With constant movement and discussion around ongoing federal IT modernization, many IT leaders are looking for the most effective way to implement new IT solutions that make sense for their agencies. And no one is under the impression that this is an easy task, but it’s a necessary one.

In a video series from SolarWinds, Senior Director of Product Management Mav Turner shares some tips for federal IT leaders currently tackling this process. In his first video of the series, Mav discusses why IT modernization is a priority for federal CIOs and the necessary approaches to bring this behemoth of a task across the finish line.

Mav starts with addressing the noticeable gap between legacy IT available to government employees in the workplace compared to personal technology used at home. Stakeholders and employees have raised the bar when it comes to interfacing with technology and legacy systems simply are not meeting those expectations. The concept of “bring your own device” or BYOD has shifted how people expect their technology to operate and this affects both citizens as well as employees.

He states, “Organization is a challenge for federal IT leaders because they have a lot of legacy technology and those legacy technologies don’t allow them to address the problems that they face in the workforce today.”

Mav also explains the benefits of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) solutions versus customized solutions that only address specific infrastructure needs. A COTS solution can often be applied to broader situations, offering a solutions in a more time-efficient manner.

Watch the full video below to learn from Mav about the reasoning behind IT modernization and what the most logical approaches are for federal IT leaders, given the abilities of modern applications.