GAO Recommends Federal Agencies Prioritize Replacing, Updating 'Legacy' IT Systems

The GAO said it's recommending that the White House Office of Management and Budget finalize draft guidance for identifying and prioritizing “legacy” IT systems at federal agencies that need to be modernized or replaced. The GAO said about 75 percent of the federal government's more than $80 billion in IT spending during FY 2015 went to funding IT operations and maintenance. Operations and management spending increased over the previous seven fiscal years, resulting in spending on IT development, modernization and enhancements activities to decline by $7.3 billion between FY 2010 and FY 2017, the GAO said in a report Wednesday. GAO also recommended 13 federal agencies, including the departments of Defense, Justice and Treasury, address at-risk and obsolete investments for IT operations and maintenance.