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How Data Center Optimization Unlocks Digital Services

For state and local government agencies, the path to better citizen services starts with modernizing data center infrastructure.

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IN THIS ARTICLE

Citizens and business leaders now expect state and local government agencies to offer intuitive, convenient digital experiences. But for many governments, legacy data center infrastructure poses a significant hurdle to digital services. Data center optimization efforts can lay the foundation for more modernized operations.

In addition to budget constraints, IT and mission leaders must consider data management and security concerns, the need to consolidate facilities, difficulties with recruiting and retaining top technology talent, and the importance of getting buy-in from elected leaders. A strategic approach that accounts for financing and ongoing support will help keep optimization efforts on track and prevent critical mistakes.

For many organizations, tools and services such as hybrid cloud infrastructure, automation, app modernization and third-party advisory services play a critical role in data center optimization.

CDW Government can help your agency achieve digital transformation to deliver improved services.

Citizens and business leaders now expect state and local government agencies to offer intuitive, convenient digital experiences. But for many governments, legacy data center infrastructure poses a significant hurdle to digital services. Data center optimization efforts can lay the foundation for more modernized operations.

In addition to budget constraints, IT and mission leaders must consider data management and security concerns, the need to consolidate facilities, difficulties with recruiting and retaining top technology talent, and the importance of getting buy-in from elected leaders. A strategic approach that accounts for financing and ongoing support will help keep optimization efforts on track and prevent critical mistakes.

For many organizations, tools and services such as hybrid cloud infrastructure, automation, app modernization and third-party advisory services play a critical role in data center optimization.

CDW Government can help your agency
achieve digital transformation
to deliver improved services.

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The Need for Data Center Optimization

In state and local government, digital services have become synonymous with citizen services.

Residents, taxpayers and business stakeholders have come to expect government agencies to provide the same seamless, intuitive digital experiences they receive from the private sector in their daily lives as consumers. They want to pay their bills, request records and apply for permits online or via mobile apps, with nearly zero downtime or latency. At the same time, embracing digital services can help governments combat staffing shortages, prevent errors associated with manual workflows, streamline regulatory compliance and increase efficiency.

However, efforts to improve and expand digital services are often held back by legacy IT infrastructure. To provide their citizens with a truly modern experience, governments must implement Internet of Things sensors and devices, embrace ambitious app modernization programs that update antiquated software, deploy advanced cybersecurity solutions, and ensure that their digital resources are always accessible. This, in turn, requires modernized data center infrastructure that is optimized to meet today’s goals rather than yesterday’s challenges.

As they modernize their data centers, IT leaders must consider the role of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence. State and local governments have largely avoided the rush to rapidly implement AI, which provides them an opportunity to build from the lessons learned by private sector early adopters and implement only those solutions that are likely to create real value. Agencies can notch early wins with proven use cases such as chatbots, automated document intake and management, and AI features that eliminate manual tracking processes for billing systems.

40%

The percentage of those surveyed that have established a state technology modernization fund to support legacy systems modernization efforts

Source: National Association of State Chief Information Officers, The 2023 State CIO Survey, September 2023



Budgets, politics and institutional inertia all present formidable hurdles for government IT leaders looking to modernize their data centers. Often, technology is still considered a cost center rather than a mission enabler, and political administrations may be unwilling to devote significant resources to IT initiatives that will not be fully implemented until the end of their terms. Additionally, long-tenured employees may be reluctant to learn how to use and maintain new systems. Still, it is important for IT leaders to make the case that data center modernization will help governments save money over the long term, enable greater security with a smaller footprint and ultimately achieve their missions more effectively.

CDW Government can help
your agency 
optimize its
data center infrastructure
to meet today’s goals.

The Need for Data Center Optimization

In state and local government, digital services have become synonymous with citizen services.

Residents, taxpayers and business stakeholders have come to expect government agencies to provide the same seamless, intuitive digital experiences they receive from the private sector in their daily lives as consumers. They want to pay their bills, request records and apply for permits online or via mobile apps, with nearly zero downtime or latency. At the same time, embracing digital services can help governments combat staffing shortages, prevent errors associated with manual workflows, streamline regulatory compliance and increase efficiency.

However, efforts to improve and expand digital services are often held back by legacy IT infrastructure. To provide their citizens with a truly modern experience, governments must implement Internet of Things sensors and devices, embrace ambitious app modernization programs that update antiquated software, deploy advanced cybersecurity solutions, and ensure that their digital resources are always accessible. This, in turn, requires modernized data center infrastructure that is optimized to meet today’s goals rather than yesterday’s challenges.

As they modernize their data centers, IT leaders must consider the role of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence. State and local governments have largely avoided the rush to rapidly implement AI, which provides them an opportunity to build from the lessons learned by private sector early adopters and implement only those solutions that are likely to create real value. Agencies can notch early wins with proven use cases such as chatbots, automated document intake and management, and AI features that eliminate manual tracking processes for billing systems.

Budgets, politics and institutional inertia all present formidable hurdles for government IT leaders looking to modernize their data centers. Often, technology is still considered a cost center rather than a mission enabler, and political administrations may be unwilling to devote significant resources to IT initiatives that will not be fully implemented until the end of their terms. Additionally, long-tenured employees may be reluctant to learn how to use and maintain new systems. Still, it is important for IT leaders to make the case that data center modernization will help governments save money over the long term, enable greater security with a smaller footprint and ultimately achieve their missions more effectively.

40%

The percentage of those surveyed that have established a state technology modernization fund to support 

Source: National Association of State Chief Information Officers, The 2023 State CIO Survey, September 2023



CDW Government can help your agency optimize its data center infrastructure to meet today’s goals.

Guiding Legacy Modernization

According to the 2023 State CIO Survey from the National Association of State Chief Information Officers, more than half of states have formal steering committees or third-party validation in place to guide their modernization efforts. However, nearly one-quarter of states lack a statewide modernization strategy.

From the survey: What type of governance, guidelines and/or policies does your CIO organization have in place for legacy systems modernization efforts?

63%

Formal IT project review board or steering committee

Source: National Association of State Chief Information Officers, The 2023 State CIO Survey, September 2023

52%

Independent third-party to provide validation and verification for large systems efforts

Source: National Association of State Chief Information Officers, The 2023 State CIO Survey, September 2023

50%

Statewide enterprise architecture standards for software solutions

Source: National Association of State Chief Information Officers, The 2023 State CIO Survey, September 2023

Guiding Legacy Modernization

According to the 2023 State CIO Survey from the National Association of State Chief Information Officers, more than half of states have formal steering committees or third-party validation in place to guide their modernization efforts. However, nearly one-quarter of states lack a statewide modernization strategy.

From the survey: What type of governance, guidelines and/or policies does your CIO organization have in place for legacy systems modernization efforts?

63%

Formal IT project review board or steering committee

Source: National Association of State Chief Information Officers, The 2023 State CIO Survey, September 2023

52%

Independent third-party to provide validation and verification for large systems efforts

Source: National Association of State Chief Information Officers, The 2023 State CIO Survey, September 2023

50%

Statewide enterprise architecture standards for software solutions

Source: National Association of State Chief Information Officers, The 2023 State CIO Survey, September 2023

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Data Center Optimization Challenges

While the data center optimization challenges facing state and local governments can be daunting, the right mix of solutions can help agencies modernize their infrastructure and processes.

MODERNIZATION AND CONSOLIDATION: Even after years of consolidation efforts, many state and local governments are still looking to minimize the number of physical data centers they run. At the same time, they are racing to enhance, renovate and replace legacy platforms and applications before technical debt creates performance or security problems.

DATA MANAGEMENT AND SECURITY: The challenges in collecting and managing data are many: data governance, data architecture, master data management, open data, sustained access to government data, data portals, enhancing the role of data throughout the organization, data integration and data strategy, just to scratch the surface. And, of course, government agencies must protect the sensitive personal information that makes them prime targets for cybercriminals.

WORKFORCE LIMITATIONS: It is no exaggeration to say that the ability to establish and maintain an effective IT staff is the most essential component of a CIO’s success. But government agencies often have relatively small, overburdened IT staffs, and they typically lack the financial resources to add and retain skilled professionals for their teams.

ELECTED LEADERSHIP: Buy-in from leadership is critical to the success of any IT initiative. In government, political appointees may not fully understand the needs of agencies and their IT operations. Further, following each election cycle, new leaders may abruptly make changes to the initiatives of the previous administration.

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Optimizing with IT as a Service

State and local governments often must maintain technology environments with relatively small IT teams, making technology offerings delivered as a service an attractive option for closing skills gaps and accelerating data center optimization efforts.

BaaS and DRaaS: Backup as a Service and Disaster Recovery as a Service  both allow government agencies to get back up and running quickly after cyber breaches, natural disasters or other outage-causing events.

IaaS: Infrastructure as a Service gives agencies access to on-demand servers and storage in the public cloud. In addition to eliminating the maintenance burden associated with on-premises IT, cloud infrastructure allows governments to rapidly spin up or scale down resources in response to changing demands.

DCaaS: A more holistic offering, Data Center as a Service allows governments to remotely access a provider’s storage, server and networking resources through a WAN. This is an attractive option for organizations with outdated physical space or other drivers incentivizing a move away from on-premises data centers.

CDW Government solutions and services
can help your agency navigate its
modernization and optimization initiatives.