Nebraska Gov. Heineman Opens Technology Conference, Outlines State Approach

On Tuesday, Gov. Dave Heineman opened the Fusion '05 annual e-Government conference in Lincoln by outlining his technology strategy for the State of Nebraska. The conference was sponsored by Government Technology magazine.

"State government is committed to using technology to improve government efficiency and make more services available 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week," Gov. Heineman said. "While much has already been accomplished, we must keep this momentum going if we as a state are to meet the challenge of becoming more consumer-friendly."

The Governor's technology strategy is based upon four principles:

• The state's information technology policy and operational groups need to work more closely together;
  
  
• There must be a unified technology strategy for all of state government;
  
  
• The state should strive to eliminate the duplication of IT expenditures and purchase technology as a larger group so the state can more effectively deliver the services citizens expect; and
  
  
• The technology should be taxpayer-friendly, expanding access to government and encouraging greater involvement in an efficient manner.

"Technology is key to advancing our goals for greater efficiency and for providing more customer-focused services to our residents and businesses," Gov. Heineman said. "We are making tremendous strides by fusing the technology and new possibilities of the 21st Century with our commitment to better serve the people of this great state."

More than 175 state, local and federal government employees attended Fusion '05 at the Lincoln Embassy Suites, 1040 P St.