State Department explores more IT consolidation
By
Nick Wakeman
The State Department wants to know if new technologies can help it further consolidate its IT management and drive down costs of both its domestic and overseas infrastructures.
The State Department is looking for ways to further consolidate its data center infrastructure management and operations to take advantage of new technologies.
Currently, the agency has two infrastructures: the Enterprise Server Operations Center-Domestic and the Global IT Modernization program, which manages IT operations outside the United States, according a request for information.
The two groups work together on a worldwide centralized VMware-based virtualization implementation that includes virtualization, storage, computing, networking, support and management.
But State is interested in whether new technologies can further consolidation at the enterprise level and create a single enterprise converged platform.
They are particularly interested in whether a converged technology, which would include computing, storage and networking systems, could replace the current “Sensitive But Unclassified and Classified existing core operating environments,” according to the RFI.
Controlling costs, reducing the physical footprint, power consulting and administrative overhead also are goals.
They want what they call a single pane of glass to look through at both the domestic and overseas infrastructure, including the consolidated management and monitoring of the virtual and real infrastructure.
“A combined management platform that addresses both the technical and management aspects of overseeing the converged infrastructure is desired,” the RFI states.
The RFI also provides details on the Enterprise Server Operations Center and the Global IT Modernization program, including the number of users and data requirements.
State also wants commenters to provide a rough ballpark figure on what it would cost to reach its goals.