Page 64 - FCW, March/April 2018

IT MODERNIZATION
PRODUCED BY: SPONSORED BY:
GAME CHANGING TECHNOLOGY TO MEET AGENCY MISSIONS
FROM LEGACY IT TO THE CLOUD
Moving more functions to the cloud conveys many bene ts, like agility, collaboration, and cost-savings.
The recently passed Modernizing Government Technology (MGT) Act gives agencies the motivation
and funding to modernize their IT infrastructures in ways that will help them take advantage of 21st century technologies and processes. Two of the most important ways agencies can do this is by replacing legacy systems and moving more applications, infrastructure, and development to the cloud.
modernized. Both have value, but some systems are better for one particular approach. It might make more sense
to retro t an existing system with modern capabilities, for example,
maintaining on-premises infrastructure, agencies can take advantage of infrastructure in the cloud. This eliminates the need to maintain, update, and refresh servers and storage in house. Porting applications to the cloud, such as ERP systems and of ce suites, reduces the need for agency staff to troubleshoot. Finally, agencies can even take advantage of cloud-based platforms for testing and development.
According to the Government Accountability Of ce (GAO), the federal government has 28 systems that are at least 25 years old. Some are nearly 50 years old. These systems are often still critical to helping agencies ful ll mission requirements, however they are also inef cient, expensive, and time-consuming to maintain and upgrade. They are also far less secure than systems developed with newer technology.
when the core functionality would be dif cult or impossible to replace. This approach also helps agencies phase in new functionality at a gradual pace. On the other side of this approach, when business processes have become more interactive or modern processes like data analytics have become important, it makes sense to replace systems outright.
Taking greater advantage of the cloud provides signi cant cost savings and increased productivity, along with less involvement of agency IT staff. Cloud adoption also streamlines deployments
Legacy systems often can’t support modern functionality required to run the government more ef ciently,
such as digital citizen services, real- time information access and mobile connectivity, and app development and support.
NEARLY ALL AGENCIES HAVE AT LEAST SOME CLOUD-ENABLED APPLICATIONS OR INFRASTRUCTURE IN PLACE TODAY.
Besides these liabilities, legacy technology is expensive. The federal government spends $80 billion each year on IT systems, 80 percent of which is spent maintaining outdated, legacy systems, according to Information Technology Subcommittee Chairman Will Hurd (R-Tex.).
Nearly all agencies have at least some cloud-enabled applications or infrastructure in place today. Many would like to port more functions to the cloud. The primary bene ts of the cloud are clear: instead of owning and
When approached in concert, reducing reliance on legacy systems and moving more functions to the cloud can help agencies reach their larger long-term goals. These sweeping goals of modernization efforts include increasing automation, agility, and interoperability; improving citizen service; facilitating greater degrees
of collaboration and shared services; introducing capabilities like predictive analytics and internet-based sensors; and helping government agencies adopt and make the best use of modern technologies and processes.
With the funds provided by the MGT Act, agencies can take concrete steps forward. The rst step is conducting a full evaluation of each legacy system to determine which are best suited
for replacement and which can be
Whether legacy systems are retro tted or replaced, the cloud is often the most
logical landing place. While the federal government has long urged agencies to take greater advantage of the cloud, a report by the CIO Council found that no agency has met the goal of moving 15 percent of infrastructure to the cloud. That same report also found FedRAMP has not accelerated new cloud service adoption, as was expected. There are many reasons for the slower-than- anticipated cloud adoption; including resistance to change, security concerns, and lack of funding.
and helps users remotely and securely access applications, infrastructure, and platforms. This increases productivity and encourages collaboration.
GameChanger