps.gov will soon post offerings from awardees of a Blanket Purchase Agreement for Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS). Awards have not been made but once awards are made, the Cloud IT Services section of Apps.gov will be populated.  By awarding cloud computing-specific BPAs, GSA is supporting the President's Cloud Computing Initiative by making it easier for agencies to make the shift to acquiring IT from the cloud.  The prices offered on the BPAs will be discounts from vendors' Schedule 70 prices.  The Schedule 70 contracts, BPAs and orders placed against each are authorized and regulated by the Federal Acquisition Regulation 48 C.F.R. 1-53, and other customer agency specific acquisition regulations and appropriations laws that may apply.

Social Media Tools: 
All of the social media tools GSA places on the Storefront are offered by Web 2.0 providers as free services.  Since no payments are involved, and agencies are expending no appropriated funds, government contracting procedures of the FAR do not apply.  Instead, the relationship between the social media provider and the user agency will be reflected in a signed Terms of Service (TOS) Agreement.   These agreements are explained in more detail below.

Social media can take many different forms, including Internet forums, social blogs, wikis, podcasts, photos, videos, rating and bookmarking. Technologies include: blogs, video hosting, photo-sharing, wall-postings, email, instant messaging, and music sharing.  Applications are computer programs or services available over the web.

A coalition of federal agencies, led by GSA's Office of Citizen Services, began working with a broad range of providers of no-cost social media products to develop amended Terms of Service (TOS) agreements that reflect the needs of federal users.

GSA led this effort because the existing standard Terms of Service on most social media sites do not comply with federal law and in many ways are not compatible with agency expectations and practices. Working with providers to amend their standard TOS for federal users eliminates those problems.
Providers who want to offer, for the federal government's consideration, free social media products under federal-friendly Terms of Service can do so through Apps.gov.

If an agency chooses to use various social media sites and tools to accomplish its mission, the agency won't have to start from scratch in negotiating with the providers if federal-friendly Terms of Service are offered on Apps.gov. However, each agency must first consider its own policies for the use of social media, its specific needs, expectations and practices, along with a legal review, before signing the agreement.

While these TOS amendments resolve the major legal issues of the sign-up process, clarify expectations, and set the stage for productive use of these services, agencies must still comply with laws and regulations on security, privacy, accessibility, records retention, ethical use, and other specific agency policies and requirements when they use the tools. This is why we recommend you seek the advice of your agency counsel on whether the TOS is legally appropriate for use by your agency.

Because these products and services are free and don't involve agency appropriated funds, the agreements are not considered to be government contracts nor are they procurements under the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR). In contrast, fee-based products fall under all federal procurement rules and regulations, and are not part of the line-up of social media products on apps.gov.

Think strategically about how these tools can help you accomplish your agency's mission.  Social media applications may be used to meet customer needs; gather feedback and new ideas; and disseminate information, images and video to your stakeholders, clients and citizens.  Establishing an agency presence through a social media channel promotes citizen engagement, collaboration and transparency.  An example of how the White House reaches out to citizens through a YouTube channel is found here:  http://www.youtube.com/whitehouse.  GSA has created the U.S. Government YouTube channel at http://www.youtube/com/usgovernment.

These social media applications are available for consideration by all Federal agencies.  Be sure your agency can agree to the legal provisions of each agreement. Because several agencies helped to negotiate these agreements, it's expected and hoped that most other agencies will find the language acceptable, but each agency needs to sign its own agreement.

At this time, these TOS amendments only cover federal agencies as they were written to comply with federal law. The National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIOs) has told GSA it is working with states to develop a template that appropriately addresses general state requirements, so that NASCIO can begin discussions with individual providers on behalf of states.

If you're an employee at a federal agency and identify a business need for a product or service, you should follow these steps to coordinate within your agency:

• Go to Apps.gov to find free social media providers that now offer federal-friendly terms of service for government consideration.
  
• Once you find the app you are interested in, you must “enroll.”
  
• To enroll, fill in the required information including a brief justification explaining how your agency will use the app.
  
• Submitting your request will automatically send an email to your agency POC who will know if your agency has already signed an agreement with that provider.
  
• If approved (or rejected), you will receive an email from your agency POC. If approved, the agency POC can also tell you how to proceed with each app provider to initiate the service.
  
• Your agency POC can tell you if your agency is already using the product or service; if there's a signed Terms of Service in place; and how you can coordinate efforts within your agency.
  

If you're at a sub-agency within a cabinet department (for example, CDC or FDA), you should work with contacts at the cabinet department-level (that is, HHS). This is important since, in most cases, a single agreement is being negotiated and signed for the entire department.

If you have questions that your POC can't answer or if you have questions about appointing a POC, please send an email to socialmediaapps@gsa.gov.

We've included the point-of-contact (POC) for major federal agencies so you can contact them with questions. In most cases, the POC is the agency's representative on the Federal Web Managers Council. If you're at a sub-agency or bureau within a cabinet department, you should work with the person who is the designated POC for the department.

If you have questions that your POC can't answer or if you have questions about appointing a POC, please send an email to socialmediaapps@gsa.gov.

Yes, agencies can negotiate their own agreements if the provider is willing. No single agency has government-wide authority to sign these agreements on behalf of other agencies, or to impose an answer on another agency that may have unique needs calling for a specially tailored agreement.
That said, Apps.gov offers a process where the ultimate goal – whenever possible – is to develop an amended TOS for each provider that satisfies the needs of most, if not all, federal agencies. This saves time and money for both the government and the providers. Understandably, in the absence of monetary incentives, social media providers may not want to negotiate different TOS's with dozens (or hundreds) of different agencies, since that would be a costly effort. It's also not efficient for the government to negotiate dozens of different agreements.

In cases where a social media provider has not yet signed an agreement with any agency, one agency may wish to take the lead in negotiating the TOS agreement. The starting point for negotiating should be the model agreement available at http://go.usa.gov/liM, which incorporates the experience of two-dozen previous negotiations. Agencies who are taking the lead on negotiating a new TOS are encouraged to email socialmediaapps@gsa.gov since GSA wants to track these efforts can be tracked and share the results across agencies.

GSA is available to assist agencies as they work through terms of service agreements and implementation. GSA and federal agency points of contact will share information with each other as their agencies consider products and agreements, and will work together on agreements when multiple agencies want to use the same product.