Modernization News

On July 13, ADI’s Dan Wolf testified in favor of Senate Bill 26 before the Massachusetts Joint Committee on Advanced Information Technology, the Internet, and Cybersecurity. The bill would create the Massachusetts Innovation Fund and State Agency Technology Upgrades Account to support modernization of the Commonwealth’s IT systems and networks. ADI also sent a letter of support to Committee leadership.

The Alliance for Digital Innovation issued the statement below in response to the cuts to the Technology Modernization Fund proposed by the Senate in the Financial Services and General Government 2024 appropriations bill.

“Rescinding TMF funding and removing investments in modern, cloud technology and zero trust cybersecurity environments will negatively impact the effectiveness and security of our government agencies and their ability to service citizens. The TMF is helping agencies make investments that have been decades in the making, due – in part – to Congress continually using IT line items as a bill payer,” said Ross Nodurft, executive director of the Alliance for Digital Innovation. “To see this happen today, as more and more of our core government services and defenses move into a digital environments, is disappointing and reckless. We encourage the Senate to restore all of the rescinded funding and continue to provide the flexibility to invest in IT modernization, cybersecurity, and customer experience.” 

The Alliance for Digital Innovation submitted a letter in response to the Federal Trade Commission’s Solicitation for Public Comments on the Business Practices of Cloud Computing Providers.  ADI believes that any practices that artificially limit the choices that our public sector institutions have when selecting the optimal solution for their missions can cripple the delivery of critical services to our communities.

The Alliance for Digital Innovation (ADI) responded to the Department of Education’s request for comment on the Department’s new Dear Colleague letter on requirements for third-party servicers. ADI communicated significant concerns with the Department’s proposed requirements and their potential negative impact on the ability of colleges and universities to adopt cutting-edge technologies. You can read our letter here.

The Alliance for Digital Innovation commends the release of the National Cybersecurity Strategy and its comprehensive approach to enhancing our nation’s digital security. We appreciate the Strategy’s focus on replacing legacy systems with more secure technology, including through accelerating migration to cloud-based services, along with its emphasis on public-private collaboration, investments in zero trust technology and innovation, and the development of a diverse and robust national cyber workforce.

There are many areas outlined in the strategy that will require partnership with industry, and we look forward to working with Congress, the Office of the National Cyber Director, and federal agencies to shape the implementation of the Administration’s cybersecurity initiatives.

The Alliance for Digital Innovation submitted comments to the Department of Defense (DoD), General Services Administration (GSA), and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) regarding a proposed rule to amend the Federal Acquisition Regulation to minimize the risk of climate change in federal acquisitions.

Read our comments here.

ADI supports SB 5518 in Washington State. The bill will bolster the state’s technological capabilities and strengthen state agencies’ protections against malware, ransomware, and other cybersecurity threats.

Read our letter of support here.

ADI’s Ross Nodurft discusses the recent NOTAM outage at the Federal Aviation Administration and the risks of technology debt at government agencies in a commentary for Federal News Network. “Legacy code bases and mainframe technology have served a purpose, but modernization and migration to cloud computing offer advantages that need to be taken, including the ability to build in resiliency and redundancy, something that could have potentially helped FAA in this situation,” he writes.

Read the article here.

The Alliance for Digital Innovation sent a letter to the Director of the Office and Management and Budget and the Administrator of the General Services Administration to suggest priorities as they update the FedRAMP authorization policy and additional FedRAMP guidance. The Alliance for Digital Innovation is invested in working with GSA and OMB and other stakeholders to build a flexible, long term program that allows federal agencies to manage their risk while lowering the barrier to entry for commercial, modern cloud solutions.

Read the letter here.

ADI sent a letter to leadership of the Senate and House Appropriations Committees to highlight Fiscal Year 2023 appropriations priorities for IT modernization, cybersecurity enhancement, and technology procurement.

Read the full letter here.