Beyond the Box: Unveiling the Unexpected

Mergers and acquisitions in the GovCon space draw attention as they often signal a shift, growth, or doors opening for new opportunities. Following its acquisition earlier this year of Regency Technologies, we caught up with Melissa Carson, Vice President & General Manager at Iron Mountain Government Solutions (IMGS) to find out more about its continued growth in the public sector and the company’s open invitation for partners.

Tailoring Existing Solutions

Leveraging perspectives from highly regulated industries, such as banking and healthcare, and synergies extracted from commercial business and state and local governments, IMGS has found a path forward that applies tested and proven solutions able to quickly translate and scale to meet the needs of Federal Government customers. “Beginning with solutions that often utilize the same kinds of data, we can provide working solutions efficiently and affordably to suit their needs, tailored to meet specific requirements. Instead of starting from scratch we are able to efficiently adapt and deploy cost-effective solutions to manage millions of documents, IT assets and data center space each month.”

Integration

Beyond tailoring a new way forward, IMGS is able to achieve what many others cannot: integrating the solution, and/or populating it into an existing system or application. “We can provide a system of record if one does not already exist, or we can create it to align with what is already being used. Many agencies are still tied to deep legacy systems which we are able to simply work to align with.” IMGS specializes in helping government agencies transition operations to a more versatile, optimized environment with secure enterprise information lifecycle management capabilities.

Security First

With the understanding that most of the information agencies deal with falls under the category of Personal Identifiable Information (PII), governance processes take center stage. Strong security and chain-of-custody measures are at the very core of every solution the company offers. “Securing physical assets to their digitalized output is what IMGS’ core business is day in and day out. We protect some of the world’s most precious and irreplaceable assets and data.”

The advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has significantly expanded opportunities to make not only swift but more precise decisions. From a cybersecurity perspective, and considering the influence of AI on decision-making, agencies must establish appropriate policies and implement checks and balances accordingly. “Many agencies have or are putting Chief AI Officers into place. They know they have this mountain of data they need to get to that may be paper, or analog, that can really help them better understand the citizens they serve. Storing and accessing that information, and ensuring it is used in the right way is critical.”IMGS establishes the groundwork necessary for building a strong data foundation capable of preparing data for innovative technology like Generative AI. As government agencies shift to digital and focus on modernization, the company stands ready to help the public sector transform.

Partnership

Always open to new relationships and partnerships, IMGS seeks out companies with synergistic services. “We have a broad base of capabilities with largescal past performances, from digitalization services and data centers to an asset lifecycle management practice that allows us to team with large contractors and small businesses alike to fill gaps, to help them implement proven, secure, and comprehensive  solutions.”

The company also looks to serve as a partner to agencies, helping to inform procurements to ensure government agencies get what they need to move forward, rather than simply an adaptation from a prior requirement. “We encourage agencies we work with to take the time to start with an RFI, to ensure they are asking the right questions and taking input from industry experts who see the evolving trends and can better inform the way forward, including using the proper types of terminology, guardrails, requirements, or even pricing mechanisms that fit the ever changing technology landscape.”

Beyond Expectations

While paper files and storage are part of its history, the company has invested billions in new innovative solutions crossing the whole lifecycle of information from paper to microfilm,AI/ML enabled Intelligent Document Processing to data centers and secure IT asset disposition and recycling.

For more than 70 years, Iron Mountain has helped agencies bridge the gap between paper, digital, and physical to:

• apply end-to-end highly secure, policy-driven information management
• enhance citizen services with digitized analog records
• meet electronic record compliance with Intelligent Document Processing for large enterprises and government customers capable of processing ~2.4 billion images annually
• achieve ESG goals to promote a circular economy.

“We understand the complexities of bridging the gap between a hybrid physical and digital world, with data siloed across organizations. We help public sector agencies digitally transform, while implementing next-generation technologies that generate insights and unlock the value of your information. Our full suite of records and information management solutions improve asset management, reduce physical footprints, decrease costs, and streamline operations, while greatly enhancing citizen experience, and mitigating security and privacy risks”

🔊 Listen to Story