Modernizing Government Systems to Cloud-Native Architectures

This research article examines the modernization of on-premises government systems to cloud-native architectures, focusing specifically on a case study involving a U.S. public-sector labor agency. The article outlines the challenges faced by legacy systems, including high maintenance costs, limited scalability, and difficulties in meeting evolving service demands. It presents a detailed analysis of the transition from a traditional on-premises setup to a Microsoft Azure-based infrastructure, highlighting the benefits of serverless computing and infrastructure as code. The study documents the architectural choices made during the migration process and evaluates the operational improvements achieved, such as a significant reduction in manual reconciliation efforts, enhanced data accuracy, and decreased business costs. The findings emphasize the importance of a structured approach to modernization that aligns technology with governance and service delivery, ensuring compliance and accountability in the public sector. The article serves as a blueprint for agencies looking to implement similar modernization initiatives.