Firmware is ubiquitous in any IT environment. The code—usually hardwired onto a microchip—bridges the hardware and software in any computer, including Internet of Things devices and other surprising places. Because it is hidden and because it can be difficult to update, many IT organizations pay little attention to developing cybersecurity strategies.
That omission can be a costly mistake. CGI Vice President Chris Lavergne and Director Dave Crawford, both cybersecurity experts, join CGI Voices host Pete Tseronis on this podcast episode to explain the current state of firmware and how agencies can better account for it in their planning.
CGI’s annual Voice of Our Clients is a comprehensive study of trends, technology priorities, and future projections based on hundreds of face-to-face interviews between CGI leaders and our broad customer base globally. This includes the U.S. federal government and reveals federal agency leaders' current ambitions and worries.
Molly O’Neill, a Director at CGI Federal, spent some time with host Pete Tseronis in this episode of the CGI Voices podcast. In this wide-ranging conversation, she explains what this year’s VOC revealed. One key finding: Agencies are working to integrate digital strategies programmatically rather than enterprise-wide. What does that mean for the future?
Other key findings:
• Cybersecurity programs are maturing at many agencies—but the work isn’t complete
• Legacy systems are increasingly challenging, making modernization a top priority
• Many agencies are exploring the possibilities of AI
CGI Federal data expert Ratima Kataria and host Pete Tseronis unpack the ins and outs of data management. In a time when terms like “modernization” and “transformation” are used almost interchangeably, Ratima explains why tying data strategy to mission strategy is a critical consideration in any agency’s data planning.
Turning data into useful intelligence is an ongoing challenge that grows in difficulty as data sources proliferate. Within agencies, chief data officers struggle to wrap their arms around it, juggling competing priorities and trying to engender needed culture change to enable data sharing. Ratima counsels approaching data with a deliberate, methodical approach despite the sense of urgency.
While climate change may be everyone’s problem, governments have a unique role as part of the solution. In this episode of CGI Voices, CGI Sustainability Lead Mark Flugge talks to host Pete Tseronis about recent policy and legislative advances that could help turn the tide.
As host Pete Tseronis says in this episode, “modernization” is a loosely-used term. As true as that is, however, modernization remains a necessity and a high priority for federal agencies. Legacy systems still run major, mission-critical functions even as they age and the number of people in the workforce able to program and maintain them dwindles.
Federal agency veterans Bob Barr (former Assistant Commissioner, IRS) and Sandy Bushue (former Deputy Administrator and Acting Administrator, Federal Transit Administration), draw on their own experiences to explain why modernization is such a challenge and how agency leaders can approach it successfully.
Continuing their conversation with host Pete Tseronis, CGI Federal’s Brad Schoffstall and Donna Seymour talk about how to prepare for future problems. Any modernization project has desired outcomes, but most also have unintended consequences—sometimes unexpected benefits, sometimes counterproductive.
“Future-proofing” requires thinking ahead, anticipating potential developments and preparing to meet them. Brad and Donna share experiences and insights for federal agencies and other organizations as they modernize data and systems.
They also talk about artificial intelligence, robotic process automation (RPA) and workforce development as components in a modernization strategy. A key takeaway: Don’t forget the human factor.
Data is essential for every aspect of federal agency operations. Today, data flows in constantly from an ever-expanding range of sources, and agencies must store it, analyze it and turn it into actionable information.
In this conversation with Pete Tseronis, CGI Federal experts Brad Schoffstall and Donna Seymour explain the proliferation of data and how agencies can most effectively use it.
Part one of this conversation covers data governance, data modernization, the relationship between IT and business processes and connecting data to the agency mission.
Technology’s evolution seems to have accelerated lately, with artificial intelligence and Web 3.0 breaking new ground. These technologies may be intriguing for federal government agencies, but they can also be bewildering.
How could they help us do what we do? How should we factor them into our digital transformation strategy? How do we ensure they are secure? Are they ready for agency adoption, or is this merely hype?
In this conversation, Victor Foulk, acting VP of CGI Federal’s Emerging Technology Practice, explains where these technologies are, what’s coming in the future and how data ties it all together.
At CGI, your mission comes first. Victor breaks down the promise and challenges of emerging technologies in improving mission delivery—and how to ensure technology remains an enabler of mission outcomes rather than an end in itself.