Cloud computing is one of the key enablers of the public sector’s digital transformation. Many of the services used daily by citizens and businesses—from digital identity to electronic payments—require levels of scalability, resilience, and security that traditional infrastructure struggles to meet. The cloud is therefore not just a technology, but a strategic lever for modernizing the country’s digital infrastructure and advancing the public services ecosystem.
Key Points:
- Cloud computing is the foundation of the public sector’s digital transformation: it enables improved performance, security, and resilience of digital services, while supporting the growing demand for online services from citizens and businesses.
- The migration to the cloud is guided by a strategy that includes data classification, vendor qualification, and the use of the National Strategic Hub. The goal is to combine technological innovation with data sovereignty.
- The transition to the cloud in the public administration involves technical, organizational, and regulatory challenges. For this reason, the role of technology partners is fundamental in supporting administrations throughout the transformation process.
Cloud in the PA: Strategy and Digital Sovereignty
The push toward the cloud stems from a fragmented starting point. A few years ago, the Italian public sector used over 11,000 data centers, and 95% of these facilities did not meet minimum security and reliability requirements.
To overcome this fragmentation, the Cloud Italia Strategy was defined—a structured program aimed at streamlining existing infrastructure and gradually guiding government agencies toward more modern and secure cloud models. The goal is ambitious: to have 75% of Italian public administrations on cloud infrastructure and services by the end of this year (2026), improving the quality of digital services, strengthening cybersecurity, and creating the conditions for a public administration capable of meeting an increasingly urgent need for innovation.
The Pillars of the Cloud Italia Strategy
The Cloud Italia Strategy defines a precise model that public administrations must follow, based on three main pillars.
- The classification of public administration data and services based on the potential impact their compromise could have on the national system (strategic, critical, and routine).
- The qualification of cloud services. Providers intending to offer cloud services to the Public Administration must undergo a qualification process managed by the National Cybersecurity Agency (ACN). This process verifies compliance with technical, organizational, and security requirements.
- The National Strategic Hub (PSN) is the cloud infrastructure designed to host the most critical and strategic data and services of the Public Administration. According to recent data, between 2023 and 2025, the number of administrations migrating to the national cloud increased from 120 to 576, including central government agencies, local authorities, and healthcare facilities.
Taken together, these factors point to a clear path: thanks in part to PNRR resources, the digital transformation of the public administration is moving to the cloud. The migration aims to ensure security, resilience, scalability, and adequate performance, as well as address an issue that has become central in recent years: digital sovereignty.
The Key Concept of a Sovereign Cloud
The term “digital sovereignty” refers to the ability of a state, or a supranational entity such as the European Union, to maintain control over public data and the infrastructure that manages it, while avoiding excessive dependence on external providers or proprietary technologies.
This issue is particularly relevant in the cloud sector, where most major global providers are U.S. companies and therefore subject to U.S. law. This raises concerns about the management of sensitive and strategic data, and the possibility that such information could be subject to regulations or access requests outside the European context.
Many national strategies, including Italy’s, aim to build a cloud ecosystem that combines technological openness with data control, reducing the risks of lock-in and ensuring that the most sensitive information remains under European jurisdiction.
The Real Challenges of Cloud Migration
The public sector’s transition to the cloud is a clear and well-established strategic direction, but this path is not without its complexities. The move to the cloud brings with it a series of technical, organizational, and regulatory challenges that public agencies are carefully addressing.
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Regulation and Compliance
The public sector is subject to a complex regulatory framework covering key issues such as security, data protection, and service continuity. Migration to the cloud must therefore take place in compliance with strict guidelines. -
Application Modernization
Just as in the private sector, migration here is not simply a matter of moving existing systems to new infrastructure. In many cases, in fact, this involves a process of application modernization, because many systems used by the public administration were designed for environments far removed from cloud-native architectures. -
Skills and Operational Models
Adopting the cloud requires dedicated expertise. Governments must develop or enhance their capabilities in managing distributed architectures, security, and the governance of digital platforms. -
Maximum Data Protection
The public sector handles sensitive information, ranging from health data to tax data. Ensuring the security, integrity, and proper governance of data is one of the most significant challenges in the journey toward cloud adoption.
The Role of Technology Partners in the Public Sector’s Cloud Transformation
The role of technology partners is not limited to providing (certified) cloud infrastructure. In fact, these partners are increasingly supporting public agencies in adopting a cloud-first strategy, contributing broadly to making the country’s public sector more modern, efficient, and competitive.
In concrete terms, their contribution operates on multiple levels.
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Strategic Support and Consultancy
Partners help administrations define the cloud adoption path best suited to their needs, navigating the various service models (IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS) and identifying the most effective migration strategies. This also includes the design of hybrid architectures. -
Application Modernization
Migrating to the cloud is not simply a matter of moving applications to new infrastructure. In many cases, it is necessary to rethink or update existing software to make it compatible with cloud-native architectures, while simultaneously improving all aspects of its performance. -
Data Compliance and Security
Partners help government agencies meet the security and compliance requirements set forth by national and European regulatory frameworks. This primarily involves working on data, service classification, and information governance. -
Training and Digital Culture
La Cloud transformation also requires the development of internal skills. For this reason, partners support public administrations through training, reskilling, and upskilling initiatives, helping staff develop new technical capabilities and overcome resistance to change.
Kirey’s Contribution to the Digital Transformation of PA
In a context where cloud transformation intersects with issues such as security, interoperability, and the modernization of public services, the role of technology partners becomes increasingly central. In this scenario, Kirey supports public administration agencies in the evolution of digital platforms and operational processes, with the goal of making systems more secure, efficient, and citizen-centric.
The company’s approach is based on a combination of technological expertise and knowledge of public sector dynamics, enabling it to support digital transformation at every level.
Contact us to find out how we can support your organization on its journey to the cloud.
