Thank you for the open opportunity for public input and feedback on issues so vital to the functional operation and security of our nation.
While subscribing to many of the keen technology and process points already commented herein, inserted is a small "non-technical" footnote to re-emphasize a few alluded-to areas intrinsic to any IT modernization success.
No technology is a silver bullet; re-organization is a key component of modernization.
This initiative very much needs to also be about true organizational change, the transformation of an analog organizational structure to digital, cloud native. We cannot afford to simply look at the MGTA or Federal Cloud Computing Strategy/Cloud Smart as opportunity to address the challenges of legacy systems, but to instead evolve modern agencies underpinned and inter-operable on modern technologies. These initiatives need to outlive C-level agency changes to form consistency against technology requirements, human capital fluctuations and budgetary uncertainties. Work towards a modernization that alleviates the need for upper Agency and/or Executive Branch interventions.
Be Fearless. Lead. Develop the International Platinum Standard for Governmental IT Modernization.
FAIL FORWARD - do not be held hostage in fear of missteps or expense in slowing your efforts. If an estimated $3 Billion of Federal IT equipment is slotted for end-of-life by 2020, and 75-80% of your IT spend is on maintenance and operations of systems that are either obsolete or soon to be? Then we would all be better off blowing those budgets failing forward NOW, developing new approaches and deploying newer technologies in opposition to status quo that provides little more than certainty of failure(s) and security breaches.
absolutely critical as a starting point, potential exists here to initialize adoption of cloud native applications without larger spend as organizational "small gains" that provides necessary understanding of current, intermediate and future-proofing moves. Analyze (and understand!) as an organizational whole what you already have and measure throughout to achieve intended outcomes. Affords interagency cross-pollination of knowledge, with centralized control points for governance, security, reporting/visibility and management of cloud service usage.
Automation (security policies, code, etc.)
automate anything and everything that can be automated!
CyberSecurity
baked-in, inherent at all levels and in all decisions as primary outcome objective
Open Source
all paths in the initiative can be pursued by a large number of industry-proven, production-ready, secure open source offerings
Open Standards
continuity, portability/interoperability of data, detterence against entanglement/vendor lock-in, etc.
Technologies on a Continuum
review, pursue & evolve with emerging technologies, e.g. Virtualization, Containerization, Encryption, Serverless, Blockchain/Hashgraph, etc.
World-Class Workforce
build a reiterative "best-and-the-brightest" workforce that is as adaptable as the technology and organizational changes being pursued. Make each and every employee a stakeholder in the the organizational mission, an agent of innovation
Every agency/organization must take total ownership of our data, workforce, technology procurement and security as mission-critical components of the Agency's legitimacy as steward of a public trust.
This is a highly imperative moment in the future of our governmental agencies. Both the Public and Private Enterprise are vested in your success; it is in the interests of all of us for this to not merely succeed, but to optimize nimbly and evolve securely.
Thank you for the open opportunity for public input and feedback on issues so vital to the functional operation and security of our nation.
While subscribing to many of the keen technology and process points already commented herein, inserted is a small "non-technical" footnote to re-emphasize a few alluded-to areas intrinsic to any IT modernization success.
This initiative very much needs to also be about true organizational change, the transformation of an analog organizational structure to digital, cloud native. We cannot afford to simply look at the MGTA or Federal Cloud Computing Strategy/Cloud Smart as opportunity to address the challenges of legacy systems, but to instead evolve modern agencies underpinned and inter-operable on modern technologies. These initiatives need to outlive C-level agency changes to form consistency against technology requirements, human capital fluctuations and budgetary uncertainties. Work towards a modernization that alleviates the need for upper Agency and/or Executive Branch interventions.
FAIL FORWARD- do not be held hostage in fear of missteps or expense in slowing your efforts. If an estimated $3 Billion of Federal IT equipment is slotted for end-of-life by 2020, and 75-80% of your IT spend is on maintenance and operations of systems that are either obsolete or soon to be? Then we would all be better off blowing those budgets failing forward NOW, developing new approaches and deploying newer technologies in opposition to status quo that provides little more than certainty of failure(s) and security breaches.Analytics & Real-time Reporting (AI, BI, Deep/Machine Learning, etc.)
Automation (security policies, code, etc.)
CyberSecurity
Open Source
Open Standards
Technologies on a Continuum
World-Class Workforce
Every agency/organization must take total ownership of our data, workforce, technology procurement and security as mission-critical components of the Agency's legitimacy as steward of a public trust.
This is a highly imperative moment in the future of our governmental agencies. Both the Public and Private Enterprise are vested in your success; it is in the interests of all of us for this to not merely succeed, but to optimize nimbly and evolve securely.