Today’s Morning Buzz is brought to you by Clayton Thomas, vice president of cloud strategy at Tyler Technologies. Connect with Clayton on LinkedIn.
- What I’m reading: “The Creative Act: A Way of Being” by Rick Rubin
- What I’m listening to: The HardFork podcast
- What I’m working on: Enabling our teams, partners, and clients to more seamlessly integrate within our ecosystem of Tyler products.
Across the U.S., few government technology topics have evolved as quickly as the cloud. Not long ago, the question was if government could safely and efficiently move to the cloud. Today, it’s how to do it right.
At Tyler Technologies, we recently surveyed 55 county leaders from 26 states to understand what’s driving adoption and where challenges remain. Although the data came from counties, the lessons extend nationally to cities, towns, and special districts. Taken together, these insights offer a snapshot of where local governments stand on their cloud journeys and how they can move forward with confidence.
Here are a few highlights:
- 60% of agencies are already using or implementing cloud-based solutions.
- 62% cite scalability, flexibility, or security as their top motivators.
- 55% say reduced maintenance and overhead are the greatest benefits.
- And 67% told us that clear evidence of long-term ROI would increase their confidence in making the move.
These findings echo what I hear in conversations every week. Local government leaders see cloud technology not just as an infrastructure upgrade but as a strategic enabler — a way to deliver services more reliably, collaborate more effectively, and keep communities connected and secure.
What’s Driving the Shift
Local governments are under constant pressure to do more with less, modernize systems, maintain cyber-security, and meet evolving public expectations. Cloud solutions are helping them meet those challenges by offering scalability, resilience, and operational predictability.
When agencies shift to the cloud, their teams can spend less time maintaining servers and more time solving problems that matter to residents. They can scale during emergencies or peak demand and gain the flexibility to integrate new tools without starting from scratch each time.
That agility is becoming central to how governments serve residents and how they earn public trust.
Challenges That Still Matter
Every modernization journey brings friction. Security remains top of mind, especially for organizations managing sensitive or personally identifiable data. Many agencies also wrestle with integrating new cloud systems alongside long-standing legacy applications.
And then there’s the budgeting question — how to balance initial migration costs with future operating expenses. These are valid concerns. But what stands out in the data, and in my work with local governments, is that the tone has shifted. Leaders are no longer debating whether to modernize; they’re focusing on how to build the best road map for their organization. That’s real progress.
A Framework for Moving Forward
Cloud migration isn’t a switch to flip. It’s a journey to plan carefully. Based on what we’ve seen through our survey and partnerships across local government, here are a few steps that help agencies move forward with clarity:
- Assess your current landscape. Inventory systems, infrastructure, and data. Identify where technology limits your goals and where opportunities exist.
- Prioritize for impact. Start with areas that most directly affect your staff or residents. Quick wins build trust and momentum through strategically chosen pilot applications.
- Sequence strategically. Plan transitions around interdependencies, ensuring each success supports the next.
- Minimize disruption. Schedule around budget cycles and service peaks so teams can stay focused on delivery.
- Build in feedback loops. Listen to users — both internal and external — and adapt as you go.
- Partner with experts. No one does this alone. Collaborate with technology partners and peer agencies that understand public-sector realities. Tyler is a mature, industry-leading partner in cloud transformation and product development, with proven delivery at scale in government.
When done thoughtfully, cloud migration strengthens not just IT infrastructure but also organizational confidence and community trust.
Looking Ahead
Every local government is somewhere along the cloud journey. Some are refining well-established strategies, while others are taking their first steps. No matter the current stage, the goal is the same: to create a foundation that’s secure, adaptable, and capable of supporting the next generation of public service.
For me, that’s what makes this work so rewarding — seeing how technology helps public servants focus on what matters most: serving people.
If you’d like to explore practical ways other local governments are modernizing with confidence, take a look at Tyler’s e-book, “Modern Governments Live in the Cloud.” It’s full of examples and lessons from agencies building more connected, resilient communities.