Minimizing the Barriers to AI at the Federal Level

Massive technical debt, legacy systems, data management constraints, and gaps in skills and capacity present barriers to many federal agencies as they prepare to move forward with artificial intelligence (AI) projects. Here, Dell and WWT, a Dell Federal Titanium partner, present the core IT modernization components to help you pave the way forward. 

Dated legacy systems, budget and power constraints, and data management issues are just some of the challenges many federal agencies must address before they move forward with AI projects as well as state-of-the-art security initiatives.  

Unfortunately, many federal data centers are running on technology that's five to seven years old. This results in inefficiencies, power constraints, and a pile-up of technical debt that blocks progress toward breakthrough AI applications at a time when 71 percent of agencies are assessing AI's impact and more than 700 use cases for AI have been identified by the federal government, according to a recent FEDSCOOP poll and a statement issued by the U.S. Department of General Services. 

Furthermore, the way the federal agency budgeting process is structured often means agencies have no choice but to continue investing in outdated technology as new investments get delayed. 

Data management is another common challenge for federal agencies. While federal agencies are great at gathering data, they often struggle with classifying it properly, which is key for AI.  

Without the right metadata and data organization, AI tools can't effectively do their job, leading to missed opportunities to improve operations. 

By rationalizing applications, prioritizing data management, and embracing financial flexibility, agencies can overcome legacy system barriers and fully harness the power of modern technologies. Additionally, focusing on workforce retention and leveraging virtualization are essential steps toward a more efficient and resilient federal IT infrastructure. 

The Seven Key Readiness Components 

With federal agencies actively crafting AI policies and exploring use cases, delaying comprehensive strategies may be impractical. Here are the key components to proactively assessing and preparing your IT ecosystem's readiness for what's next—including the increasing demands of AI/ML-driven workloads:

1) Implement application rationalization

The first step to modernization is understanding what you've got. Agencies often have long lists of applications but don't actually know how they're being used or if they're even needed. Rationalizing these applications helps create a roadmap for upgrades—deciding what to keep, what to upgrade, and what to get rid of—leading to a leaner, more efficient system. Application rationalization is key to understanding how different systems work together. You will also gain an understanding of what applications are doing (or if they aren't doing anything) and who's using them—or not. By introducing this to their IT frameworks or enterprise architecture planning, agencies can make smarter decisions about which ones to upgrade, ultimately setting the foundation for more advanced technology such as AI and machine learning (ML). 

2) Prioritize master data management (MDM)

MDM is the process of creating and maintaining a single source of truth for an organization's critical data. Government agencies are excellent at collecting data but often lack the ability to classify and manage it effectively. Agencies need to prioritize classifying data properly so AI models can categorize and analyze it effectively and draw meaningful insights from it. AI can be transformative for federal IT, but it's only as good as the data it's given. Data gravity—deciding where data should be processed based on how it is used—is also vitally important to optimizing AI/ML workflows. Instead of moving massive datasets across networks for analysis, be sure to bring the AI capabilities closer to the data source. This reduces costs, improves innovation and enhances data governance. Without proper data classification, AI initiatives can't reach their full potential. Addressing these gaps will allow you to fully leverage AI for improved efficiency and service delivery. 

3) Address power constraints and lifecycle management

Power constraints are a big issue in federal data centers, especially for those with older systems that use more energy and take up more space. To keep up with modern applications, agencies need to upgrade their infrastructure more often. Shortening the refresh cycle and investing in energy-efficient technology can lead to better overall performance and a reduced carbon footprint. Instead of trying to squeeze every last drop out of aging hardware, adopting new, energy-efficient systems will help agencies overcome power constraints and keep pace with technological advances, such as AI/ML. Dell APEX Flex on Demand brings adaptable IT modernization and lifecycle management that flexes with your mission requirement. To this point, a recent IDC study showed Dell APEX Flex on Demand:

• Lowered the cost of infrastructure for respondents by 27% by reducing overprovisioning and enabling scaling up or down as needed
• Had an average power savings of 14%
• Reduced IT infrastructure costs by minimizing overprovisioning for buffer capacity and having the ability to scale infrastructure capacity up and down as needed to meet current business requirements, with study participants realizing average infrastructure cost savings of 27%

4) Take advantage of flexible financial solutions via Dell APEX Flex on Demand

Budget constraints are a constant challenge for federal agencies, often leading to what we call "decision-making paralysis"—where agencies spend so much time analyzing their options that they end up doing nothing at all. 

Dell APEX Flex on Demand remediates this unproductive cycle by letting agencies pay based on usage, reducing the need for massive upfront spending. With Dell APEX, agencies can acquire the latest technology without the burden of a big capital expenditure. This means federal IT teams can keep their technology up to date without trying to secure huge funding allocations that are oftentimes not available to them. 

5) Make your data center more efficient with virtualization

The rapid expansion of distributed IT environments has led to multi-cloud complexity and inconsistent operational experiences of virtualized workloads. Virtualization is a key tool for optimizing infrastructure in federal data centers, but often only operates at 10 to 30% of actual server utilization. Agencies can improve virtualization by utilizing cloud infrastructure automation, which can boost utilization rates up to 80%, leading to significant cost savings and enhanced performance. 

Solutions like Dell APEX Flex on Demand complement cloud and virtualization by providing infrastructure automation with the flexibility needed to adapt to evolving demands and allowing agencies to choose the best platform—such as VMware, Red Hat OpenShift, or Nutanix—for their needs. Dell APEX further enables automated cloud integration with major cloud service providers. This not only maximizes on-premises server and storage efficiency but also provides the flexibility for faster deployment of changing mission requirements.  

6) Close resource gaps with WWT's help

Federal IT modernization also faces the challenge of retaining top talent. Frequent leadership changes and the allure of higher-paying private-sector jobs can derail modernization efforts. To tackle these staffing challenges, agencies can rely on a strategic partnership with WWT. WWT can help agencies by supplementing their skills gaps with our highly qualified resources as needed to keep projects on track and reduce dependence on costly, specialized in-house resources.

7) Environmental considerations in IT modernization

Another aspect to consider is the environmental impact of IT modernization. Modernizing federal IT infrastructure isn't just about saving money or improving performance—it's also about reducing environmental impact. Older systems are often inefficient, consuming too much power and generating excessive heat. By adopting modern technologies with advanced data compression and energy-efficient designs, agencies can significantly lower their carbon footprint. With WWT and Dell's help our federal clients can:

• Realize up to 121% higher performance from prior generation servers, but even more across multiple generations
• Potentially equate to up to 64% in savings of CPU power consumption.
• Consolidate a 50-server environment from just a few generations ago, down to 20. This would save agencies 512 million tons of Co2 (MTCO2) equating to 205 acres of sequestered carbon annually

Why partner with WWT and Dell? 

IT modernization for federal agencies is not without its challenges, but with WWT's strategic guidance and comprehensive services, combined with Dell's robust suite of products and solutions, including Dell APEX Flex on Demand, agencies can navigate these complexities effectively. 

WWT provides expert consulting, implementation, and managed services, as your trusted advisor to ensure seamless integration and optimization of your IT infrastructure. What's more, Dell offers scalable, flexible IT solutions and services to support modernization efforts, from cloud services and data management to cybersecurity and end-user computing. 

WWT's dedicated federal IT experts—many of whom come from the public sector—will work side by side with you to modernize your IT infrastructure, strengthen your cybersecurity and drive your innovation with AI and automation.  

For more than 30 years, WWT has helped federal organizations overcome their challenges by aligning technology vision to mission outcome and modernizing legacy IT systems and processes while accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies, upskilling staff under tight budgets, and navigating complex regulations and procurement processes.  

The role of Dell APEX Flex on Demand 

Dell APEX Flex on Demand helps solve federal modernization problems by giving agencies the financial and technological flexibility they need. Instead of spending large amounts of funding on outdated technology, agencies can use a cloud-style payment model to "rent" the latest infrastructure, lowering initial costs while staying up to date throughout many life cycles.  

This approach not only makes financial sense but also helps agencies avoid falling behind by keeping their technology current without the massive upfront costs.  

One recent use case featured a public service U.S. agency. Working with WWT to modernize their IT infrastructure, Dell APEX Flex on Demand was employed which allowed the agency to implement the latest technology while staying within budget. The pay-as-you-go model allowed them to upgrade their technology and improve their data management, and thereby setting the stage for AI projects and advanced analytics that would have been impossible otherwise.  

Future trends in federal IT 

Looking forward, AI and ML are expected to play a major role in federal IT, from cybersecurity to analytics. AI has the potential to enhance cybersecurity by automating threat detection and helping analysts respond more quickly to emerging threats. Edge computing and IoT are also on the horizon. Depending on the mission, data at the edge can be extremely important—whether it's using IoT sensors to monitor crops or using sensors to secure borders. In closing, keep in mind that processing data closer to where it is collected speeds up decision-making and makes operations more efficient. 

To learn more about how your agency can modernize and be ready for AI, connect with our experts at WWT—we're here to help every step of the way. 

Get started on transforming your IT infrastructure by connecting with WWT today to learn how our tailored solutions can help your agency overcome legacy barriers, optimize data management, and stay ahead in a rapidly evolving technological landscape.  

About the Author

Heath Muchmore, WWT Principal Solutions Architect, Dell Specialist with deep expertise in both department of defense and federal civilian solutions.

References 

• IDC Study 
• IDC Study Executive Summary 
• FEDSCOOP - Government gears up to embrace generative AI
• U.S. Department of General Services - Technology Modernization Fund seeking proposals for Artificial Intelligence projects