This interview was filmed on location at The Helix, Booz Allen’s Center for Innovation in Washington, D.C., as part of the event DE25: Driving Outcomes through Data. The program features top technology leaders from the public and private sectors sharing insights on cloud transformation, agentic AI, fraud prevention, and data governance. Through a series of dynamic conversations, the program captures how agencies are aligning digital infrastructure with mission needs to deliver real results for the American people. Watch the full show.
As federal agencies reach a decade into their cloud adoption journeys, a new phase of digital transformation is taking hold—one that goes beyond infrastructure and centers the mission at the heart of technology strategy. In the opening segment of Driving Outcomes through Data, filmed on location at The Helix, Booz Allen’s Center for Innovation in Washington, D.C., Richard Crowe, Civil Sector President at Booz Allen, lays out the key milestones, shifts, and strategic imperatives guiding this next chapter of federal modernization.
“Agencies are a lot more comfortable,” Crowe notes. “They have policies and strategies in place. Many are fairly far down the road—and others are at the midpoint—but everyone is moving forward. There’s no turning back.”
According to Crowe, the evolution now underway involves agencies becoming more selective and strategic in how they deploy cloud services—choosing the right solutions for the right workloads. This is leading to a rise in multi-cloud tenancy, where agencies operate across multiple cloud service providers to match specific mission requirements.
Rather than anchoring to a single vendor or platform, agencies are increasingly tailoring their cloud environments based on factors like security, latency, accessibility, and operational context.
“It always starts with the mission,” Crowe emphasizes. “What problem are you trying to solve? That drives every decision—whether you need edge computing, resilience, mobility, or low latency.”
This mission-first approach to architecture marks a fundamental shift in how federal leaders are thinking about modernization—not as a technology investment, but as a way to amplify mission delivery at scale.
One of the most transformative developments discussed in the segment is the growth of edge computing—putting compute power closer to the point of data generation. Crowe explains that while edge technologies were once limited to military and defense applications, today, virtually every civilian agency is exploring or deploying edge solutions.
Whether at a port of entry, a shipping facility, or a remote processing center, edge computing enables real-time data analysis and action—without relying on centralized systems or high-latency connections.
“You need compute power where the mission is happening,” says Crowe. “And that needs to integrate seamlessly with the broader cloud strategy.”
This blending of edge and cloud allows for dynamic scalability, enabling agencies to deliver services rapidly, securely, and cost-effectively—even in unpredictable or remote environments.
In a cloud-native environment, agencies can rapidly scale up or down based on demand, without overprovisioning or underperforming. This elasticity is crucial for managing cost and ensuring the resilience of citizen-facing and operational applications.
“You need to support the mission without having too much capacity during quiet times, but with the ability to scale instantly when needed,” Crowe explains.
Crowe also addresses the higher standards for resilience in the public sector compared to commercial environments. With many federal applications supporting public safety, financial stability, and national security, the tolerance for downtime is minimal.
He offers examples such as law enforcement systems or air traffic control infrastructure—where latency or disruption is not just inconvenient but potentially life-threatening.
“There’s very little room for failure in government systems,” he says. “The private sector can learn a lot from the standards government must uphold—especially around data integrity and redundancy.”
Crowe argues that while cloud platforms and enterprise tools are critical enablers, data is becoming the true strategic asset for agencies. As modernization efforts break down data silos and encourage federated architectures, the ability to leverage data across programs, agencies, and platforms is growing rapidly.
Open architecture plays a key role in this shift, allowing mission owners to access, publish, and subscribe to data streams with appropriate authority and security. Crowe sees this as a foundational step toward integrating AI and machine learning across agencies.
“We’re going to see more and more solutions designed as data solutions first,” he predicts. “That means treating data with provenance, with access control, and with the flexibility to adapt to whatever the mission demands.”
As agencies push further into AI, machine learning, and automation, Crowe believes the pace of innovation will only accelerate—and that’s a good thing. With industry coalescing around open standards and interoperability, it will become easier for government systems to plug into cutting-edge technologies without sacrificing security or mission alignment.
Ultimately, Crowe’s message is clear: Cloud isn’t the end goal. It’s the foundation—one that must be designed, scaled, and governed with the mission at its core.
“The next generation of solutions will be driven by data, powered by open architectures, and designed to serve the mission in real time,” Crowe concludes. “We’re just getting started.”