legacy systems

Why technical debt is really ‘innovation debt’

When agencies have an assessment and mitigation strategy for technical debt, they can more easily modernize systems and roll out new features.

  • By Chris Teale

An outdated tracking system is a key factor in Texas’ foster care shortcomings

The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services tracks foster children's health records using a system that's older than Google, but efforts to upgrade it over the years have have been few and far between.

  • By Colleen DeGuzman, KFF Health News

Can Fortran survive another 15 years?

Researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory evaluated the risks of relying on the 65-year-old code for nuclear security.

  • By Susan Miller

Data-based decision-making is flawed when the data is flawed

There are many reasons the quality of state and local data can be poor. Using that information can lead to unfortunate results.

  • By Katherine Barrett & Richard Greene

COBOL: You’re thinking about it wrong

The workhorse computing language suffers from a “major image problem” rooted in fundamental misperceptions, researchers say.

  • By Susan Miller

States target mainframes in legacy system modernization

Security, cost and workforce challenges have states looking to retire, rehost or outsource mainframe operations, according to a survey by the National Association of State Technology Directors.

  • By Susan Miller

Using APIs to bridge the gap between old technology and new needs

Application programming interfaces can deliver better tools, data and reporting for benefit determinations without requiring significant upgrades to existing technology.

  • By Juan Cole