Lift and Shift is Still the Best Way to Quickly Modernize Federal IT Systems

The federal government grapples with the challenges of modernizing its IT infrastructure to keep up with technological innovations. There are many solutions that have been proposed, one method has proven to endure the test of time – lift and shift to the cloud. Though often viewed as an outdated form of modernization, lift and shift has proven to be an effective strategy for federal IT systems.

Lift and shift refers to the process of migrating applications, workloads and data from on-premises environments to the cloud without redesigning the applications. This approach is often seen as a straightforward way to move to the cloud quickly and efficiently. It focuses on the lift of existing applications and shifting them onto cloud platforms.

One of the primary reasons lift and shift has remained relevant is its ability to minimize disruptions. Since the applications are not fundamentally altered, the migration process is faster and less risky. Organizations can benefit from cloud advantages, such as scalability and cost-efficiency, without the need for an extensive overhaul.

Also, lift and shift allows organizations to maintain their existing workflows and processes. This is particularly beneficial for federal agencies where changes in workflows can have far-reaching implications. By retaining familiar systems while leveraging cloud benefits, federal agencies can achieve a win-win scenario.

Facilitating Collaboration and Innovation

Collaboration and innovation are essential for federal agencies to keep up with the rapidly changing technology landscape. Lift and shift encourages collaboration by enabling seamless access to applications and data from anywhere, at any time. This is particularly important in the context of remote work and distributed teams.

Innovation is facilitated through the cloud's wide array of services and tools. Federal agencies can experiment with technologies, develop innovative solutions and rapidly deploy them to production. The cloud provides a sandbox environment where agencies can test new ideas without risking their core operations.

By facilitating collaboration and innovation, lift and shift empowers federal agencies to drive positive change and achieve their strategic goals.

Enter “lift and shine,” an evolved concept that builds upon lift and shift to add automation and optimization layers. While lift and shift focuses on the initial migration to the cloud, lift and shine ensures the migrated systems are optimized for performance and automated for efficiency.

Automation is a critical component of modern IT strategies. With lift and shine, federal agencies can implement automation to better manage workloads, monitor system performance and enhance security measures. Automation reduces manual intervention, thereby minimizing human error and freeing up IT personnel for more strategic tasks.

Additionally, lift and shine entails optimizing the infrastructure for cloud-native benefits. This means leveraging cloud services that were previously unavailable in on-premises environments, such as auto-scaling, automated backups and advanced analytics. By shining a spotlight on these capabilities, federal CIOs can extract maximum value from their cloud investments.

One of the most significant advantages of lift and shift is the scalability it offers. Federal agencies often experience fluctuations in demand, necessitating a scalable IT infrastructure. With lift and shift, agencies can easily scale their resources up or down based on real-time requirements, ensuring optimal performance without overprovisioning.

Flexibility is another key benefit. Lift and shift enables federal agencies to experiment with new technologies and services in the cloud without making long-term commitments. This flexibility allows government agencies to adopt a phased approach to modernization, gradually integrating new capabilities as needed.

Also, cloud providers offer a range of services that can be seamlessly integrated with existing systems. This means that federal agencies can leverage advanced tools for data analytics, artificial intelligence and machine learning, all while retaining their core applications in the cloud.

Lift and shift remains the most agile and effective strategy for federal IT modernization. By minimizing disruptions, enhancing automation with lift and shine and leveraging the benefits of the cloud, federal agencies can achieve their strategic goals efficiently and cost-effectively. CDW Government is committed to helping organizations realize the full potential of lift and Shift, providing expert guidance and support every step of the way. Contact us today to learn more about how we can assist with your cloud migration journey.

Also, cloud providers offer a range of services that can be seamlessly integrated with existing systems. This means that federal agencies can leverage advanced tools for data analytics, artificial intelligence and machine learning, all while retaining their core applications in the cloud.

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