Federal government IT networks are vital to day-to-day operations, yet a scenario all too common among government agencies is continued investment in aging, outdated systems. While federal technology directives push agencies to modernize software and IT processes, little attention is given to the infrastructure behind these modern networks. The disparity between current practices and what’s necessary to achieve a 21st century government network was the subject of plenary session at a recent conference of federal IT executives from DHS, USDA, the U.S. Army and Amazon Web Services.
The vast changes in technology over the past decade have challenged agencies to keep up with regard to networks and systems. Issues such as cyber security, connectivity and mobility have forced agencies to adapt to a changing technology landscape. Brigadier General Randy Taylor, Director, Architecture Operations, Networks and Space, Office of the Army Chief Information Officer, used the Army as an example, citing that when troops were deployed to Afghanistan in 2001, the IT landscape was vastly different than what it is today. “The security of our networks and, of course the security of our personnel, is important to us in accomplishing our mission,” said Gen. Taylor. He pointed out that the Joint Information Environment (JIE) and a common DoD network will offer more agility and flexibility to the Army while reducing its overall network footprint.
Connectivity is of the utmost importance to the Army, as being able to communicate with troops stationed in austere environments across the globe is a must. With more than 60,000 troops deployed across the globe, “to really protect the network and protect troops it’s all about getting the right information at the right time,” said Gen. Taylor.
Mobility is a priority not only for the Army but for all federal agencies. Keith Trippie, former Director, Enterprise System Development Office, Office of the Chief Information Office, DHS, pointed out that of all the changes over the past 10 years, mobility stands out as a prime example of federal technology needing to keep pace with the changing consumer technology landscape. Ten years ago “everybody had Blackberries,” said Trippie. “But the world is moving in a different direction now. Mobility will transform the way we deliver services.” The cloud and the Internet of Things—these capabilities will also impact the way networks are set up in the future, not only in terms of the cyber aspects but also from an operational point-of-view. Trippie advised agencies to, “leverage an outsourcing model, maybe a little bit more aggressively than we have in the past,” to keep up with the rapid pace of technology.
Of course, with rapid change comes risk and the potential of failure. However, if agencies want to embrace innovation, they must change their model and shift their culture. “The current acquisition process is built around assuming the most risk; we need to adjust that,” said Gen. Taylor. Agencies need to give acquisition professionals more flexibility to innovate. Along these lines, Trippie urged agencies to adopt a “fail early” mentality—failing for $20K versus failing at $40M. Teresa Carlson of Amazon Web Services echoed these sentiments, saying that the current model hampers innovation.
Yet, there are several agencies that are seeking new ways to leverage budgets to pilot innovative small scale programs before implementing them wide scale. These agencies are setting the right path forward and hopefully others will follow.
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