VARs Step Up To The 'Brain Drain' Challenge

Government offices are getting grayer. As a result, VARs in the federal/state/local agency channel are positioning themselves to take best advantage of what is being anticipated as an outsourcing boom.

Sometime this year, about 45 percent of the federal government's IT workers will be 50 years old or older, according to research firm Input, Reston, Va. There will be a manpower shortage, and a "brain drain," as people with valuable knowledge pack up for those retirement homes in Florida. Which is where VARs will step in.

"If an aspect of work isn't at the core of the agency's business, it will go out to systems integrators or other third parties," said Brad Nacke, government business manager for Emerson Network Power, a Columbus, Ohio-based solution provider. "There will be a lack of people available to do the hands-on work, like hooking up power and cooling a facility to support IT."

In addition, the younger generation of government workers will likely telecommute more -- or otherwise have IT needs in the field, instead of in an office--increasing demand for mobile/wireless solutions.

It's not as if this demographic shift has not been anticipated for years now. Agencies have already been preparing to streamline systems operations.

"We're seeing a huge demand for solutions that eliminate the need for multiple layers of personnel to run complex IT systems," said Eric Martinis, managing director, federal, at Presidio Networked Solutions, a Greenbelt, Md.-based solution provider.

"One example is the data center that can be managed from anywhere in the world ... I think that the future is in solutions that once were managed by five people, but can now be managed by one or two people."

That said, Shawn McCarthy, director of research at Government Insights, a Framingham, Mass., research firm, said VARs shouldn't expect a sudden, "Chicken Little" like response from agencies. "You won't see wholesale departures by government employees all at once," he said. "Not everyone who is eligible to retire will suddenly walk out the door."