State and Local Governments Can Get More Life from Mainframes mol.doak_yUxs Thu, 05/09/2024 - 15:10 Sixty years after the introduction of the first mainframe family, the IBM System/360, the monolithic computers remain in demand. As many as 89 percent of state CIOs reported relying on mainframes in some capacity, according to a recent study. There are good reasons for this longevity. One is that if a system functions well for a given purpose, then there’s a business case for prolonging that ROI. Another is that rearchitecting mainframe applications and data can be costly, and many state and lo ..read more

How Technology Can Support State and Local Agencies Striving for Sustainability mol.doak_yUxs Thu, 03/28/2024 - 09:40 Environmental sustainability is an exciting and challenging opportunity for state and local government agencies. Actively supporting sustainability initiatives gives governments the chance to participate in the environmentally conscious actions their communities want, while supporting their public lands. And recent research from Indeed shows that constituents and employees are increasingly demanding responsible sustainability practices. In recent years, state and local governm ..read more

6 Key Questions When Eyeing Colocation for State and Local Data Centers mol.doak_yUxs Thu, 03/14/2024 - 11:40 Under the right circumstances, colocation can help state and local governments reduce costs and improve reliability, although the reasons for making the decision to collocate resources will be different for different organizations. Before making the move, government officials should consider these important questions: 1. What Are the Agency’s Connectivity Needs? A move to a colocation facility might be especially attractive to state or local agencies in rural areas that lack the conne ..read more

Review: Microsoft Windows 365 Government Provides a Reliable Desktop on Demand mol.doak_yUxs Wed, 03/13/2024 - 10:15 Many state and local governments were already supporting teleworking programs to some degree before the pandemic, especially in large states where both state and local government agencies (and those who work for them) needed to venture outside of their main offices to reach remote constituents. As such, the transition to high levels of teleworking during the pandemic was not as much of a strain on many states compared with their federal counterparts. But now, the initial rush t ..read more

Enhancing Data Integrity: A Guide for State and Local Governments michael.hickey_ofuc Wed, 02/21/2024 - 13:04 An organization that relies on data will be only as good as its data, and data is only as good as the method of collection, storage and use. From this reality stems many a government agency’s information woes. And the damage done by bad data has only become more potent with the rise of generative AI. If such systems are trained on bad information, bad outcomes are a foregone conclusion. Thus, the new Holy Grail for state and local data managers is data integrity, an essential goal in ..read more

How Application Rationalization Fits into IT Modernization mol.doak_yUxs Wed, 01/10/2024 - 09:30 As state and local agencies pursue technology modernization, they must look beyond infrastructure upgrades. Transformation requires a deep dive into the applications themselves. Agencies need to know what they’re running, eliminate duplication and ensure that applications align with emerging infrastructure models. This effort, known as application rationalization, is key to digital transformation. What Is Application Rationalization? Application rationalization can be a driving force in ..read more

How to Ensure Continuity of Operations During Emergencies mol.doak_yUxs Tue, 12/26/2023 - 10:05 Citizens count on state and local governments to maintain essential digital services and properly handle a plethora of sensitive data. Major disruptions to government operations can have a major impact on public life. As a result, agencies must be diligent in their preparation against threats by devising sound processes, procedures and governance policies. But even the best-prepared organizations can’t stop natural disasters or a wide-scale public infrastructure collapse. Agencies must ensure the c ..read more

How State and Local Agencies Can Modernize Their Data Centers mol.doak_yUxs Mon, 11/20/2023 - 09:34 As the public sector pushes to employ stronger digital frameworks, it’s time for state and local governments to size up their legacy data centers. From rising cyberthreats and latency barriers to natural disasters and other life-changing events, agencies face many uphill battles to ensure that their most vital resources are managed and delivered securely and efficiently. Add the latest developments in generative artificial intelligence, and today’s data considerations are unlike those of any pr ..read more

Q&A: How Amarillo, Texas, Transformed Its Municipal Data Center mol.doak_yUxs Tue, 11/14/2023 - 09:41 The city of Amarillo, Texas, reaps big benefits from a data center modernization effort supported by a combination of hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI) and virtual desktop infrastructure. StateTech spoke with Amarillo Director of IT Missy Laird about the transformation. She offers advice to other municipalities looking to upgrade their data center operations. STATETECH: What motivated your data center modernization? LAIRD: We were struggling with a lot of technical debt. There was no st ..read more

How Modern Data Platforms Can Help Deliver Better Citizen Experiences michael.hickey_ofuc Mon, 12/04/2023 - 13:48 All modern organizations, including state and local government agencies, have data platforms to house, transfer, modify and manage their digital information. Without these hubs, organizations wouldn’t survive in today’s environment, in which the volume of data continues to grow. But an organization shouldn’t stop at simply having a data platform. Implementing a modern data platform — one that is cloud-based, sustainable, flexible and scalable — can improve operational efficiency a ..read more