Supercloud looms for Japanese government

Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications has revealed plans to build a massive cloud computing infrastructure to support all of the government's IT systems. Tentatively called the Kasumigaseki Cloud, the new infrastructure will be built in stages from now until 2015. The goal of the project is to consolidate all government IT systems into a single cloud infrastructure to help improve operational efficiency and reduce cost.

The Kasumigaseki Cloud will "enable various ministries to collaborate to integrate and consolidate hardware and create platforms for shared functions. Efforts will be made to efficiently develop and operate information systems with the aim of greatly reducing electronic government-related development and operating costs while increasing the pace of processing by integrating shared functions, increasing collaboration among systems, and providing secure and advanced governmental services."

The Kasumigaseki Cloud is just one aspect of the Digital Japan Creation Project (ICT Hatoyama Plan.) The plan also calls for increased investment in digital industries, a ubiquitous town concept and green ideals.

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