Page 63 - FCW, March/April 2018

IT MODERNIZATION
PRODUCED BY: SPONSORED BY:
GAME CHANGING TECHNOLOGY TO MEET AGENCY MISSIONS
BRING FEDERAL IT INTO THE 21ST CENTURY
IT modernization efforts hinge on replacing legacy systems and moving workloads to the cloud.
It’s no secret that legacy IT systems are hampering the efforts of
federal agencies to move ahead with 21st century technologies. Older IT systems—some as old as 50 years, according to GAO— compromise security, waste money, and impede progress. According to a recent
report from the CIO Council, aging infrastructure is considered a major roadblock to innovation and signi cant obstacle to meeting citizen and employee expectation.
The law will place many positive changes within reach. Agencies can use the funds to improve, retire, or replace existing IT systems; saving money and increasing ef ciency. Agencies also can use the new funding for modern cybersecurity solutions to improve security.
of agencies that adopt more cloud services, instead of remaining on the fence. Moving to the cloud also helps agencies consolidate data centers.
Over the past decade, there have been numerous initiatives and mandates encouraging agencies to modernize IT infrastructures, such as the Data Center Optimization Initiative (DCOI) and
the Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act (FITARA). While there has been notable progress, lack of funding is the primary factor holding agencies back from moving full-speed ahead.
and big data analytics to arti cial intelligence and ubiquitous mobility. IoT technology in the form of internet- connected sensors are clearly part
of the future of government. Federal agencies have already started using IoT, helping track and manage everything from data centers and lighting to inventory and vehicle diagnostics.
Federal lawmakers think they
have nally gotten it right with the Modernizing Government Technology Act of 2017, signed into law in December. The MGT Act makes
$500 million available to support IT modernization throughout the federal government.
“By incentivizing the transition to modern technology, we will allow the government to harness cutting-edge technologies, use each dollar more ef ciently, strengthen our digital infrastructure and improve government services for everyone,” says Rep.
Will Hurd (R-Texas) in a statement. Hurd chairs the IT subcommittee of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee and was instrumental in helping pass this bill.
In a way, eliminating legacy IT and improving cybersecurity go hand-in- hand, since older systems don’t often work with modern security solutions. One study, “Security Breaches in the U.S. Federal Government,” found agencies that transition to newer technologies reduce exposure to security breaches by ve percent for every one percentage point they invest in modernizing infrastructure.
The money will also help agencies modernize networks. This is a critical step to enabling adoption of signi cant modern technologies and applications, from Internet of Things (IoT)
Agencies also can use the funding to transition legacy IT systems to the cloud or shared services. This could make a real difference in the number
With these changes, agencies can inprove service delivery, foster process innovation, and ultimately save billions in taxpayer dollars.
GameChanger
THE MGT ACT IN A
NUTSHELL
Here’s a quick look at some of the key tenets of the MGT Act:
• Improve, retire, or replace existing IT systems to enhance cybersecurity and improve ef ciency and effectiveness
• Transition legacy IT systems to cloud computing and other innovative platforms and technologies
• Support efforts to provide adequate, risk-based, and cost-effective IT capabilities to address evolving threats to information security
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