Chigasaki City Pioneers Government Cloud Integration with srest Tool
In a remarkable move to enhance its government operations, Chigasaki City has officially integrated the AWS cost management tool, srest, into its cloud infrastructure. Metaps Holdings Inc., based in Shibuya, Tokyo, and led by CEO Yuichiro Yamazaki, has provided this innovative tool, which simplifies the cost management processes in public administration.
Starting September 2025, Chigasaki will implement a pilot program for srest as part of a collaborative use system that is among the first of its kind in Japan. Amid the widespread adoption of cloud services by local governments, managing cloud-related expenses efficiently within constrained financial resources has become a pressing challenge. Chigasaki has been utilizing a multi-vendor approach alongside the collaborative utilization method, leading to several operational challenges.
The complexities surrounding cloud operations have been highlighted, including:
To tackle these issues, Chigasaki initiated a proof-of-concept using srest within the NEC-operated environment in September 2025. The efficiency and effectiveness of srest, particularly in visualizing costs and streamlining acceptance tasks, were validated in a short timeframe, leading to its formal adoption in the cloud infrastructure.
The experiential findings from the pilot program revealed significant advancements in addressing the collaborative utilization framework's billing and acceptance hurdles, establishing a foundation for continuous cost optimization. Some of the critical outcomes include:
1. Efficiency in Billing and Acceptance
The implementation of srest has allowed municipal staff to directly monitor cost structures without intermediary catering. Through developed reporting features, essential cost information can be accessed swiftly, mitigating delays and communication barriers typically associated with these processes.
2. Foundation for Cost Optimization Collaboration
By providing real-time access to cost data, this new system facilitates internal discussions and comparisons about budgeting, enhancing transparency. Moreover, staff can now engage in informed discussions with vendors regarding costs, thereby expediting cloud cost reduction initiatives.
Tomoki Matsuno from the Digital Promotion Department of Chigasaki shared insights on the pressing needs for cost transparency amid rising operational expenses. Matsuno noted, "Previously, we struggled with visualizing costs and didn't know where to begin in reducing them. With srest, our non-expert staff can easily access information and consider cost optimizations. The report functionality, in particular, has been efficiently implemented with substantial speed, exceeding our expectations.
Looking to the future, the plan is to involve other vendors outside of NEC's management and aim to achieve centralized cost management of government cloud services utilizing srest. The unique cost structures of government clouds often perplex finance departments and other divisions; hence, srest will be critical in enhancing understanding and accountabilities across Chigasaki's municipal operations.
A leader in AWS cost management, srest consolidates cost data across multiple AWS accounts, aiding organizations in sustainable cost optimization from a FinOps perspective. Its user-friendly dashboards allow for granular cost analysis, enhancing transparency and decision-making precision across all cloud expenses. srest has also passed AWS's foundational technical review, gaining recognition as an AWS-certified product.
For additional information about the services offered by Metaps Holdings, visit the website at srest.io.
Starting September 2025, Chigasaki will implement a pilot program for srest as part of a collaborative use system that is among the first of its kind in Japan. Amid the widespread adoption of cloud services by local governments, managing cloud-related expenses efficiently within constrained financial resources has become a pressing challenge. Chigasaki has been utilizing a multi-vendor approach alongside the collaborative utilization method, leading to several operational challenges.
Challenges Faced
The complexities surrounding cloud operations have been highlighted, including:
- - Significant man-hours required for billing and acceptance functions, compounded by communication costs with operational vendors.
- - Restricted access to AWS usage data, making it difficult to understand the breakdown of cloud expenses.
- - Variability in staff expertise regarding cloud management, resulting in inconsistent cost oversight.
- - Protracted discussions and analyses regarding cost optimizations due to cumbersome acceptance processes.
To tackle these issues, Chigasaki initiated a proof-of-concept using srest within the NEC-operated environment in September 2025. The efficiency and effectiveness of srest, particularly in visualizing costs and streamlining acceptance tasks, were validated in a short timeframe, leading to its formal adoption in the cloud infrastructure.
Solutions from the Pilot Program
The experiential findings from the pilot program revealed significant advancements in addressing the collaborative utilization framework's billing and acceptance hurdles, establishing a foundation for continuous cost optimization. Some of the critical outcomes include:
1. Efficiency in Billing and Acceptance
The implementation of srest has allowed municipal staff to directly monitor cost structures without intermediary catering. Through developed reporting features, essential cost information can be accessed swiftly, mitigating delays and communication barriers typically associated with these processes.
2. Foundation for Cost Optimization Collaboration
By providing real-time access to cost data, this new system facilitates internal discussions and comparisons about budgeting, enhancing transparency. Moreover, staff can now engage in informed discussions with vendors regarding costs, thereby expediting cloud cost reduction initiatives.
Comments from Chigasaki's Digital Promotion Department
Tomoki Matsuno from the Digital Promotion Department of Chigasaki shared insights on the pressing needs for cost transparency amid rising operational expenses. Matsuno noted, "Previously, we struggled with visualizing costs and didn't know where to begin in reducing them. With srest, our non-expert staff can easily access information and consider cost optimizations. The report functionality, in particular, has been efficiently implemented with substantial speed, exceeding our expectations.
Looking to the future, the plan is to involve other vendors outside of NEC's management and aim to achieve centralized cost management of government cloud services utilizing srest. The unique cost structures of government clouds often perplex finance departments and other divisions; hence, srest will be critical in enhancing understanding and accountabilities across Chigasaki's municipal operations.
About srest
A leader in AWS cost management, srest consolidates cost data across multiple AWS accounts, aiding organizations in sustainable cost optimization from a FinOps perspective. Its user-friendly dashboards allow for granular cost analysis, enhancing transparency and decision-making precision across all cloud expenses. srest has also passed AWS's foundational technical review, gaining recognition as an AWS-certified product.
For additional information about the services offered by Metaps Holdings, visit the website at srest.io.
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Topics Policy & Public Interest）
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