In its agency-wide effort to modernize technology and build critical infrastructure needed to improve efficiency the nation’s tax system, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) wants to replace its current Enterprise File Storage (EFS) system with a managed service solution, according to a request for information (RFI) released on Oct. 31.
Responses from vendors are due by Nov. 7.
The agency’s current EFS system provides enhancements and capabilities to the IRS Enterprise Electronic Fax (EEFax) system. These improvements enable the processing, storage, and retrieval of document images that have been captured utilizing EEFax.
“The systems work together to provide an automated, paperless storage solution for business organizations within the IRS that utilize EEFax,” the RFI states.
“EFS also includes the capability to fax to and from a workflow system that provides routing, viewing, indexing, storing, retrieving, archiving, and querying EEFax images in a secure document image repository,” the document says.
The new solution the IRS seeks is an enterprise content management platform that integrates with EEFax. One high-level requirement of the new system is security.
“The workflow system and EFS Repository must provide a configurable set of monitors and security alerts that notify the IRS service management infrastructure to incidents or problems using standard industry security management protocols,” the RFI says.
“It must protect against unauthorized access to systems and data to include those measures necessary to detect, document, and counter such threats and incidents,” it continues. “It must also mitigate the risk of denial of service to authorized users or the provision of service to unauthorized users, including those measures necessary to detect, document, and counter such threats.”
Other requested features for the upgraded EFS solution are the ability to reject spam faxes, encryption of data, and approved status under the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP), among others.
The RFI on a new, more modern file storage system comes days after the IRS announced the replacement of Deputy Commissioner Charles Rettig. The open position at the tax agency will come with the responsibility of spending $80 billion granted to the agency by Congress for IT modernization efforts.
