State Agencies Modernize Aging Digital Systems After Years of Delay

Several Rhode Island state agencies are in the process of replacing software systems that in some cases date to the 1990s, a modernization effort officials describe as overdue given how central these systems are to processing benefits, licenses and tax filings.

IT officials say the transition has been deliberately incremental, running new and legacy systems in parallel during transition periods to avoid service disruptions for residents relying on benefits or licensing processing.

A Careful Rollout

State technology leaders note that similar modernization efforts in other states have sometimes caused significant service disruptions when rushed, and say Rhode Island's smaller scale has allowed for more thorough testing before full cutover.

Full modernization across all affected agencies is expected to continue over the next several budget cycles.