Iowa Will Migrate State Data to Amazon’s Cloud Services

This week, Governor Kim Reynolds announced that the state of Iowa would migrate its executive branch data from its current IT system to cloud storage via Amazon Web Services (AWS).

Per KCRG, AWS will lead the charge in transitioning Iowa's data centers and thousands of physical servers into a cloud-based environment. The sweeping, large-scale migration is estimated to save Iowa over $525 million over the next decade.

READ MORE: Peosta City Officials are Crafting an Ordinance for Data Centers

Cognizant Government Solutions will be managing servers and networks, as well as delivering technical support to those required to tackle this massive undertaking. This is a project that's been considered and developed by the Department of Management and Division of Information Technology since 2023. Nearly 200 state employees with the latter division will receive job offers from Cognizant, per KCRG:

In 2022, I directed the first comprehensive review of state government in 40 years, and since then, my administration has been focused on continuously improving government efficiency and effectiveness. One of the most important strategic initiatives we’ve undertaken since was the consolidation and centralization of all IT resources across state government. Now that it’s complete, we’re able to take a critical step forward to modernize the state’s legacy data systems, partnering with two of today’s leading technology providers - Governor Kim Reynolds, per KCRG

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Privatizing a job like this has generated controversy amidst Iowa lawmakers, including Senator Janice Weiner (D-Iowa City), who issued a statement following Governor Reynolds' decision to migrate the state's data to Amazon's cloud:

With just months left in her lame-duck tenure, Gov. Reynolds has made the unilateral decision to disrupt the lives of hundreds of public employees, severing their ties to IPERS and leaving them at the mercy of a private, out-of-state company. We’ve walked this privatization road before to disastrous effect. Thousands upon thousands of Iowans have suffered under Iowa’s privatized Medicaid mistake, without any cost savings for taxpayers. The Reynolds Administration tried this less than a year ago with the healthcare staff in our correctional facilities. There were no savings to be found there – some even predicted that costs would double. Why should we expect a better outcome here? - Senator Janice Weiner, per KCRG

Read more about Iowa migrating state data to Amazon Web Services' cloud system on KCRG's website.