A majority of computer systems that are used today where designed five or more years ago.  These systems no longer meet the demands of new business requirements, increased volume, and/or the need for more expedient processing and are a challenge to replace, update, maintain, expand and difficult to repair.  It is no wonder agencies are slow to update these systems. Research has shown the two main reasons for not replacing or updating these systems are the lack of availability and commitment of key management and staff resources to ensure success. The other, is the inability to devote time and resources to long-term planning. However, these are not the only deterrents to modernization. Agencies are faced with other challenges, including development costs and cost/benefit ratios, as cited in the Clinger-Cohen Act of 1996 (CCA), and the cost of maintaining modernized systems, which can exceed tens of millions of dollars over several years. Agencies must employ a systematic approach ensuring modernization which meets the CCA Capital Planning & Investment Control (CPIC) guidelines.

With limited resources and the possibility of adverse impact on achieving the agency’s mission, the question is "When to modernize"? To maximize the use of time, resources, and availability, modernization requires the right technical knowledge and skills led by qualified program managers.  To achieve a successful and cost effective system modernization:

1. Identify the right strategy best suited for your agency for modernization.
2. Meet the challenges of dynamic security requirements.
3. Ensure certification and accreditation (C&A) standards are met.
4. Develop automated processes to maintain and manage applications with the highest level of quality and performance for the lowest possible labor cost.
5. Ensure efficient integration of new hardware and software components while maintaining the integrity of the current system.
6. Transform and modernize applications that are geard towards Service Oriented Architectures (SOAs) that can adapt as the business needs changes.

Protiviti Related Solutions:

1. Capital Planning & Investment Control
2. Enterprise Risk Assessment  
3. Identity & Access Management 
4. Information Assurance
5. IT Infrastructure Management
6. Program/Project Management