The new era of cloud services in the Finnish public sector 

Finnish public agencies are embracing cloud solutions faster than ever before. And now the government is shifting from its previously cautious stance to a forward-looking cloud first strategy.  

If you work for a public sector organisation, that creates a whole new world of opportunities, as you battle with:  

• budget constraints  

• aging systems   

• Citizens that become more and more digitally “picky”  

The barriers that once slowed down cloud adoption are falling away, especially with these latest guidelines.  

But to make the most of them, you need a general understanding of what they mean. And that’s what I will give you in this blog post.   

So, if you're responsible for implementing or maintaining critical infrastructure in the public sector – or otherwise involved in it – read on. Understanding these key drivers will help you on your cloud journey.  

What the updated Finnish government cloud strategy means 

The Finnish government's move towards a cloud-first strategy marks a significant change in how public sector IT operates. As an implementer or manager of these systems, this shift provides much-needed, additional clarity. 

The updated strategy removes many of the previous restrictions that limited your options when considering cloud solutions. Rather than treating cloud as a last resort, the guidance now encourages you to evaluate cloud options first for new projects and system renewals.  

This doesn't mean blindly adopting cloud for everything, but it does establish cloud as the default starting point for assessment. 

Some highlights of this strategy: 

• Clearer guidelines that make it easier to determine which data and workloads can move to cloud environments, including confidential and personal  

• Clearer guidelines for the procurement of cloud services 

With this strategic shift, the government acknowledges that: Yes, information security and privacy concerns are important, but they are factors to manage, rather than automatic blockers.  

For your organisation, this means you can now approach cloud projects with greater confidence in the regulatory backing. 

What's particularly valuable is how the strategy acknowledges the multi-cloud reality most agencies face. Rather than pushing a single cloud approach, it provides frameworks for managing services across different providers, while you still maintain control and compliance. 

The 3 drivers behind this cloud adoption 

Across Finnish public sector organisations, three powerful forces are accelerating the move to cloud solutions. They are well-known forces, but it’s worthwhile reiterating them here. Because understanding them helps organizations build stronger business cases and more effective implementation strategies. 

Be super-efficient in an era of austerity 

As in all countries, the public sector in Finland faces significant budget pressures, and that has ripple effects on IT services.  

Cloud technologies give you tangible cost benefits through reduced capital expenditure and more flexible operational costs. Unlike traditional infrastructure investments, with cloud you only pay for what you actually use. 

And the cost advantage isn’t just about simple infrastructure savings. When you migrate to cloud, you can reduce the maintenance burden on your technical teams. They can focus on service improvements rather than keeping systems running. That means you get more value out of your existing resources.  

But remember: To achieve these cost benefits, you need continuous optimisation. Cloud environments need regular assessment and adjustment to prevent unexpected cost increases and to capitalise on new pricing options as they emerge. 

Make your critical services as resilient as they can be 

For public services, availability is non-negotiable. Citizens expect government systems to work without interruption, and cloud architectures help you meet this expectation through built-in redundancy and geographical distribution. 

Cloud platforms come with enterprise-grade disaster recovery capabilities that you could never afford to implement in-house. You can establish recovery patterns that automatically respond to failures, keeping downtime and manual intervention to a minimum. 

Moving to multi-cloud strategies makes you even more resilient. When you don’t rely on a single provider, you create additional safeguards against service disruptions. Just plan carefully, so you avoid unnecessary complexity. 

Lay the best possible foundation for real digital transformation 

Finnish citizens are digital front-runners. They demand high-quality digital experiences from their public services.  

The long-discussed “life event-based” service model – where citizens access government services based on their needs rather than agency structures – means you need to integrate your services across organisational boundaries. And cloud technologies give you the flexibility and speed to build just that.   

With API-first approaches and containerisation, it becomes easier to connect systems regardless of their underlying technology. You can focus on user needs rather than infrastructure constraints. 

As legacy systems approach end-of-life, cloud-native technologies give you a modern alternative that supports faster development cycles and greater adaptability.  

The road ahead 

When you move from legacy systems to cloud environments, that’s not just a technical journey. We’re talking about an organisational transformation that needs careful planning and execution.  

Let’s highlight a few general things to keep in mind:  

Sovereignty is key in a polarised world. Consider how to increase your control and locality by e.g. provisioning managed cloud services from a local cloud delivery centre. At Nordcloud, we have invested in local delivery capabilities, providing a fully managed cloud service locally.  

Your team's cloud capabilities will come into focus. Consider how you'll develop the skills needed to design, implement and manage cloud services effectively. You have options, such as training existing staff, partnering with specialists or recruiting new team members with cloud expertise 

You’ll need to tweak your governance models for cloud services. Your Old IT governance frameworks may be too slow and rigid for cloud environments. You'll need effective guardrails.  

Security will need to go beyond perimeter-based thinking. Prepare for some technical and mindset changes in your security teams. With cloud services, your security strategy should focus on data protection, identity management and continuous monitoring – not on network boundaries.  

Vendor relationships become more complex in a cloud-first world. You'll likely work with multiple providers – and avoid lock-ins. You’d be wise to establish clear exit strategies and data portability requirements from the beginning. The technology will only continue to evolve, so you need to maintain a high degree of flexibility.  

Let's sum up 

Cloud adoption in the Finnish public sector has moved beyond cautious experimentation to become a strategic imperative. And the government's cloud-first approach gives you clearer guidelines and stronger support for your cloud initiatives.  

In other words: you have a lot of exciting opportunities in front of you. Which is great, because you have new weapons in your battle against tight budgets, demands for resilient services and citizens who expect better digital experiences.  

This isn't just about new technology. You'll need different skills, adjusted governance approaches and updated security practices. But when you plan carefully and implement thoughtfully, cloud helps you deliver public services that work better for Finnish citizens.