State Lottery Deputy CIO Cites Value of Implementing Cloud-Scalable Architecture

For Florida Lottery’s deputy chief information officer, Andrew Brown, introducing the notion of cloud computing in government begins with engaging users, with swift and secure access to data playing a crucial role in that adoption.

That was the takeaway last week, when Brown and an industry representative — Jairobe McPherson, AI/ML engineer for Google Cloud Public Sector — spoke at FedInsider’s Vision 2024 event on Digital Transformation in State & Local Government. They discussed how the state’s shift toward cloud-ready architectures can foster digital interoperability within state agencies.

Brown emphasized this concept, illustrating it using a universally relatable example. For instance, everyone snaps photos on their cellphones, and it’s essential to guarantee the security of these pictures. Moreover, users aim to ensure that “five years down the road, when we upgrade our phones, our photos remain accessible.“

The fundamentals of cloud business operations operate in a similar manner, Brown said. Should a device be damaged or upgraded, connection with the cloud can be effortlessly re-established.

“I can retrieve all my pictures on that new device, ensuring that memories from 10 years ago remain accessible to my grandkids, kids, and everyone else.”

From an agency’s viewpoint, McPherson noted that cloud services enable users to incorporate any necessary services through their platform.

“You don’t have to concern yourself with machines or applications utilizing the cloud,” he said. “All you need to do is provide the back-end information. They handle the updates, and all you need to focus on is the data.”

When discussing the influence of AI and cloud services, Brown emphasized the importance of understanding the available resources for state agencies to initiate the process.

“Florida Digital Service is a source of information that allows agencies to have access to grants from the federal, state and local governments.” Training should also be provided by a private company so that all users within the agency are able to fully comprehend and use the cloud services.

All state agencies should harness the potential of cloud services and portability for the future. Brown concluded by stressing that, from a broader perspective, “we aspire to achieve seamless data sharing across all levels and departments, both local and statewide.”