General Membership Meeting Focuses on Cloud Services

In March, the chapter hosted its general membership meeting at the Saber & Quill in Fort Knox, Kentucky. The event was sponsored by Hewlett Packard Enterprise (now DXC Technology). Attendees were treated to a catered lunch and awards presentations, followed by guest speaker Donald W. Hewatt, director of workload and cloud practice, U.S. Public Sector, DXC Technology. His presentation focused on cloud services. He emphasized that cloud services have grown and continue to evolve along with Defense Department objectives. DXC Technology has a unique line of cloud services that encompass three unique solutions: infrastructure as a service, software as a service and platform as a service. Infrastructure as a service (IaaS) provides storage, networks, databases and applications in the cloud. IaaS platforms offer scalable resources that can be adjusted on demand. Being able to scale on demand is a cost-saving model, as consumer demand varies depending on time of year and day. Consumers will pay as they go, and contracts can be structured by the hour or number of users. Software as a service (SaaS) provides a portfolio of common applications in the cloud. Software companies have changed the practice of developing an application to sell to individuals and businesses as licenses to install. Now, software companies opt to develop an application to offer as a service. The benefits are that customers don't have to buy, install, maintain or update anything. Platform as a service (PaaS) provides vendor-specific tools in the cloud so that companies don't have to invest in space housed in special facilities. Hewatt concluded his presentation by saying that de-emphasizing physical hardware and building maintenance gives companies more time to focus on innovation. Federal agencies working with DXC Technology can rest assured that the cloud services it provides meet all FedRAMP requirements. Following the event, attendees could meet and speak with Hewatt, local DXC Technology leaders, chapter leaders and area professionals.

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