Inside Federal Acquisition and the Future of Cloud Buying

The General Services Administration is positioning itself as the federal government’s central hub for technology acquisition, helping agencies operate as one government through shared services and enterprise-wide procurement strategies.

At GovCIO Media & Research’s 2026 Federal IT Efficiency Summit, Jonathan Plante, senior strategist for cloud hardware and software at GSA, discussed the key trends shaping federal cloud acquisition over the next six to 12 months. He outlined efforts to consolidate procurement vehicles under GSA, increase transparency into software and subscription spending, and leverage the federal government’s collective buying power to drive greater efficiency and value.

Plante also highlighted the growing importance of cybersecurity, asset management and interoperability as agencies modernize their IT environments. Looking ahead, he encouraged agency leaders to align cloud investments with mission outcomes, advance zero trust security strategies and prepare for emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and post-quantum cryptography.