Page 11 - Federal Computer Week, May/June 2019

IT Modernization
83%
Share of finance, IT and procurement decision-makers who said their agency’s future mission success depends on modernization
$90M
Amount the Technology Modernization Fund approved for seven projects at five agencies in its first year
12,000
Number of labor hours the General Services Administration expects to save by using robotic process automation to handle routine activities
175 ZB
Predicted amount of data captured worldwide by 2025 (1 zettabyte equals 1 trillion gigabytes)
$17.1B
Projected value of
the hyperconverged infrastructure market by 2023
HCI got a big boost in 2017 when the General Services Administration added 10 hyperconverged cloud solutions to its IT Schedule 70. The contract vehicle covers “the most common HCI applications and will enable agencies to simplify their data centers and transition away from legacy infrastructure to a more operationally efficient, modern and optimized platform,” a GSA announcement states.
IT infrastructures are also being transformed through the use of cloud technology, with many agencies adopting hybrid cloud environments that combine on-premises, private and commercial clouds based on mission and security needs. That approach offers flexibility, scalability and seamlessness to users while recognizing that no single solution fits all needs.
For example, the Defense Department Cloud Strategy released in December 2018 states that the optimal cloud environment provides “application and data efficiencies for hybrid cloud and multi-vendor solutions.” Accordingly, an article on DOD’s website says DOD’s commercially run general-purpose cloud — the Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure — “cannot meet every DOD need, [so] the department will also have special-purpose — also known as fit-for-purpose — and internal-purpose clouds.”
Cultivating trust in new technologies
In the same article, CIO Dana Deasy noted that cloud’s computing power
is essential for reaping the benefits of another modernization technology: artificial intelligence. “It’s almost a fundamental imperative to have a cloud in place to do great things with AI,” he said.
Other government leaders also recognize AI’s importance. President Donald Trump’s Executive Order on Maintaining American Leadership in Artificial Intelligence states that AI “promises to drive growth of the United States economy, enhance our economic and national security, and improve
our quality of life.” The order calls for increased investment in AI research and development.
In addition, the National Institute of Standards and Technology said AI “has the potential to impact nearly all aspects of our society” but adds that AI “must be developed in a trustworthy manner to ensure reliability, safety and accuracy.”
Several AI applications are already finding success in the federal sector
in a wide range of areas. For example, the Department of Homeland Security uses AI-based tools to detect network intrusions. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency developed
Digital Tutor to more quickly and effectively train Navy personnel to be
IT professionals. And the Bureau of Labor Statistics uses AI to analyze data on workplace injuries, completing in a day what it took a person a month to do, according to an article in the Professional Services Council’s magazine.
With so many modern applications, such as AI, relying on data to function well, protecting that data is essential. In a white paper released in November 2018, IDC states that “data is at the heart of digital transformation.” Furthermore, data will continue to grow exponentially, fueled in part by the expanding internet of things.
To encourage responsible adoption of that emerging technology, NIST has created a program dedicated to IoT cybersecurity. Its mission is to “cultivate trust in...IoT
and foster an environment that enables innovation on a global scale through standards, guidance and related tools.”
IT modernization promises to revolutionize government operations, but it is a massive undertaking that requires a shift in government culture and the development of new skills to support new technologies. By modernizing technologies and processes now, agencies are on the road to creating a more streamlined and innovative government.
Sources: GSA, IDC, MarketsandMarkets, MeriTalk, Office of Management and Budget
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