SIA Joins Tech, Business Groups to Encourage Federal Investment in IT Modernization

As Congress and the Biden administration continue to negotiate the final terms of another COVID-19 aid package, SIA partnered with tech and business trade associations led by the Information Technology Industry Council (ITI) to urge Congress to provide $9 billion for the Technology Modernization Fund (TMF). SIA supported the initial authorization of TMF, which allows eligible federal agencies to use TMF dollars to replace aging, legacy IT systems with updated IT solutions. Increased funding for TMF could help spur critically needed upgrades to security systems, as modernizing physical access control systems and video surveillance equipment would be eligible for TMF consideration.

The coalition letter states, “Legacy IT can be difficult to maintain, supported by only a few remaining vendors at great expense, more exposed to cybersecurity risks and single points of failure, less resilient to critical events, and far less effective than modern commercial capabilities.”

Additional signatories include ITI, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, CompTIA, the Internet Association and the National Defense Industrial Association.