Government Contract News

IT Dashboard: 45 Federal IT Projects Halted - Jul 17

Will boost transparency and accountability, leading to possible personnel and contracting reforms.

Today, Federal CTO Vivek Kundra (pictured) -- in his IT Dashboard blog said the Dashboard enabled officials to catch 45 over-budget or behind-schedule Veterans Affairs IT projects worth some $200 million and call a temporary halt to them. "We were able to catch these contracts, in part," said Kundra in the blog entry, "thanks to our new tool, the "IT Dashboard" which helped shed light on the performance of projects across the federal government."

Kundra said that the dashboard will boost transparency and accountability, leading to possible personnel and contracting reforms.

$1.16 Billion Indiana Welfare Outsourcing Contract in Jeopardy - Jul 8

Twenty percent of food stamp cases are allegedly being mishandled, among other complaints.

Indystar.com reported today that Indiana's $1.16 billion 10-year social services outsourcing contract is in jeopardy. IBM Corp. and Affiliated Computer Services manage the state's system of distributing food stamps, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families and Medicaid payments. The article quoted Indiana Family and Social Services Administration Secretary Anne Murphy as saying the deal with IBM could be cancelled. According to the article, 20 percent of food stamp cases are allegedly being mishandled, among other complaints.

In the fall of 2006, Governor Daniels announced the agreement saying it would help clean up "America's worst welfare system" and would save an estimated $500 million in administrative costs over the 10-year span of the agreement.

Virginia Updates Stimulus.Virginia.Gov - Mar 12

Transparency and accountability core parts of ARRA implementation.

Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine today launched an overhauled Stimulus.Virginia.Gov, transforming the state's original, Web site into a comprehensive online portal for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). With the conclusion of the project solicitation phase of the commonwealth's program to implement the recovery plan, the Web site is transitioning to present a wide range of information related to the ARRA -- including maps, graphs, charts, and downloadable tables that allow citizens to see where proposals have originated, where money is flowing, and what specific projects and geographies are benefiting from recovery plan funding.

"In Virginia -- just as in other states across the country -- we've made transparency and accountability a core part of our program to implement the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act," Kaine said. "As we work to build a stronger economic future for Virginia, the redesigned Stimulus.Virginia.Gov will be a central tool to ensure Virginians can see where funds are being used and how the recovery plan is working in our state."

Virginia will receive approximately $4.8 billion in direct appropriations from the ARRA -- not including tax cuts, which will aid Virginia citizens directly. In addition, a large amount of additional funds will be in the form of competitive grants that have yet to be awarded. These grants may be awarded to a wide range of groups, including state agencies and institutions of higher education, local governments, quasi-governmental organizations, non-profit organizations, and private companies. White House economists estimate the recovery plan will create or save 93,000 jobs in Virginia over the next two years.

Given the ARRA's unprecedented requirements on disclosure and reporting the use of funding, State Comptroller David Von Moll will be working to ensure Virginia state agencies and institutions of higher education meet all reporting requirements to the federal government. Between February 10 and March 6, Stimulus.Virginia.Gov received more than 9,000 project ideas, totaling $450 billion.

City of Boise Launches Stimulus Tracking Web Site - Mar 10

Includes a "Funded Projects" list which will keep a running total of all projects awarded to the Boise area under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

The City of Boise today unveiled "Accountable Boise," a new Web site dedicated to tracking and detailing federal stimulus funding awarded to projects benefiting Boise and its surrounding communities.

"The people of Boise need to know their government is spending their money wisely and efficiently," Mayor David Bieter said. "This site will allow residents to see where stimulus funds are going on a local level to improve our community and put people back to work."

The new site includes a "Funded Projects" list which will keep a running total of all projects awarded to the Boise area under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. To date, the Boise area is slated to receive just less than $55 million for transportation projects following recent approval by the Community Planning Association of Southwest Idaho (COMPASS) and the Idaho Department of Transportation Board. Governor Otter must certify all transportation projects. The site also includes a complete list of all projects proposed by the city of Boise for stimulus funding.

Following the passage of the stimulus act on Feb. 17, Mayor Bieter assembled a Boise Stimulus Response Team to ensure all appropriate opportunities within the bill are pursued. The response team includes representatives from every city department and is led by Ross Borden, the city's director of intergovernmental affairs.

"Our resourceful, resilient community is better positioned than most to emerge from this economic downturn stronger, smarter and more agile than before." Bieter said. "The federal stimulus program is just one of many tools we're utilizing to ensure that, even during these challenging times, we continue to make Boise the most livable city in the country."

The state of Idaho is projected to receive a little more than $1 billion dollars in federal stimulus funding.

$1.6 Billion Stimulus Funding Allocation Announced by Virginia Governor - Mar 6

Chief of Staff Wayne Turnage will lead a working group that will evaluate and appropriately route projects submitted on the Stimulus.Virginia.Gov Web site.

"As we begin to allocate Recovery Act funds it is important that citizens are kept informed about how their money is being used." -- Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (pictured)

Virginia Governor Timothy M. Kaine today announced the allocation of $1.6 billion from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to education, public safety and transportation needs in Virginia. He also announced that Chief of Staff Wayne Turnage will lead a working group that, starting today, will evaluate and appropriately route projects submitted on the Stimulus.Virginia.Gov Web site. Once work begins, Virginians will be able to track the spending of recovery funds through a Web site currently being developed by the commonwealth, and expected to launch shortly.

"As we begin to allocate Recovery Act funds it is important that citizens are kept informed about how their money is being used. That's why we launched our Web site last month and why we're making it a priority to continue to be transparent and accountable moving forward," Kaine said. "We all have a stake in our financial future and we will make sure that all Virginians will be able to track how well we're doing."

The $1.6 billion that has been allocated to Virginia so far is targeted at three main areas:

K-12 Education Allocations -- Through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Virginia school systems will receive approximately $730.4 million in fiscal stabilization funds which will be distributed to Virginia school divisions by formula based on the federal law. The commonwealth is also receiving $281.4 million in funding for special education. Localities will also receive a total of $165.3 million for K-12 education through Title I. The U.S. Department of Education has provided preliminary tables estimating each locality's share, and these tables are now available on the Governor's Web site. More information about K-12 education funding from the Act can be found online.
Public Safety Grants to Localities -- The Bureau of Justice Assistance has released information for the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program funding that was made available through the Recovery Act. Virginia and its localities will receive a total of $39.8 million to support local law enforcement in the commonwealth. The funding being distributed to localities will flow through the program's standard allocation procedures. The Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program allows states and local governments to support a broad range of activities to prevent and control crime and to improve the criminal justice system. More information about public safety funding from the Act can be found online.
Transportation Infrastructure Funding -- Virginia will receive a total of $694.5 million in highway funding, $118 million of which will be for projects selected by the state's three urban metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) in Washington, D.C., Richmond and Hampton Roads. The remaining highway infrastructure investment funding may be used for federally qualifying surface transportation projects selected by the Commonwealth Transportation Board. Approximately $116 million will be distributed to transit operators in Virginia. The Act also creates several discretionary grant programs that can help advance transportation projects such as innovative highway projects, intercity and high-speed rail projects, and new transit service expansions. More information about the highway funding from the Act can be found online.

Since the launch of Stimulus.Virginia.Gov on February 10, more than 7,000 proposals have been submitted by citizens, localities and other groups. After the close of business today, suggestions will be sorted by the governor's working group and sent to the appropriate secretariat for evaluation. Secretaries will ensure compliance with applicable federal rules and make recommendations to the governor for which projects to fund. Detailed information on those projects that are chosen will be made available on a Web site that is currently under development.

ARRA Stimulus Package: $20 Billion for Healthcare IT, $4.3 Billion for Smart Grid Technology - Mar 4

"This new government money will flow to both the private sector and directly to federal, state and local government."

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), recently signed into law by President Obama, provides welcome news to technology suppliers who are facing a 0.1 percent 2009 U.S. growth rate, according to new research from IDC's Industry Insights Companies.

"With all the uncertainty surrounding the specifics of the new economic stimulus package, one thing is certain -- there will be a large amount of government money flowing towards technology spending," said IDC's Meredith Whalen. "This new government money will flow to both the private sector and directly to federal, state and local government."

Intelligent Grid Technologies

ARRA includes over $4.3 billion of funding specifically for "smart grid" technology investment. According to research from Energy Insights, the energy subsidies contained in the economic stimulus package will dramatically accelerate intelligent grid technology investment during the next four years; with the possibility of spending levels reaching $70 billion by 2013. This spending would span a wide range of technologies, including:

IT and communications hardware
Smart meters and other intelligent devices
Applications software used to operate the grid and enable active energy management by consumers
Software to manage huge amounts of meter and grid data
Advanced energy storage systems and grid-connected distributed generation resources and
A variety of services required to plan, integrate, deploy and maintain the technologies.

"Although the mechanisms for getting the subsidies to the utilities and other technology buyers are as yet unclear, we believe that spending will not start to accelerate until 2010," said Energy Insights' Rick Nicholson. "Once spending does start to accelerate, it is likely that it will be focused initially on smart metering projects. Broader deployments using technologies beyond smart metering will come later."

Digital Patient Information

Included in the $787 billion ARRA is approximately $20 billion in funding for healthcare IT, including incentive payments to physicians who implement and use eligible electronic medical records systems under the conditions laid out in the law.

"The approximately $20 billion in ARRA funding allocated to healthcare IT investment will have a positive impact and will begin the transformational process the U.S. healthcare industry so desperately needs to remain viable and competitive," said Health Industry Insights' Lynne A. Dunbrack and Marc Holland. "That said, even if implementation proceeds as intended, a number of issues still loom."

Health Industry Insights believes the combination of near-term stimulus funding for patient care, coupled with significant long term incentives and investments in new core health IT infrastructure will accelerate the move toward digital patient information. New Medicare and Medicaid stimulus money will ease cost pressures for many providers, while direct incentives to physicians and hospitals should ensure aggressive implementation of new patient information systems starting in 2011. Between now and 2011, the companies expect significant new spending on standards development and core federal infrastructure.

Defining Strategies Will Be Key

Industry Insights analysts believe it will be imperative for the vendor community to be both aggressive and agile in their strategy to capture this newly addressable market. This once-in-a-lifetime flood of new technology money requires a new way of finding and following opportunities. Success will not come from traditional business development via relationships and RFPs. While some of these new monies will be allocated via grants and accelerated acquisitions contracts, there will be new ways of engaging with the government.

"Technology monies will not necessarily be identified as such, but as an element of new and urgent government initiatives," said Teresa Bozzelli of Government Insights.

California CIO Holds Vendor Forum - Mar 3

Takai met with vendors on the first anniversary of the Office of the CIO (OCIO) to go over the state's IT strategic plan, detail what projects are coming down the pipeline, and -- as she said -- enlist private-sector help in the process.

Last week, California CIO Teri Takai met with vendors on the first anniversary of the Office of the CIO (OCIO) to go over the state's IT strategic plan, detail what projects are coming down the pipeline, and -- as she said -- enlist private-sector help in the process. Takai presented a detailed look into the state's IT strategy which is moving forward, she said, in spite of some significant budget challenges. Her presentation -- available on archived video as well as presentation slides -- covered:

Strategic/ IT capital plan and the governor's reorganization plan
Procurement update
DTS move and DTS strategic plan
IT security
Vendor forum preview

Brazil's Schools to Get Virtualized Desktops - Feb 18

The ability to turn 1 computer into up to 10 independent workstations enabled the Brazilian government to supply its schools with an unprecedented number of computer workstations.

Userful and ThinNetworks today announce that they have been selected to supply 356,800 virtualized desktops to schools in all of Brazil's 5,560 municipalities.

This initiative will provide computer access to millions of children and adolescents throughout the country. It is a historical achievement, said the companies in a relese, being the world’s largest ever virtual desktop deployment, the world’s largest ever desktop Linux deployment, and a new record low-cost for PCs with the PC sharing hardware and software costing less than $50 per seat.

The decision to deploy Userful and ThinNetworks' low-cost and environmentally friendly desktop virtualization solution establishes the Brazilian Ministry of Education as a global leader in computer education and provides other governments and institutions worldwide with a proven model for improving student to computer ratios while rolling out large numbers of desktops with minimal cost and environmental impact.

Userful offers the features of a full PC including high performance video for less than $50 per additional seat in large deployments (not including monitors and keyboards) and uses standard PC hardware including additional low-cost video cards and USB/2-way-audio hubs from ThinNetworks. Userful and ThinNetworks are providing the desktop virtualizaton and PC sharing software and hardware while Positivo, Daruma, and Itaultec are providing the PCs and services. Userful and ThinNetworks have been selected in a competitive bidding process for all three phases of the project. The first phase, 18,750 workstations in rural schools, has already been installed and they are functioning well.

Userful's cost saving ability to turn 1 computer into up to 10 independent workstations enabled the Brazilian government to supply its schools with an unprecedented number of computer workstations.

Savings of 60 percent in up-front costs, 80 percent in annual power savings and additional savings in ongoing administration and support costs as compared to a traditional PC-per-workstation solution all contributed to making 356,800 new workstations for Brazil's school children possible.

Up to 10 users can work on a single computer by simply attaching extra monitors, mice and keyboards. "This deployment alone saves more than 170,000 tons of CO2 emissions annually, the same as taking 28,000 cars off the road, or planting 41,000 acres of trees”, said Userful's Sean Rousseau. Turning 1 computer into 10 reduces computer hardware waste “e-waste” by up to 80 percent, further decreasing its environmental footprint. A free 2-user version of Userful Multiplier software for home use is available online.

Alabama Governor to Put State Checkbook Online - Feb 12

Transparency initiative to include the amount of funds being spent, the date of the expenditure, the agency spending the money and the funding source.

"You shouldn't have to be an investigative reporter to find out how the state spends tax dollars." -- Alabama Gov. Bob Riley (pictured)

Taxpayers will be able to see where every dime of state money goes under an executive order Governor Bob Riley signed yesterday.

The directive orders the creation of a publicly accessible Web site that details all spending, grants and contracts done by state government. The public information will include the amount of funds being spent, the date of the expenditure, the agency spending the money and the funding source.

"Taxpayers will know where their money goes and to whom it goes," said Riley.

Riley signed the executive order during the annual meeting of the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama (PARCA), where he delivered remarks on the need for ethics reform and more accountability in state government.

"You shouldn't have to be an investigative reporter to find out how the state spends tax dollars. So with this executive order, we're going to put the state's checkbook online," Riley said. "This reform empowers taxpayers to become fiscal watchdogs. With this Web site detailing the expenditures of all state funds, Alabama will take a giant leap forward in government transparency."

The directive orders the Finance Department to develop and operate a Web site providing information "of all appropriated or non-appropriated funds by a state agency in forms including, but not limited to, grants, contracts and subcontracts."

The executive order states the Web site must be online no later than March 1 of this year with information on spending from fiscal year 2008 and with monthly reports of expenditures incurred in the 2009 fiscal year. Software that makes the database searchable must be in place by September 1.

Riley has continually advocated for greater transparency in government. With the SMART (Specific, Measurable, Accountable, Responsive and Transparent) Governing reform he instituted, all state agencies must set goals and detail their plans for spending taxpayer dollars.

Fairfield, New Jersey, Police Department Awards Fleet Management Contract - Feb 3

The solution can be used to track police vehicles, emergency equipment as well as criminals and stolen packages.

The Fairfield, N.J., Police Department has awarded an automated vehicle locator contract. Mobile Trak Pro will provide the police department with the ability to view the exact location of each vehicle, increasing the safety of their officers and the ability to deploy tracking devices to help fight crime.

The Web-based software is also capable of generating reports that enables the police department to analyze police vehicle movements for training purposes and to ultimately enhance their service to the community.

"I am impressed with the rich features, functionality and accuracy of this Web-based application. We are looking forward to implementing the Mobile Trak Pro solution after exhaustive research and vendor demonstrations," said Chief Charles Voelker. "Mobile Trak Pro is the only multi-agency AVL application that will enable us to enter into a shared services and or centralized dispatch environment at no additional cost," added Chief Voelker.

StarPath Technologies Mobile Trak Pro solution can be used to track police vehicles, emergency equipment as well as criminals and stolen packages.

StarPath offers government agencies a free thirty day trial period. StarPath Technologies will ship modems to potential clients that meet our criteria and enable them to track two to three of their vehicle in real-time, on a system dedicated to their vehicles for a full thirty days with no cost or obligation.

Mobile Trak Pro is the only Web-based multi-agency system that allows several clients to access their vehicles on a single server. The system can be configured to view their agency vehicles only or to be able to view the vehicles of all agencies. It is the perfect solution for shared services and or the centralized dispatched of numerous jurisdictions. Multiple security levels control access to view the vehicles. StarPath does not charge police departments for configuring additional agencies on the single installation, as it is a standard feature of the Mobile Trak Pro system.

Ocoee, Fla., Signs Contract for Red-Light Camera Enforcement Program - Jan 28

"If we see a decrease in violations, crashes and injuries, [Ocoee] roadways will be much safer."

The City Commission of Ocoee, Florida approved a contract with American Traffic Solutions (ATS) to serve as the city's red-light camera traffic safety program vendor. ATS serves more than 130 communities with red-light and speed camera programs, and is the largest vendor in Florida, already serving several communities.

"Red-light cameras are an effective tool in helping local police to enforce traffic laws and improve public safety without any additional cost to taxpayers, since the program is totally funded through red-light runners," said Ocoee Police Department Lieutenant Brad Draesher. "If we see a decrease in violations, crashes and injuries similar to what American Traffic Solutions has achieved in other Florida communities, Ocoee roadways will be much safer."

Ocoee is 15-20 minutes from Orlando in western Orange County, which is one of the fastest growing counties in all of Florida. With a population of more than 30,000, Ocoee is continuing to grow and has averaged more than one new home a day for the past seven years.

"Ready to Go" Infrastructure Projects Lined Up by U.S. Conference of Mayors - Jan 19

779 cities of all sizes in all regions of the country have a total of 18,750 local infrastructure projects that are "ready to go," pending funds.

779 cities of all sizes in all regions of the country, have a total of 18,750 local infrastructure projects that are “ready to go,” pending funds.

Last week The U.S. Conference of Mayors released the fourth in its series of reports on infrastructure projects that are “ready to go” in cities across the nation -- projects that meet local infrastructure needs and contribute to local economic development goals, that can be funded quickly through existing federal channels and which could start quickly when funding is received.

The report, says the introduction, lists a total 779 cities having 18,750 such local infrastructure projects, representing an infrastructure investment of $149,758,339,126 that would be capable of producing an estimated 1,604,371 jobs in 2009 and 2010.

These are the cumulative totals of projects, required funding, and jobs to be created that have been reported in the four surveys of cities conducted by the Conference of Mayors over the past three months.

The report lists, city by city, projects that include information technology, green technology, transportation technology, etc.

New York State Cancels Wireless Network Contract - Jan 15

CIO Melodie Mayberry-Stewart says vendor M/A-COM failed to deliver a reliable network and demands $50 million letter of credit.

Chalk up another defeat for interoperable communications networks. The New York state Office for Technology (OFT) announced Thursday it has terminated its contract with M/A-COM, the vendor building the statewide wireless public safety network.

The OFT gave M/A-COM notice for payment of a $50 million standby letter of credit, as agreed upon in the contract. Since the contract was awarded in April 2004, the state said it has spent $54 million in operating expenses for the project.

The OFT said M/A-COM failed to cure 15 of 19 deficiencies that were outlined in an Aug. 29, 2008, default letter. Problems outlined in the default notice included high failure rates for mobile radios and other portable devices; multiple site outages that rendered the network unavailable for 43 hours during the July test period; and glitches with the network's uninterrupted roaming feature that in some cases prevented the use of radios for emergency communications. According to the notice, the wireless network failed two earlier tests -- one in fall 2007 and another in spring 2008 -- before another unsuccessful assessment in July 2008.

New York state CIO Melodie Mayberry-Stewart told Government Technology during an interview on Sept. 5, 2008, that she was optimistic the problems could be fixed. Her optimism was apparently dashed on Thursday.

"We are extremely disappointed M/A-COM has failed to demonstrate the reliability of their OpenSky technology, especially its network and subscriber radios, which are the core of the system," said Mayberry-Stewart in a news release. "Per the terms of the contract, we have given M/A-COM every opportunity to remediate existing deficiencies. However, the state's testing concluded M/A-COM is unable to deliver a system that meets the needs of New York state's first responders as stated in the contract."

M/A-COM was acquired in September 2008 by Cobham, a UK-based aerospace and defense developer. Cobham representatives were unavailable for comment Thursday.

Angela Liotta, the acting media relations director of the OFT, told Government Technology that during the most recent testing period in November 2008, the network had 14.5 cumulative hours of downtime for the month, which is well above the U.S. standard of only 52.6 minutes per year. In addition, she said 29 percent of the mobile and portable radios were malfunctioning, which is well above the maximum 3 percent failure rate of a typical consumer product.

"In the consumer world, you would never buy a TV that didn't work 29 percent of the time," Liotta said.

Liotta said the radios' emergency call buttons were doing "kooky" things. Occasionally the system would send an alarm simultaneously to all users' radios, when in actuality nobody sent an alarm.

Craig Settles, a wireless industry analyst, said Thursday that the failure of the New York state wireless network is a good example of why a national public safety network won't work. By the time you start a project, the technology is usually obsolete, he said

"This New York project is pretty good example of that, because when they started the idea four years ago, radio technology was still in vogue -- and with a lot of these old guard folks it still is. It was at the cusp of its sunset because the IP and wireless technology is really where everything is going," Settles said. "It started off with an RFP for a soon-to-be obsolete or a less-than-ideal technology, and then by the time they got to the piloting of it -- not even the deployment -- they realized this isn't going to work."

The OFT said Thursday it is beginning to draw up contingency plans for the wireless public safety network.

"The state's fully committed to delivering a public safety network to our first responders," Liotta said.

Wisconsin, Minnesota to Explore Shared Services Across State Lines - Jan 14

"We're not proposing to merge the Vikings and the Packers, but we are going to seek out every area where we can save money and improve services by working together across state lines." -- Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty

"We're not proposing to merge the Vikings and the Packers, but we are going to seek out every area where we can save money and improve services by working together across state lines." -- Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty (Right) announces the shared services initiative with Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle.

Citing a unique opportunity for reform in the face of difficult economic circumstances, Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle and Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty today announced an effort to identify potential shared services between their states. At ceremonies in Madison and St. Paul, Doyle and Pawlenty signed Executive Orders directing state agency commissioners and secretaries to identify possible cooperative service agreements between Wisconsin and Minnesota's state agencies.

"The people of our states are used to seeing neighbors cooperate to get through challenging times," Doyle said. "This is a common-sense way to cut government spending while protecting essential services during a tough economic time for our country."

Potential Shared Services

Three areas that could offer significant efficiencies through cooperative efforts include:

Procurement -- Both Minnesota and Wisconsin were pioneers in cooperative purchasing efforts and cooperate on a number of contracts. More potential opportunities to combine the purchasing power of the states exist, including road salt, heavy equipment, institutional food, and software.
Facilities and Vehicles -- Minnesota and Wisconsin will examine their fixed assets, such as real estate, to see what value can be captured by sharing these resources. Wisconsin's Department of Natural Resources, for example, may be able to rent helicopter service from Minnesota in order to save Wisconsin money and generate revenue for Minnesota. Other potential opportunities include patrol boats, aircraft and warehouse space.
Cooperative Functions -- Wisconsin and Minnesota will look for opportunities to consolidate functions or capture efficiencies through sharing and specialization. Some common functions may be able to work cooperatively and more efficiently at a larger scale. Others, such as nursery and hatchery operations, may gain efficiencies by swapping products. Areas to examine include: Call centers, collection operations, licensing functions, back office functions, agricultural, fishery and nursery operations, prison industries, programs and facilities, Duluth/Superior operations.

Executive Orders

Governor Doyle and Governor Pawlenty have agreed that cooperative service arrangements between the state agencies of Wisconsin and Minnesota could result in significant improvements to the delivery and cost effectiveness of state services. Both governors today issued Executive Orders directing state agency heads to work with their counterparts across the border and identify specific areas to implement cooperative service models.

The identification of potential areas for cooperative service arrangements is intended to be an initial step in the process and both governors have directed their state commissioners to be creative and flexible in their approach and to identify the maximum potential areas for further review and consideration.

Wisconsin and Minnesota's commissioners and secretaries will report back to their governors by February 27, 2009. Each report must identify the specific activities, programs and services currently provided by their state's agency that could be met through a cooperative service arrangement with the other state.

California Government Still Buying IT, Says Report - Jan 13

A tremendous focus on cost-saving technology and technology that offers virtualization and reduced footprint.

California state government invested over $105,118,000.00 in November 2008 indicating that, while times are tough, the business of the government must go on, according to a report by YB Marketing. This dollar figure was made up of some 585 contracts, said the company, from large companies to those designated as certified small business (SB) and disabled veteran business enterprise (DVBE).

For the same time period in November 2007, California government invested approximately $133 million in information technology products and services through 815 contracts.

In further discussions with various state departments, the company noted that while being sensitive and aware of the financial issues, some departments have seen no slowdown whatsoever; however, there is a tremendous focus on cost-saving technology and technology that offers virtualization and reduced footprint.

Additional conversations with project delivery management staff from a large U.S. based systems integrator the public sector manager noted "no projects have been affected by the economy."

YB Marketing believes that the state of California IT staff are most responsive to ideas in IT. And, they are cognizant of their responsibiltiy to the taxpayers and that suggests IT investments will continue.

Research gathered through various department reports, direct interviews, and public record. This may not include all branches and constitutional officers.

Cameron County, Texas, Signs $3.7 Million Contract for Courts Software - Jan 5

Contract supplies an integrated courts and justice software solution.

Cameron County is a member of the Texas Conference of Urban Counties (CUC), a non-profit organization consisting of 35 counties across the state, which accounts for approximately 80 percent of the state's population. As a CUC member, the county will deploy Tyler's Odyssey Case Manager software based on the software license agreement signed in 2006 between Tyler and the CUC. Under the most recent contract, Tyler will provide implementation and related professional services for Cameron County. In addition to Case Manager, the County will use the Prosecutor, Check Manager, and Jail Manager and Law Enforcement applications from Tyler's integrated court solution.

"Cameron County is doing what many counties throughout Texas and courts across the U.S. have done -- turn to Tyler for its courts and justice software solution," said Bruce Graham, president of Tyler's Courts & Justice Solutions. "With Tyler's Web-based, integrated solution, Cameron County will experience increased efficiencies and improved integration by replacing the disparate systems it currently uses with a single solution from Tyler."

"We anticipate that the implementation of the new software will benefit Cameron County in many ways," commented Robert L. Lopez, director of administrative services for Cameron County. "Aside from the obvious benefits of modern technology, it will bring all justice departments under one umbrella and improve the channels of communication. We also look forward to having the ability to scan documents into the system and gaining the incident tracking and monitoring benefits of the Law Enforcement product center. Commissioner Sofia C. Benavides and Judge Migdalia Lopez, our IT committee co-chairs, should be commended for their efforts to bring everyone together during the selection process."

Connecticut Strengthens "Nation's Toughest Contracting Law" - Jan 5

"There can be absolutely no tolerance for anything other than a level playing field and the highest regard for the public good."

Photo: Connecticut Gov. M. Jodi Rell

Connecticut Gov. M. Jodi Rell's Office said that on Jan. 1 the state has added new provisions to the "nation's toughest contracting laws."

"These provisions send a clear message that Connecticut will assess and approve contractors and contracts with a fair and even hand," Rell said. "There can be absolutely no tolerance for anything other than a level playing field and the highest regard for the public good."

The provisions that took effect on Thursday are:

Establishment of a 14-member State Contracting Standards Board (SCSB) as an independent Executive Branch agency with responsibilities for reviewing, monitoring and auditing the procurement processes of state agencies.
SCSB assistance to constitutional officers to develop the best procurement practices for their offices.
Establishment of a Contracting Standards Advisory Council, consisting of representatives of state agencies and the Office of Policy and Management to recommend improvements to the procurement process to the SCSB.
Establishment of a 15-member Vendor Advisory Board that makes recommendations to the SCSB on best practices in state procurements.

Tyler Technologies to Provide Financial Management Software to Two California Cities - Dec 22

Two California municipalities -- Dublin and Menifee - announced today that they have signed contracts with Tyler Technologies to provide Tyler's financial management solution. In addition to software licenses, each contract includes related professional services, maintenance and support.

Dublin, which is located in the rapidly growing Tri-Valley region of San Francisco's East Bay, will implement a variety of Tyler's EDEN financial and human resources applications to replace its outdated system with one that provides real-time data, full integration and enhanced functionality. The city has also purchased Permits & Inspections, Licensing and Tyler Content Manager Limited Edition. Dublin will employ Web extensions with multiple applications to streamline processing and improve access to information.

Menifee, which has invested in Tyler's EDEN core financial applications, was recently incorporated as a city in October.

"Tyler's financial management solution will enable Dublin and Menifee to integrate data across their respective agencies. Our software system offers the real-time access to information and functionality both cities sought. We're pleased to add two new clients to our growing customer base in California, where we are committed to serving the needs of the public sector market," stated Jeff Green, president of Tyler's EDEN Financial Management Solutions.

Canada Purchases Anthrax Detection Equipment - Dec 16

The detection equipment is designed to check for anthrax and can return results in as little as 3 minutes.

Universal Detection Technology (UNDT) reported today that it has received a purchase order for its anthrax detection equipment from the city of Calgary, Canada Police Service. The purchase order comes from the department's terrorism training division. The detection equipment is designed to check for anthrax and can return results in as little as 3 minutes.

A report released last week by the Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism says urgent security measures need to be taken soon or the world is likely to undergo an incident of terrorism using weapons of mass destruction within the next five years. "Unless the world community acts decisively and with great urgency, it is more likely than not that a weapon of mass destruction will be used in a terrorist attack somewhere in the world by the end of 2013," the report states in the opening sentence of the executive summary. The report also emphasizes the need of the new administration to prepare the nation against a future bioterrorist attack.

UNDT's anthrax detection equipment has been extensively used by first responders and private industry throughout the country. The equipment has been evaluated by the U.S. DOD as well as the United Kingdom military. The equipment's capacities include:

No cross-reactivity with near neighbor strains
No cross-reactivity to household powders
No set up time
No expensive reader needed
No decontamination requirements
No false positives
No false negatives
No hook effect

"This is our first purchase order from Canada as we expand marketing our products internationally," said Jacques Tizabi, CEO, UNDT.

Consolidation, Shared Services to Help Trim New York State Budget - Dec 16

The Office for Technology will focus on the delivery of disaster recovery services, consolidation of servers into a statewide data center, required security and improvements to telecommunications.

Photo: New York Governor David A. Paterson

New York Governor David A. Paterson's executive budget, announced today, includes a number of proposals to deal with a $13.7 billion 2009-10 state budget deficit by eliminating duplicative services, consolidating overlapping state agencies, lowering the cost and size of the state workforce, and closing underutilized state facilities.

"With the state facing a fiscal emergency, we need to look for innovative ways to improve the operations of our government and deliver services more effectively," said Paterson. "These reforms are a first step toward fundamentally reevaluating the way we do business, which will mean significantly lower costs for taxpayers over the long term."

The Plan

The executive budget recommends that seven state agencies merge or integrate with existing agencies, as a first step toward future consolidations. Two additional agencies would have their operations hosted by other agencies. For example, the New York State Foundation for Science, Technology and Innovation (NYSTAR) would merge with the Empire State Development Corporation (ESDC). The State Employment Relations Board is eliminated and its functions absorbed by the Public Employment Relations Board, the Department of Taxation and Finance would host the operations of the Office of Real Property Services and the Division of the Lottery would host the operations of the Racing and Wagering Board.

The executive budget reduces the size of the state workforce by 3,108 positions in 2009-10. This will be accomplished through consolidations and facility closures, as well as the continued implementation of a hard hiring freeze. Layoffs are primarily limited to the impact of agency consolidations or facility closures. Pension enhancements for some categories would be eliminated as well.

Shared Services

To build toward future efficiencies, the executive budget would also establish a new Council on Shared State Operations to oversee the development of a "shared services" model in New York, co-chaired by the director of state operations and the director of the budget. A shared services approach seeks to centralize back-office operations, thereby creating cost savings while simultaneously improving the services offered. an approach that has been supported by private sector firms for years and has been increasingly adopted in the public sector.

Consolidating administrative functions shared by multiple agencies will free agencies to focus on their core missions of providing essential services to New Yorkers, said a release from the Governor's Office, rather than administrative tasks.

Over the next several years, state agencies will work together to create shared service centers with expertise in six distinct operational areas. These centers would gradually become responsible for administering the following consolidated lines of business across state government:

Financial Management System (FMS). The Division of the Budget, in partnership with the Office of the State Comptroller, will launch development of a system to support the delivery of statewide financial services including budgeting, procurement, accounts payable and travel expense reporting.
Procurement. A new Office of Procurement Services will evaluate and improve the state's procurement policies, coordinate purchasing among state agencies, develop new approaches to leverage the buying power of the state, and assist in the development of an e-procurement system as part of the statewide financial management system. The new office will be led by a chief procurement officer (CPO) following a model used by the private sector and other states to capture savings through an ongoing identification of strategic opportunities to partner with sellers of goods and services.
Human Resources. The Office of Civil Service and the Office of Employee Relations will explore how the state can better integrate its existing human resource systems and coordinate employee benefits, training, recruiting and time and attendance.
Technology. The Office for Technology will focus on the delivery of disaster recovery services, consolidation of servers into a statewide data center, required security and improvements to telecommunications.
Asset Management. The Office of General Services will focus on managing state-owned and leased real property, and explore fleet and surplus property initiatives.
Customer Service. A consortium of agencies will also become responsible for developing statewide customer service activities, including a statewide Web-based portal for "one-stop" applications for licensing and permits, and potentially a statewide call center.

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