DHS Data Center Consolidation

In an effort to standardize IT resources, reduce costs, and improve efficiency, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) created a program to collocate and consolidate the numerous computing facilities currently supporting each of the DHS Components. Though a tenet to DHS purpose, the collective computing environments made data sharing and collaboration challenging. The motivation for a singular homeland security entity is the same driving force behind the DHS consolidation project – consolidate like assets to foster more productive collaboration, facilitate efficient efforts and offer ease of data sharing to aid in the protection of the nation’s resident assets.

DHS consolidation efforts were already underway before the Federal Chief Information Officer (CIO) Council launched the Federal Data Center Consolidation Initiative (FDCCI).  By the end of the 2010 calendar year, the FDCCI was followed by the 25 Point Implementation Plan to Reform Federal Information Technology Management issued by the White House on December 9, 2010, which included specifications to consolidate at least 800 data centers by 2015. These Federal CIO objectives and the White House’s initiatives are now central to reforming IT in the federal government.