Is IT Modernization a Priority for Your Government Agency?

As a leader responsible for the IT security and infrastructure of a state and local government agency, you face the same daunting challenges as your private sector colleagues. Rapid advances in cloud technology, IoT and compliance, combined with ever-more dangerous and sophisticated security threats, have IT resources stretched thin. Compliance and security departments are at their breaking points in both the public and private sectors. Not to mention that government agencies must deal with aging, legacy infrastructures that escalate costs beyond approved budget thresholds. Here’s the good news: You’re not alone.

The High Cost of Government’s Legacy IT
State CIOs surveyed by the National Association of State Chief Information Officers in 2016 reported that 90 percent of their systems were in need of modernization or replacement, while two-thirds considered over 40 percent of their systems “legacy.”  These legacy systems are having a disproportionate impact on agency budgets.  A GAO report concluded that the federal government spent more than 75 percent of its fiscal year 2015 budget supporting legacy systems, resulting in “a $7.3 billion decline from fiscal years 2010 to 2017 in development, modernization and enhancement activities.”  Agencies need to improve legacy systems while moving forward with solutions that improve security, all while leveraging the latest cloud and data center technologies.

A Rise in Managed Services
To meet these challenges, government agencies need to build a robust, hybrid infrastructure that securely integrates legacy systems with cloud-based resources. While the ideal approach would be to replace outdated technology, the large number of critical legacy systems in use makes this impractical for most agencies. Legacy systems must be upgraded, secured and made reliable until they can be migrated to new platforms, without preventing the deployment of important new technologies. Government Technology Magazine states that with “lofty technology upgrades and modernizations and lack of funds in 2017, outsourcing will only grow…as agencies turn to technology companies for help with everything from data center management to encouraging citizen application development through easy access to government data.”

BUT, seeing is believing, right?

How One City Saved $3 Million
Like many municipalities, the City of Minneapolis found itself with an aging infrastructure and a lack of internal resources. With 70 locations, 4,700 users and 250 servers to manage, the City turned to OneNeck for our managed services expertise, based on our track record dealing with large customers making complex transitions. However, like any project, it wasn’t without its challenges, as the City faced a 10-month deadline for completion.  

Even though the city’s legacy systems were at the end of their lifespan, the OneNeck’s technical team jumped in feet first, improving their security and reliability and ensuring the City could continue to serve its residents without disruption. They also leveraged the ReliaCloud environment for rapid scalability to accommodate the City’s large number of locations, users, applications and servers. These improvements allowed the City to be more flexible and responsive to stakeholders’ needs, and not only was the project completed on time, but the City expects to save more than $3 million annually by partnering with OneNeck.

READ the FULL CITY OF MINNEAPOLIS CASE STUDY

Modernize with OneNeck
Government agencies are realizing that maintaining their applications and associated infrastructure components in a legacy environment consumes a disproportionate percentage of their IT budget and precious time. As a result, they’re turning to experienced service providers like OneNeck to adapt and modernize. Whether it’s cloud, colocated infrastructure, managed services or advanced engineering services, OneNeck’s team of technology professionals is here to help. So, don’t go it alone. We’ve got your back!

LEARN MORE in this Q&A with OneNeck’s CTO – Digital Transformation – An Imperative or Simply a New Buzzword?