Digital transformation and legacy system modernization remain top priorities for state and local leaders. The effort to “move and improve” with cloud-based services has been expedited because of technology issues the coronavirus has brought to light. State and local leaders are looking to innovative systems to reduce costs, relieve staff burden, and better deliver on the mission. Read on to learn how the state of Texas and Fort Collins, Colo., have bettered mission delivery with improved systems.
States Focus on Digital Transformation
The National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) has listed digital transformation as one of its top priorities for the year. These priorities were created before the coronavirus shed light on state and local governments faced with overburdened systems and staff. Recently, state CIOs discussed digital transformation processes they are focused on now — including delivering critical services and staff support.
Tim Bottenfield, Montana CIO, is focusing on migrating the state’s mainframes onto modern platforms. Splitting the enterprise content management systems between an on-premises and cloud-based solution will give agencies a choice, he notes. Virginia CIO Nelson Moe says the state is transitioning its data centers. “That’s big for us because it minimizes our spend,” Moe said.
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State of Texas Implements ERP System
When the state of Texas was tasked with implementing a standard enterprise resource planning (ERP) system, the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts sought a solution that was scalable and flexible. The Comptroller’s ProjectONE team – the group focused on ERP implementation – created a solution that offered insights to agencies considering cloud applications and infrastructure for critical systems.
This ERP system, handling more than 100 state agencies, is powered by Oracle, with Oracle PeopleSoft. “It was difficult for our agency to keep up with the demands of a statewide ERP solution, including retaining qualified staff to keep the system running 24/7,” said Sandra Woodruf, deputy director of Fiscal Management for the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. “We made the decision that we would be better served by going to a managed services provider that could support all of the applications and infrastructure.”
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Fort Collins, Colo., Offers Internet as a Utility
A growing list of municipalities are beginning to offer broadband internet as a utility service. The Fort Collins Connection, provided to citizens of Fort Collins, was the beginning of infrastructure modernization for the city. Powered by an Oracle database platform, the city was able to integrate billing and systems to deliver scalability, availability, and flexibility. The move to the cloud consolidated server infrastructure, reduced costs, and simplified management.
“A processor-based licensing model makes it expensive to grow as needed, especially when you’re trying to consolidate workloads onto servers with different combinations of licenses,” said Anthony Sanchez, IT architect for the city. “For the new CIS, we would need to configure multiple hardware units to support the on-premises database licenses.”
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Digital Transformation Remains Priority Amid COVID-19 Crisis
State-based services relying on legacy systems have exposed weak spots in government solutions. Unemployment benefits applications, healthcare, and social programs are receiving heavy traffic due to the pandemic and faulty functionality is coming to light. Because of this, lawmakers are urging House leaders to include funding for state modernization with a focus on cloud in pandemic relief funding.
“As we consider additional legislative measures to address the urgent needs of our citizens, we encourage you to consider the digital infrastructure on which so many of our constituents rely to access vital government service,” stated a letter delivered to the House.
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