Douglas County had a vision: better digital services for its citizens, but legacy applications, rising costs, and low-code limitations had them boxed in. Determined to chart a new course, they partnered with DevIQ to modernize core systems and sharpen their cloud-native skills. The results? Reduced overhead, empowered teams, and an Azure-powered foundation for building a stronger future for their constituents.
The Client & The Challenge
Douglas County, one of the largest in Colorado, spans 843 square miles and serves nearly 400,000 residents. With a $31B+ GDP and thriving industries in cybersecurity, aerospace and software, it's a magnet for high-income earners and high expectations alike. As the region continues to grow, so does the bar – taxpayers demand efficient, modern public services that match the pace of private-sector innovation.
Challenges & Pain Points
Unsupported Legacy Applications
Key systems relied on technologies that were deprecated or misaligned with Douglas County’s desired cloud-first, Azure-stack vision. In one case, a mission-critical app relied upon a single internal developer, creating a significant single point of failure.
Rigid Platform Infrastructure & Rising Costs
Proprietary low-code platform licensing costs were escalating, required on-premises hardware, and lacked compatibility with modern tooling, forcing third-party workarounds that added complexity and cost.
Fragmented Applications & Workflows
Siloed systems and disparate architectures were causing inefficiencies and redundancies for both internal developers as well as business users across county departments, ultimately hindering timely and effective service delivery to residents.
Consequences of Inaction
Without a strategic modernization plan, Douglas County risked surging costs, chronic inefficiencies, and ongoing dependence on a high-risk vendor ecosystem. By making a decisive shift to a cloud-native Azure architecture, Douglas County gained full control of its technology roadmap and opened the door to a more scalable, cost-effective, and future-ready foundation for local governance, ultimately delivering more value to its residents.
The Partnership & The Proposition
Douglas County had no shortage of potential partners to migrate or lift-and-shift its problems to the cloud. What makes DevIQ different is our hands-on, in-the-mud approach to building comprehensive yet sustainable engineering solutions. We guided the County through a structured, transparent process that combined deep technical expertise with disciplined project management, paving the way for genuine skills transfer and long-term success on a solid foundation.
Ultimately, DevIQ brought the technical chops to modernize core government services in Azure, coupled with the hands-on support to develop Douglas County’s own teams. This blend of expertise, transparency, and cultural fit was pivotal in setting Douglas County on a path to true self-reliance.
What impressed us most about DevIQ is their deep commitment to collaboration. They take the time to understand our business needs and proactively suggest improvements that enhance efficiency and long-term success.
– Douglas County IT | Clutch
The Solution & The Execution
Strategy & Approach
Douglas County’s modernization journey started with a deliberate, low-risk plan: start small, learn fast, and scale with confidence. We kicked off with a methodical inception phase to clarify objectives, estimate scope, and uncover potential risks. Instead of jumping straight to building a replacement for their legacy and low-code apps, DevIQ and Douglas County opted for a stepped approach: begin with the simplest application, sales tax, to prove out a clean architecture and delivery model. This early success laid the foundation for more complex projects: property tax, appeals, and ballot tracking.
Technical Execution
Through a structured, transparent process and a carefully planned technical architecture, Douglas County evolved from off-the-shelf solutions to a cohesive, Azure-driven portfolio that their own team could confidently own and advance. We were so excited to watch this transformation unfold.
DevIQ's technical expertise and problem-solving approach ensured that challenges were addressed swiftly and effectively, and their ability to deliver high-quality work makes them a truly valuable partner.
– Douglas County IT | Clutch
The Results
Built and Shipped
Douglas County evolved from relying on vendor-driven solutions to confidently building and owning their own modern application platform. Freed from rigid low-code dead ends and legacy code bases, the in-house team now has the framework and flexibility to rapidly address new demands and explore emerging innovations. Projects delivered to date include:
- Sales Tax – streamlines tax submission and processing with the State of Colorado, replacing legacy systems and outdated workflows with a scalable, user-friendly application
- Property Assessment Appeal – enables residents to file and track property tax appeals online, reducing back-office workload and improving customer response times
- Mill Levy Certification – centralizes the mill levy process, ensuring greater transparency, data integrity, and compliance for property tax districts
- Ballot Tracking – securely tracks ballots and appeals, giving constituents new visibility and election staff a stable, modern backend user experience
By the Numbers
- Yearly Licensing Reduction – saved over $500k per year in licensing costs after migrating off legacy systems
- Time-to-Release – doubled 2x the average number of large projects shipped in a year
- Project Cost Tracking – delivered 100% of new custom applications under budget, rolling savings into future projects
The Conclusion
Douglas County’s journey highlights how government entities, often weighed down by legacy applications, licensing constraints and dated methodologies, can turn ambitious modernization plans into approachable, practical, lasting change. By establishing a future-proof foundation in Azure, and by investing in their own teams’ growth, the County proved that cutting costs and enhancing public service do not compete, they compound.
At DevIQ, our role was to guide, support, and empower by offering certified expertise and a proven structured process, but it’s Douglas County’s commitment to transforming local governance that truly brings this story to life. Looking ahead, the County can continue to evolve at its own pace, confident in both its capabilities and its trusted partnership with DevIQ whenever additional support or strategic input is needed.
Today, the County is enabled to adapt faster, build smarter, and explore what's next—whether that's AI/ML, expanded third-party integrations, or entirely new digital services. No more fear of being locked in or left behind, Douglas County ever more agile, self-reliant, and ready to meet new challenges, drive innovation, and continue delivering quality service for the community.
