Cloud Computing: Future solution for e-Governance
Manish Pokharel and Jong Sou Park
Network Security Lab
Computer Department
Korea Aerospace University
+82 10 5583 1967
{manish, jspark}@kau.ac.kr
ABSTRACT
Cloud computing is the future generation of computing. It is a
very new concept in the field of computing characterised by three
main entities - Software, Hardware and Network. The collective
nature of all these entities is known as the Cloud. The subject of
cloud computing is currently in the very early stages of
development and there is a lot of research being carried out in this
area. In this poster, we analyse cloud computing and examines its
application in the context of e-government. Existing e-government
practices face many challenges, from development to
implementation. We propose cloud computing as an ideal
solution to these challenges including maintaining Green ICT.
Categories and Subject Descriptors
J.1 [Administrative Data processing]: Government
General Terms
Performance, Design, Economics, Reliability, Security
Keywords
Cloud, Service, Architecture, System, E-Governance, Green ICT
1. INTRODUCTION
Cloud computing is a very new concept of computing. It has been
thought of as the future of computing.
In cloud computing, software, hardware and network play the
main role. The collective efforts of these entities make cloud
computing possible. We can visualize the cloud as a cluster of
computers which are based upon distributed systems that provide
services in real time over a network.
E-Government aims to provide required services to required users
on the required time. An e-government system should be able to
selecting the services and provide the services in an efficient and
effective way. An effective e-government system should be
reliable, cost effective, ease to maintenance, satisfying other non-
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functional properties as well. Unfortunately, in spite of many
available resources and technologies, many challenges have been
encountered in developing and implementing e-government
systems. According to Richard Heeks [7], more than 80% projects
are in the failure category. Existing technologies is not enough to
address all challenges. With the emergence of cloud computing,
there are good basis to hope that some of the traditional
challenges can be addressed.
2. WHAT IS CLOUD COMPUTING?
Cloud computing is the collection of scalable, virtualized
resources, which is capable of hosting application and providing
required services to the users and can charge as per the uses like
utility. The main goal of cloud computing is to provide ICT
services with shared infrastructure and the collection of many
systems. In cloud computing every facility is provided in terms of
service. It provides infrastructure as a service, software as a
service, platform as a service, network as a service, and data
storage as a service. The main philosophy of cloud computing is
to provide every required things as a service. In order to be
clearer, the services in the cloud can be thought in layer
architecture where various resources are available in different
layers.
2.1 Technology in Cloud Computing
Cloud computing is the combination of various technologies. Not
a single technology is enough to provide smooth function of cloud
computing. The technology as grid computing, virtualization,
distributed system, system engineering and service oriented
architecture (SOA) play an important role in cloud computing.
2.2 Features of Cloud Computing
There are many identified features in cloud computing but we
have identified prime features like scalability, low risk, reliability,
availability and low cost play the significant role in e-government
system.
3. E-GOVERNMENT AND CLOUD
COMPUTING
Electronic Governance has become very common terminology
now days. There are so many different views in e-government.
Whatever the differences in views from different people but it is
the approach in converting every government activities in digital
form and providing these activities in terms of services to the
citizen or stakeholders. It also has been defined in a various ways
by many experts but every definition has the one commonality i.e.
to provide services to its stakeholders with the proper use of ICT.
It is also known as Digital Governance. It has a very distinct
nature that it is not influenced or dominated by one domain of
expertise. It gets influenced with multiple domains like
technology, social science, management etc. Each domain has its
own contribution on it.
Almost every country in the world has tried to use or develop the
e-government system. Some of them have already implemented
and achieved maximum benefits from it. Some of them have just
started but many of them have not able to implement it
irrespective of good design and master plan. Why is it so? The
prime reason is something else. In this paper, we try to identify
those challenges and solution. The challenges are as follows:
3.1 Cost
Cost is one of the prime challenges in e-government system. In
many countries service comes after the cost. Especially when the
entire world is facing economic crisis, the cost is the big factor.
We have to try to get maximum services in minimum cost. Cloud
computing can do this.
3.2 Expertise
Various experts are required in e-government system. The role of
experts are not only limited during development phase. It is
required throughout the life cycle of e-government system. It is
not possible for developing countries to provide these experts all
the time and even for developed countries it is not easy.
3.3 Maintenance
In e-government system there are huge involvements of software,
hardware, networking, security etc. As per the cyclic nature of e-
government life cycle, the replacement and updating of all these
software and hardware are very much required and moreover
maintaining datacentre in every city is very big challenges. In
order to meet these challenges, cloud computing can help.
3.4 Green ICT
The use of ICT devices is increasing very rapidly. In e-
government system, we can find thousands of PCs, a huge number
of sophisticated servers, printers, scanners, digitizers etc in a
single organization.
Green ICT is environment friendly ICT which has the main goal
of reducing the rate of emission of carbon dioxide from ICT tools
and preserve the energy. Even though cloud is also collection of
computing devices, but number of such devices are very less as
410
compared to the traditional ICT infrastructure. The features of
cloud do support in making green ICT.
4. CONCLUSION
Cloud computing is an emerging technology in which every
services are available in the cloud. Cloud is the collection of
distributed computing devices. Cloud provides service through
public and private clouds with the help of required technology
like, system approach, distributed system, service oriented
architecture, grid computing and virtualization. The domain of
cloud application is very big. E-Government system requires
entities like, software, hardware, service, management, network,
business, policy, security etc to survive and function properly.
Unfortunately current approaches or technology is insufficient to
manage all these entities. Cloud computing which treats all these
entities as a service can be used in e-government system. Cloud
computing can handle the above mention challenges and finally
address global challenges of e-government system. In order to
make e-government system sustain and survive for a long time in
entire world, the cloud computing is only solution for today and
tomorrow. Cloud computing can play the vital role in making ICT
world green.
5. REFERENCES
[1] Grossman, R. L. The case of cloud computing, IEEE-2009.
[2] Maria, A. F., Fenu, G., and Surcis, S. An Approach to
Cloud Computing Network, IEEE-2008
[3] Youseff, L., Butrico, M., and DaSilva, D. Towards a Unified
Ontology of Cloud Computing. Grid Computing
Environments Workshop 2008, GCE08’
[4] Leavitt, N. Is Cloud Computing Really Ready for Prime
Time?, IEEE-2009
[5] Janssen,M.CressworldAnthony.,Enterprise Architecture
Integration in E-Government, 38th Hawaii International
Conference on System Sciences, IEEE- 2005
[6] Armbrust,M et al., Above the Clouds: A Berkeley View of
Cloud Computing, Technical ReportNo.UCB/EECS-2009-
28., Accessed at: http://www.eecs.berkeley.edu/Pubs/
TechRpts/2009/EECS-2009-28.html, Feb, 2009
[7] Heek, R. Implementing and Managing E-Government.,
Vistaar Publication, 2006