To speed up mainframe modernization plans, enterprises should find a solution that will help them adapt to new technologies easily and seamlessly. The state of Alaska has been struggling for years with the local Alaska Public Safety Information Network (APSIN). For more than 11 years, the government has been trying to upgrade this system and has worked with 35 different contractors in the process, according to the Alaska Dispatch.
The state's mainframe has implications for multiple agencies, including local law enforcement and the Department of Public Safety. One of its key functions is as a hub for criminal information that can be consulted quickly should officers need it.
Even though APSIN has served as a resource for police, the age of the system is a concern for authorities, who wonder whether it will be able to keep up with increasing technological demands. The source says that nearly $28 million has been spent so far on APSIN alone, and quotes from the Department of Public Safety's website, which references the changing pressures on those that need electronic resources and data support to function effectively.
"We once again find ourselves at a point where the demands of the criminal justice system as well as ever-increasing state and federal requirements make it necessary to design and build an entirely new system," the statement said.
Establishing a successful transition from the mainframe to something more modern and configurable is important to keep organizations current with infrastructure changes. Legacy modernization software is a cost-effective approach to solving the problems of older systems, as long as implementers put a plan in place ahead of time and onboard an emulator successfully.