It’s clear that state and local governments are in the midst of a technology revolution. Cloud models, “as-a-service” solutions, Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), mobile devices and other innovations are already helping public sector organizations improve services to constituents; save money, time and labor; and keep workers happier and more productive.
But fundamental to these advancements is network connectivity on an unprecedented scale. As states and cities grow smarter and more connected, enterprise networks will need to be more scalable, available, accessible and secure than ever before — even as architectures, devices and applications continually evolve.
This is tough to do, however, when capital-intensive networks are reaching end of life and are difficult to maintain. According to a NASCIO survey, 90 percent of state government agencies say at least one-fifth of their IT infrastructure is a legacy system. It’s a risky way to operate.
“[Government agencies] used to be able to buy equipment for their networks, and as long as it still received power they could use it for a long time with the intent of using scarce government dollars as efficiently as possible,” says George Spencer, associate vice president, AT&T Public Sector. “Over time, it’s harder to maintain this equipment, so they fall behind.”
Old network strategies simply won’t work in an environment where new technologies emerge at an exponential pace, user expectations change rapidly and security threats continually multiply — all while state and local budgets remain stagnant.
It’s time for forwardthinking government leaders to embrace a new approach. We call it the network of tomorrow. This guide will show you what it is, and how you can get there.
