Data Center Consolidation Allows Agencies to Address the Digital Government Strategy
In May, the White House issued the Digital Government Strategy to improve the way government uses new technologies and to speed up the adoption of technical tools that can significantly improve operational efficiencies and productivity. From a technology perspective, one thing is clear – data center consolidation is a critical milestone in the execution of the White House’s vision for technological innovation and improved citizen services. Now, agencies have a new perspective on how to benchmark their progress to achieving the goals of the 25 Point Implementation Plan.
At its core, data center consolidation is about improved asset management enterprise-wide. The influx of mobile technologies and cloud computing opens the door to a myriad of opportunities to leverage Shared Services and get more productivity out of government systems, people, and technologies. For example, the Department of the Treasury achieved the reduction of 774 servers per annum and reduced demand for space by an average of 22,000 square feet each year through 2015. These efforts contribute to overall projected savings of $32 million per annum due to infrastructure consolidation.
The Federal Data Center Consolidation Initiative (FDCCI) is playing a role in fostering collaboration between agencies. DoD and civilian agencies are working together to examine new ways to leverage available resources and formulate cost-effective technology strategies. For example, the General Services Administration (GSA) no longer needed a facility located in Kansas City, but the Marines were able to make use of the center. This represents significant cost- and time- savings, eliminating the expense of building a new data center and reducing the time before the Marines could use the space from years to months.
Data center consolidation continues to have a significant role in the advancement of technology in government. Reducing unwarranted IT operational costs allows agencies to dedicate critical resources to mobile strategies and data-driven decision-making, and ultimately realize the Digital Government Strategy’s vision.
Paul Christman leads Quest Software's public sector subsidiary, covering the federal government, state and local governments, and higher education in the U.S. In this role, he oversees all sales, reseller channels, alliances, marketing, systems consulting, and operations.
