If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Even if 3/4 of your budget goes there.

[viper37]

US government is spending billions on old tech that barely works, says watchdog

The US government spent most of its annual IT budget last year on maintaining systems that, in some cases, are decades-old -- largely because of an "if it ain't broke" mentality.
But the problem is that some of the tech is broken, vulnerable, and out of date -- and it's starting to reach a breaking point.
A report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) shed light on how big the problem is. In a report published Wednesday, the federal government spent $80 billion on IT systems in 2015, but $61 billion was spent on operations and maintenance. The rest was on development and enhancement, such as purchasing new systems or expanding existing ones.
[...]

[LaCroix]

how much of the $61 billion spent on operations and maintenance was spent on the "broken, vulnerable, and out of date" tech? (edit) and how is "vulnerable" and "out of date" defined?

[frunk]

1/4 of your tech budget on new development sounds pretty reasonable, especially for an organization that's been around for decades.  I think that's way higher than my company.

[Admiral Yi]

Why do you homos not have avatars?

[viper37]

how much of the $61 billion spent on operations and maintenance was spent on the "broken, vulnerable, and out of date" tech? (edit) and how is "vulnerable" and "out of date" defined?

they don't say.  However:

The situation is so bad that Chaffetz said some government agencies are still running Windows 3.1, an operating system that dates back more than two decades.

You can infer that it is a lot.

[CountDeMoney]

After finally seeing with my own two eyes how a major federal agency deals with IT projects--from selection to procurement, to go-live and support--staying with legacy systems actually seems to be the safer angle.

It is stunning to behold, actually.

[DGuller]

I think that's the case for many big organizations, especially if IT is a necessary evil for them rather than the tool for earning revenues.  It is also exacerbated if the organization has a lot of people who have worked there for decades.  There aren't too many people out there who are willing to learn new things once they hit 40 or so, so if you propose replacing something that already works and they know how to use, they will immediately become hostile to the idea.

[CountDeMoney]

However:

The situation is so bad that Chaffetz said some government agencies are still running Windows 3.1, an operating system that dates back more than two decades.

You can infer that it is a lot.

I have a little birdie over on Nebraska Ave that said a certain agency of intelligence that is central still uses Lotus 123 for certain types of budgets; he wouldn't have believed it if he didn't see it for himself.  That, and seeing a real, live Netscape in its own natural habitat.

[viper37]

woah!  I used that in 1994-95 at the Canadian Federal governement
But that was cutting edge technology then

[Monoriu]

As long as it works.  We have a lot of systems that date from the 80s.  They still work.  To some extent    Developing new systems is a gigantic pain.  First we need to seek approval from the legislature.  Next we have to follow WTO rules in inviting tender.  Then we have to deal with the contractor.  When they inevitably fail, we have to pick up the pieces, like getting approval for more civil service posts so that we can do the job inhouse.  This entire process takes like a decade or more.  Compared with that, keeping the 80s system running is easier. 

[Monoriu]

Why do you homos not have avatars?

I don't understand what's the big deal with avatars.  I turn them off, so I never see what your avatar is. 

[DGuller]

Avatars make it easier to identify posts, because a picture is easier to recognize than a word.  It also broadcasts your persanolity to the rest of the forum.

[LaCroix]

I thought garbon was a girl when I first got here

[Razgovory]

Avatars make it easier to identify posts, because a picture is easier to recognize than a word.  It also broadcasts your persanolity to the rest of the forum.

Your personality is "Duffman"?

[DGuller]

Avatars make it easier to identify posts, because a picture is easier to recognize than a word.  It also broadcasts your persanolity to the rest of the forum.

Your personality is "Duffman"?