State and local government agencies are stepping up their IT modernization efforts in order to streamline operations, cut costs and make critical services and programs accessible to their constituents. But there is still much work to be done.

Only 13 percent of state and local agencies have made substantial investments in modernizing operations, according to a new survey from the Center for Digital Government (CDG). However, 56 percent said they are planning to upgrade their technology systems over the next two years in order to meet their communities’ rising expectations for digital access.

If the COVID-19 pandemic hit 15 years ago, think about how many more thousands of small-to-midsize businesses (SMBs) would have been forced to shut down.

Technology has made it possible for many SMBs to survive the disruption caused by the pandemic.