Googland

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[G] Map Maker Graduation: Part IV Posted: 07 Apr 2010 11:13 AM PDT Google LatLong: Map Maker Graduation: Part IV Since it opened in June 2008, Google Map Maker has served as a platform for individuals to share more about their part of the world. This has significantly enhanced access to mapping data of historically under-mapped regions of the world. We're now excited to add 17 new countries and territories that are now ready to graduate from Google Map Maker to Google Maps, bringing our total to 160 regions: Brunei, Colombia, Cuba, Cyprus, Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas), French Southern and Antarctic Lands, Kiribati, Kuwait, Nicaragua, Panama, Saint Kitts and Nevis, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, Svalbard and Jan Mayen, Syria, Uruguay, Venezuela, Yemen Here are a few "before and after" snapshots highlighting some of the valuable contributions created by our mapping community: Cyprus: Damascus, Syria: Panama City, Panama: A big thanks to all of the wonderful Map Maker contributors. This wouldn't be possible without you. We hope more of you will join us in mapping your world. Here's the complete list of Map Maker countries now on Google Maps. Posted by Vishwajith Krishnamurthy and Jessica Pfund, Map Maker Team URL: http://google-latlong.blogspot.com/2010/04/map-maker-graduation-part-iv.html

[G] Brookings: Cloud computing can save govt agencies 25-50% in costs Posted: 07 Apr 2010 11:13 AM PDT Google Public Policy Blog: Brookings: Cloud computing can save govt agencies 25-50% in costs Posted by Harry Wingo, Policy Counsel If someone told you that they had an idea that could help government agencies function more productively while also cutting IT costs up to 50%, wouldn't you take them up on the offer? That's the kind of promise cloud computing holds, and that was the topic of a forum I just attended at Brookings Institution this morning. I had two take-aways: First, Darrell West of Brookings released a new paper concluding that the government agencies who have adopted cloud computing solutions have generally seen "between 25 and 50 percent savings in moving to the cloud." For the federal government, West concludes that "this translates into billions in cost savings, depending on the scope of the transition." Second, federal CIO Vivek Kundra (pictured right) spoke about his new plan to streamline federal government agencies' certification of cloud computing services, by creating a "centralized certification" board designed to speed up federal cloud adoption. Conrad Cross from the City of Orlando was on the panel this morning as well, talking about how his city reduced IT costs by 60% by using Google Apps. And the City of Los Angeles -- which adopted Google Apps a few months ago and expects to save millions of dollars a year -- makes a cameo in Brookings' report. We're big believers that governments ought to make sure cloud computing is treated on a level playing field in procurement decisions, along with desktop and server-based computing. Brookings made several recommendations in their new paper on how policymakers can do that, and we hope Congress will take up their challenge. URL: http://googlepublicpolicy.blogspot.com/2010/04/brookings-cloud-computing-can-save-govt.html

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