New York state officials likely will cut back spending on electronic government initiatives in the new fiscal year, redirecting millions of dollars to disaster recovery and emergency response in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center, according to industry analysts.
This year has been an important crossroads for the state and local government marketplace. Red-hot economic activity and overflowing revenue coffers have receded, while electronic government initiatives, though still moving forward, now must accommodate the new priorities and direction brought about by the events of Sept. 11.
The states need federal funding to help them beef up network security and protect critical information technology resources from attacks by hackers and terrorists, according to a national group of state chief information officers.
The aftershocks of Sept. 11 are exposing serious fault lines in the technology and information infrastructure of state and local government. Well-publicized difficulties in coordinating responses to bioterrorism are just the tip of the iceberg.
Innovative technologies that already help government officials track vehicles and manage the flow of traffic can play an important role in responding to terrorist attacks, according to the U.S. transportation industry.
The information technology needs of state and local government agencies have changed rapidly, having a direct impact on the vendor community. Major systems integrators and professional services firms have established new competencies to coincide with the dramatic ascent of e-government initiatives.
Red-light camera systems are enjoying increasing public acceptance as a cost-effective way to reduce traffic accidents, despite complaints that the systems constitute a shakedown of motorists by local governments and the makers of the systems.
There has been much speculation ? often accompanied by breathless announcements ? about what the war on terrorism means for state and local government. Visions of new spending for advanced security systems, enhanced emergency response capabilities and integrated databases are popping up everywhere.
Sandy Ferris, a forensic technician with the North Vancouver detachment of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, was using a facial recognition system to identify an offender when she made a startling discovery.
A California online procurement system and a New Mexico Internet-based solution for child services were among nine projects to receive recognition from the National Association of State Chief Information Officers.
Public-sector organizations are responding to the tragic events of Sept. 11 by offering an array of services from emergency response and logistical support to medical attention and investigative services.
New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani got a lot of ribbing when, in 1998, he ordered the construction of a $15 million emergency command center from which he could direct recover efforts from possible terrorist attacks on the city.
When hijacked jetliners crashed into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon Sept. 11, state technology officers on the East Coast moved quickly to secure data centers and technology office operations.
Plans are under way among state governments to establish a national information-sharing center to boost network security and protect information technology infrastructures that belong to the states.
The Florida state technology office is forging ahead with consolidation of the state's information technology resources into a central technology office, despite being rocked by the resignation of the chief information officer, who would have directed the effort.
Now and then an award is made that signifies a major shift in the competitive landscape of the state and local market. This happened recently when California awarded a $25 million, five-year contract to National Information Consortium Inc., the pioneer e-gov portal company.
Dialing 311 isn't just a way to reach police in a non-emergency. Companies that build these systems are witnessing the creation of a thriving market for 311 systems that also provide quick and easy access to other local government services.
