Navigating Data Rights, Intellectual Property, and Contracting Issues in Cloud Computing Contracts - Some Common Sense Best Practices

In December, 2018, the Department of Defense released its Cloud Strategy encouraging the Department to take full advantage of commercial cloud computing as a technology enabler. As contracting officers and program managers navigate cloud computing acquisitions, they must confront a myriad of challenging intellectual property, data rights, contracting and technical issues. The purpose of this hot topic forum was to identify and discuss the issues using DISA’s milCloud ®2.0 contract as a reference point. The panelists included critical players involved in the acquisition – the contracting and intellectual property attorneys, a contracting officer and a technical subject matter expert. You will find their lessons learned and best practices particularly pertinent as you navigate your agency’s cloud computing acquisitions.