Cloud transformation in public administration: innovation and autonomy in the digital age

Cloud technologies are a key component of the digital future of public administration. This is demonstrated by the study ‘Caught between innovation and sovereignty: the cloud and the digital future of public administration’, which Materna supported as one of the main sponsors. The majority of responses to the study came from participants in the federal states and local authorities. More than half of the public authorities surveyed (56 per cent) already regard it as a forward-looking issue. In the coming years in particular, 66 per cent of public authorities plan to make greater use of these solutions. This trend is driven by the growing importance of the cloud for the modernisation of public IT infrastructures, although so far only a quarter of public authorities have implemented a comprehensive cloud strategy.

There is significant potential in making administrative processes more efficient whilst targeting IT budgets specifically towards cloud solutions. Over 60 per cent of respondents expect their IT expenditure on cloud technologies to rise in the coming years. At the same time, however, there is a certain degree of reluctance to switch to ‘cloud-only’ models. The majority of public authorities are pursuing a hybrid approach, combining their own systems with cloud services.

Security and sovereignty as key concerns

Despite the potential benefits, many public authorities are reluctant to rely entirely on cloud technologies – primarily due to security concerns. For 81 per cent of respondents, data sovereignty is of central importance, whilst 76 per cent regard operational sovereignty as essential. At the same time, the use of open-source solutions as a means of achieving digital sovereignty is less widespread – only 19 per cent of respondents see this as an effective solution.

The desire for greater security is also reflected in the preferred deployment models: the majority of public authorities rely on private clouds (56 per cent) or the German Public Administration Cloud (DVC) (53 per cent). Despite the progress made by public cloud providers, many remain sceptical about their use – only 23 per cent of public authorities favour this option.

Transformation of specialist processes: a key component of digitalisation

One of the key themes of the study is the transformation of specialist processes for the cloud. Public authorities identify significant potential in migration – around 53 per cent of specialist processes are classified as cloud-ready. This development is of central importance, as the digitalisation of specialist processes plays a key role in the modernisation of public administration.

The focus here is specifically on registration and planning procedures, which are regarded as particularly suitable for cloud migration. By contrast, public authorities are reluctant to transfer sensitive specialist procedures, such as criminal or civil proceedings, to a cloud environment. This reluctance is often linked to concerns regarding data security.

Knowledge gaps and a lack of experience are holding back progress

Although the importance of cloud technologies is recognised, there are significant knowledge gaps within public authorities. More than half of those surveyed (56 per cent) have little experience with cloud computing to date, whilst 20 per cent are actively investing in further training for their staff. This shows that developing cloud skills is a key challenge in successfully driving forward cloud transformation.

Materna: a strong partner for cloud transformation

Materna supports public authorities in the successful implementation of cloud technologies. As an experienced provider of cloud solutions, Materna offers comprehensive consultancy and implementation services tailored specifically to the needs of public authorities. From the development of bespoke cloud strategies to the secure and seamless migration of specialist processes to the cloud – Materna is the reliable partner for the digital public sector of the future.

Further information on Materna’s cloud solutions can be found here.