GSA consolidates data centers to increase efficiency

November 14, 2013

Although the National Archives and Records Administration issued a directive to require agencies within the federal government to change their data processes, an executive order from President Barack Obama this year is reinforcing that commitment to make the switch. Time and again, the government tries to find ways to improve the bottom line, but most efforts only offer temporary solutions.

This blog has highlighted examples of some of the strategies federal agencies have considered, ranging from bulk scanning to capture services, but one agency—the General Services Administration—has been using electronic databases for many years. Since establishing data centers, they installed locations to collect information across 11 regions, according to FCW Magazine. While this method has helped the agency gather integral information, some GSA data centers are used less often than others.

To decrease cost to rent these spaces and electricity to power these facilities, the GSA is working on consolidating the agency’s data centers by shutting down 37 offices across the U.S. The decision to move in this direction is meant to lessen redundancies, while working toward moving more GSA data centers to Washington D.C.

“Instead of having several CIOs serving each individual business line, or having IT staff reporting into a different program office, those resources will not be located in a new GSA IT office under the GSA CIO,” the agency said in a statement. “Having a centralized GSA IT office will improve access to technology services.”

Agencies that are currently running on electronic records management systems are required to reevaluate their own tasks. Under the Federal Data Center Consolidation Initiative, agencies are looking into ways to increase consolidation, cloud computing, mobility, security and Big Data measures.

Tab Service Company is a Chicago based company with over 53 years of experience as a data processing service provider.  We provide business with outsourcing solutions for document scanning services, data entry services and mailing/lettershop services.  As a SOC2-approved organization, we apply industry-best practices to our approach with clients.