The state and local government market is large and complex. Companies can best get a handle on this market by targeting these five major segments: administration and finance, tax and revenue, transportation, health and human services, and public safety and criminal justice.
	Indianapolis and Marion County, Ind., will release an RFP this month for a new information technology sourcing agreement. The current contract expires in December. The new contract will include a wide array of services such as help desk; desktop services; planning, management and expansion of the wide area network; managing mainframe, midrange and client server operations; systems integration; GIS environment support and programming; Internet support and programming; telephone operations; equipment refresh; knowledge management; disaster recovery; and business continuity and planning, among other needs.
	The Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles plans to re-issue a solicitation for an online motor vehicle system. The DMV and Vermont Correctional Industries recently released a joint RFI for information on computer software systems and available license plate production technology. The contractor will be responsible for developing the new system and integrating it to handle orders from multiple DMV offices. The current system is 30 years old. The RFP is expected in March.
	The Pennsylvania Department of General Services plans to release a solicitation for PC peripheral and networking gear in the first quarter of this year. The department wants IT hardware, PC peripherals and networking gear from several manufacturers. The state has released a request for information.
Delaware Health and Social Services plans to re-release a solicitation for an enterprise data warehouse and decision support system in March. The agency needs systems integrator services, including hardware, software and application tools to design, develop and implement the system.
A major consolidation of Texas' health and human services functions should produce a wave of fresh opportunities for integrators over the next three to five years.
Massachusetts issued an open-standards policy this month that directs agencies to consider using open-source software when purchasing new information technology systems.
	The Port Authority Trans-Hudson Corp. of New York and New Jersey is planning to modernize its signal system to add automatic train control capabilities. An analysis said that digitally encoded audio frequency track circuits or communications-based train control technologies would work best. Responses to an RFI are due Feb. 9.
	The materials management division of the Minnesota Administration Department and the Finance Department want to build a statewide purchasing system. The system must have online requisitioning, issue requests for bids, accept electronic bidding and invoices, host vendor catalogs and have auction capabilities. An RFP is expected in mid-2005. The project is expected to be worth $10 million.
	The University of California at Davis needs wireless services, but the school wants to go beyond buying a commodity service. Instead, it is exploring an approach that will use wireless to enhance the campus teaching and research mission, reduce long-term operational costs and provide vendors with sufficient compensation, opportunities and recognition to make a venture worthwhile. This RFI will help the school determine the feasibility of issuing an RFP for wireless services and help define the scope. Multiple RFPs or contract agreements may be issued. RFPs are expected in March.
	The Washington Transportation Department has issued a request for information for technology and equipment to network its highway advisory radio stations. Responses are due Feb. 3. Information from the RFI will help develop a request for proposal, technical direction and infrastructure for the project. The state may issue a sole-source contract if only one company responds.
State and local governments will continue their full-scale retreat from offshore outsourcing this year to avoid the political backlash that often accompanies the loss of government jobs to overseas sites, industry and government officials said.
If you had asked him six months ago how states were doing, Scott Pattison would have said that nearly every state was having severe budget problems. That's no longer the case.
Indiana Tax Commissioner Kenneth Miller had every reason to believe that recent improvements in tax administration were paying off, but he needed a way to demonstrate tangible results to the governor and legislature.
<b>New Hampshire Administrative Services Department</b><br><b>Project: </b>Statewide Enterprise Resource Planning System<br><b>Term:</b> TBD<br><b>Estimated value:</b> TBD<br><b>RFP release:</b> January <br>The department has a requirement for a statewide ERP system that will include budget and finance, human resources and electronic purchasing modules.
The Louisiana Social Services Department wants to create a customer service unit, which will be part of support enforcement services in the Office of FamilySupport. The state might use a phased-in approach for a vendor to develop an interactive voice response and Web-based system. The system will most likely be tested in regional offices before deployment statewide.
The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority is planning an integrated maintenance, inventory and transportation system for the Long Island bus line. The RFP is expected this month. The system will be built on an open architecture and will be upgradeable and easy to use. The authority wants to be able to expand the system to include related functions such as procurement. The new system will integrate with existing systems such as payroll and human resources.
	The Baltimore Metropolitan Council is planning two solicitations for emergency preparedness. In one contract, the council wants a consultant to develop a regional protective action plan. It will provide guidance in prevention, response and mitigation activities for large-scale multijuris- dictional emergencies, including natural disasters, hazardous material incidents and terrorist attacks. In the second contract, the council wants crisis management software for the region to assist with emergency management activities. The requests for proposals are expected in early 2004.
