The state this week said it has hired New York-based Kyndryl to “modernize the customer experience” for the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles.
The main goal: Speed up and otherwise improve the more than 200,000 transactions the state agency handles every day, according to a statement.
Kyndryl will replace the DMV’s Citizen Services Solution (CSS) with what the statement called “a cloud-native architecture to power its vehicle, driver and business applications.”
The new system, called MAX and developed in Arizona, involves moving “critical applications” from a mainframe and into the cloud via Microsoft Azure.
Internet users, DMV workers and customer service call centers all will use the new system, which will “interface” with other state agencies.
As the statement describes, the project intends to make DMV transactions more efficient, enhance data validation, boost security for customer information, and set the stage for further innovations at the agency, thanks in part to the “more powerful cloud environment” and an agile platform.
"As the commonwealth agency with the most direct interaction with Virginians, it is our responsibility to continually enhance the services we provide. The MAX system is not only transforming our operations to meet today's demands, but we are also setting the stage for a more efficient, secure and customer-focused future," said Gerald Lackey, commissioner of the Virginia DMV, in the statement. "This modernization will ensure that we are better equipped to support daily transactions, while improving the overall experience for our customers."
DMVs might stand in the popular imagination as examples of bureaucratic purgatory, but they are also the site of significant work to advance gov tech.
For instance, one of the largest such offices in Florida recently added credit card machines at checkout windows and software designed to limit appointment hoarding, including by driving schools. The office also set up a virtual line-waiting system so that people can shop or do other activities while waiting for their slots.
