By Boomi
IT modernization has long been needed in public sector agencies, and ongoing cybersecurity concerns have made this need an urgent one. The pressure is on to modernize quickly, cost effectively, and securely — while staying responsive to users and resilient in the face of unpredictable attempts at disruption.
The challenge, however, is that many government systems are based on legacy technologies. These antiquated systems are increasingly inefficient, unreliable, and insecure, and make cybersecurity and digitization efforts more challenging. And, they can be difficult and expensive to replace. Because of this, the hurdles of modernizing public sector systems isn’t going away anytime soon.
Legacy systems can provide a poor customer service experience, as we saw with the difficulty most states had in processing the spike in unemployment claims at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. But more troubling, these old systems can be extremely vulnerable to cyber attacks.
To counter those attacks and ensure vital government infrastructure remains secure, public sector agencies need to modernize their legacy systems.
Integrate Legacy and Cloud-Based Government Systems
In a perfect world, every outdated mainframe would be replaced with modern cloud infrastructure. But in reality, many mission-critical applications still depend on legacy investments—and will continue to do so into the foreseeable future.
To modernize public sector IT infrastructure successfully, agencies need a way to connect their on-premises legacy systems with newer cloud capabilities. Doing this requires the ability to connect legacy systems with modern cloud-based infrastructure.
Making these connections using traditional integration methods can take months to develop and deploy. That process is time and resource intensive—time and resources public sector agencies simply don’t have.
The urgency to modernize necessitates a faster, more agile approach to integration.
Modernize Public Sector Legacy Systems With iPaaS
The project of legacy modernization in public sector technology infrastructure needs an affordable, straightforward solution. To integrate legacy and cloud-based systems quickly, public sector agencies should look to an iPaaS (integration platform as a service) solution.
An iPaaS solution can quickly integrate thousands of different applications with physical hardware by taking advantage of an ever-expanding library of prebuilt connectors. Users simply need to select the systems they want to connect and build those connections in a no-code, drag-and-drop environment. This allows non-technical staff to take a more central role in the integration process, which frees up IT resources to focus on higher value initiatives.
This integration approach also reduces risk for government agencies. Connectors that are built in house are only as secure as the overworked IT department has been able to make them. An iPaaS provider’s connectors, however, have been thoroughly tested and continue to be refined and upgraded without any additional work on the part of the user. That means not only are your connections safe against today’s cybersecurity threats, but the threats of tomorrow, next year, and beyond.
For these reasons and more, a FedRAMP-authorized iPaaS gives federal agencies the means to improve their FITARA scorecard. Meanwhile, it equips state and local agencies to meet goals for cybersecurity, smart city initiatives, and improved user experiences.
Boomi Enables Secure Integration for Government Agencies
Cybersecurity threats are a challenge at every level of government, and they aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. Cloud-native integration with iPaaS plays a pivotal role in helping government agencies withstand disruption and improve delivery of digital services by enabling secure integration between legacy systems and new cloud-based applications.
Boomi is committed to helping public-sector organizations deliver on their missions. The unified Boomi platform equips federal, state, and local governments to address complex integration and connectivity scenarios. To learn how Boomi can help with integration and more, read our eBook, Public Sector IT Modernization: Creating Agility and Resilience for a Changing Digital World.
For more on how Boomi helps public sector agencies at every level, visit boomi.com/publicsector