The federal government has announced plans for a major consolidation of U.S. data centers, closing 800 facilities out of the total of 2,000 in the next four years.
Vivek Kundra, chief information officer for the U.S. government, told The New York Times the consolidation is part of a strategy to upgrade to more efficient computer technology, including a much wider application of cloud computing.
The government estimates that up to 195 data centers will be closed by the end of this year, with an additional 178 shuttered next year. The consolidation will bring the total number of federal data centers below the total that existed in 1998; combined with the expansion of cloud computing services, the move is expected to reduce the budget by up to $8 billion, while eliminating thousands of jobs
