Data Center

How State and Local Agencies Can Modernize Their Data Centers

Consider how cloud, software-based solutions and a zero-trust framework can work with on-premises infrastructure.

Herb Thompson, a state and local government and education strategist for VMware, worked in IT for over a decade for the state of Wisconsin, most recently serving as its deputy state CIO.

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 prior decade.

In the United States, every public sector data breach costs an estimated $2 million, according to IBM. In many cases, the severity of such incidents is exacerbated by the increased use of remote services. The impacts to everyday U.S. residents who suffer from them are immeasurable.

Against this backdrop, agencies must find the right software solutions to address their biggest data needs without overwhelming their daily operations or budgets. Data center modernization is not only a matter of putting out today’s many fires. It’s about future-proofing against tomorrow’s unforeseen threats.

By modernizing data operations through multicloud architecture and robust security models, agencies can offer greater protections to U.S. residents while minimizing the effect of internal data backlogs and external events.

Here are some key ways that state and local agencies can get ahead in 2023.

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Take Clear and Measured Steps to Modernize

Hybrid cloud systems combined with zero trust, DevSecOps and other cybersecurity frameworks ensure the latest industry safeguards, time and cost savings, and fewer hardware headaches in the long run.

The first steps for state and local agencies looking to optimize their data capabilities is to understand their current data management state, define their future vision, and then find the right software and cloud provider that offer solutions to help kickstart their modernization journey.

LEARN MORE: How can a modernized digital experience improve hybrid work?

In taking these steps, agencies and their CIOs can reap the operational and security benefits of centralized management, cloud portability and employee mobility — all of which have become increasingly essential today.

For agencies that operate multiple data centers across scattered regions, secure hybrid-cloud solutions can allow them to troubleshoot a problem at its core rather than having agency workers play whack-a-mole with server disruptions.

State and local agencies that want to maintain their physical hardware while future-proofing their data against recovery disasters can utilize long-term data storage options through multicloud.

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Leverage the Right Tools in Today’s Environment

Protecting citizen data from mishandling or exposure is one of a CIO’s most important roles. It requires a holistic approach that involves safeguarding data from misuse, protecting data at rest and ensuring immutable backup systems.

Agencies can additionally streamline their IT operations with a suite of automation tools that bolster performance and security while cutting down on manual inputs and the potential for human error.

When considering the rising number of budget constraints today, data modernization is a no-brainer for agencies. The average U.S. state has an estimated 1,500 applications that require around-the-clock monitoring and management.

By employing a software-based approach to digital infrastructure, agencies can save millions of dollars annually and ensure operational continuity with vital resources, such as emergency and health services (among many others). By employing a zero-trust framework and other security controls, agencies can reduce the severity and costs of data breaches.

This June, for example, residents of Louisiana and Oregon were targeted in a global cyberattack that exposed the personal details of millions of driver’s license holders to hackers. These incidents are becoming increasingly common. The need for better cybersecurity measures across the public sector is crucial.

EXPLORE: How can data center automation enhance the end-user experience?

Push the Public Sector’s Digital Evolution Forward

The public sector’s move to the cloud has been slow and steady, and it still lags behind most private sector organizations, including e-commerce platforms, financial firms and for-profit healthcare organizations.

One of the most important lessons that governments around the U.S. and the rest of the world took from the COVID-19 pandemic is that vital resources should never be compromised — even during the greatest of crises.

Those who want to leverage the best tools and platforms to keep America moving forward have more options than ever. Agency heads, CIOs and their IT teams can begin to minimize the impacts of tomorrow’s problems by modernizing their most important digital resources today.

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