States need better, stronger IT governance and management, said a report released by the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO), TechAmerica and Grant Thornton. The report deals with IT portfolio management, spending, business models, procurement, management practices and emerging technologies. It was based on results of a survey of state CIOs. Tight budgets and tough times burden them, said NASCIO Executive Director Doug Robinson. “However, the results of the survey clearly indicate this situation presents opportunities for CIOs to execute on cost-saving strategies, innovative business models and advance the use of emerging technologies,” he added. Lower budgets and rising demands for new IT-enabled services are driving CIOs to consolidate applications and data centers, merge services and embrace cloud computing, social media and other emerging technologies, said the report, released last week. A key challenge is IT governance, often complicated by imbalances between accountability and authority. Procurement and IT portfolio management also are problematic, the report said. CIOs gave active portfolio management a “C” grade in the 30 states using it, the report said. It said CIOs also complained of inadequate procurement processes and supported states’ aligning theirs with business’s.
States need better, stronger IT governance and management, said a report released by the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO), TechAmerica and Grant Thornton. The report deals with IT portfolio management, spending, business models, procurement, management practices and emerging technologies. It was based on results of a survey of state CIOs. Tight budgets and tough times burden them, said NASCIO Executive Director Doug Robinson. “However, the results of the survey clearly indicate this situation presents opportunities for CIOs to execute on cost-saving strategies, innovative business models and advance the use of emerging technologies,” he added. Lower budgets and rising demands for new IT-enabled services are driving CIOs to consolidate applications and data centers, merge services and embrace cloud computing, social media and other emerging technologies, said the report, released last week. A key challenge is IT governance, often complicated by imbalances between accountability and authority. Procurement and IT portfolio management also are problematic, the report said. CIOs gave active portfolio management a “C” grade in the 30 states using it, the report said. It said CIOs also complained of inadequate procurement processes and supported states’ aligning theirs with businesses.
The FCC still does not adequately understand and has not addressed concerns about the agency’s proposal for a national public safety wireless broadband network and the need the public safety community has for control of the 700 MHz D-block, public safety officials said Tuesday during a hearing by the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Emergency Communications. But Jamie Barnett, chief of the FCC Public Safety Bureau, defended the agency in his testimony before the panel. Subcommittee Chairwoman Laura Richardson, D-Calif., said she was troubled by the concerns expressed by the public safety officials and would ask the FCC to respond directly.
The Senate will focus on cybersecurity legislation proposed by Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., over that offered by Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., as the lead for cybersecurity reform, predicted Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., at a cybersecurity forum Tuesday in Washington. Rockefeller’s bill will get the nod because it’s more comprehensive than Lieberman’s, Mikulski said: It protects the .com realm, not just the .mil and .gov. But the Senate will probably spend next week working on the Kagan Supreme Court nomination and won’t have enough time to address cybersecurity until returning to Washington after Labor Day, she said.
The Senate will focus on cybersecurity legislation proposed by Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., over that offered by Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., as the lead for cybersecurity reform, predicted Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., at a cybersecurity forum Tuesday in Washington. Rockefeller’s bill will get the nod because it’s more comprehensive than Lieberman’s, Mikulski said: It protects the .com realm, not just the .mil and .gov. But the Senate will probably spend next week working on the Kagan Supreme Court nomination and won’t have enough time to address cybersecurity until returning to Washington after Labor Day, she said.
A staff discussion draft of public safety legislation by House Commerce Chairman Henry Waxman, D-Calif., “includes necessary elements for consideration in establishing rules as part” of a broad interoperability framework, FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski wrote him July 20. “Any path forward” on the public safety network “should permit flexibility to identify additional criteria identified through any rulemaking process,” Genachowski said. Waxman’s draft bill would authorize a commercial auction of the D-block and give the proceeds to public safety. Interoperability “can be achieved and maintained only through a combination of technology standards, license conditions, network governance, funding conditions and regulations,” Genachowski said. Achieving interoperability also will take compliance by “thousands” of public safety jurisdictions, he said. “While the FCC can utilize its licensing regime and its enforcement authority to bring this about, it will also be very important to condition any grant program on compliance with these important interoperability requirements.” Other federal agencies, including the Justice and Homeland Security departments, must “ensure that the proper procedures are in place so all can be certain of interoperability from day one of this network.” Genachowski said he directed the Public Safety Bureau to issue a public notice “soon” on promoting competition for public safety communication technologies. The document will seek comment on to what degree lack of equipment competition and device availability has hurt interoperability for narrowband voice communications, and how to fix the problem going forward, he said. Public Safety Bureau Chief Jamie Barnett is set to speak about the D-block in a hearing Tuesday of the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Emergency Communications. The hearing will discuss the National Broadband Plan’s ideas for public safety, including the proposed commercial D-block auction, the committee said. Other planned witnesses include Greg Schaffer, assistant secretary of the Homeland Security Department; Jeff Johnson, president of the International Association of Fire Chiefs; Charles Dowd, deputy chief of the New York City Police Department; Robert LeGrande, founder of The Digital Decision; and Eric Graham, Cellular South vice president.
The Congressional Research Service has issued a report entitled “Trade Remedies and the WTO Rules Negotiations,” which examines trade remedy issues in the World Trade Organization’s Doha Development Agenda.
On July 20, 2010, House Majority Leader Hoyer (D) announced a new “Make it in America” agenda for the House of Representatives to help the U.S. expand its manufacturing base and encourage people to make goods in the U.S.
Internet Protocol networks are the way forward for emergency-services providers, said IPv6 Forum President Latif Ladid. Though some in public safety consider additional spectrum the answer, that would merely add access and connectivity without making it easier for services to talk to each other, he said in an interview Monday. But Jeppe Jepsen, Motorola’s director of international business relations and a board member of Europe’s Terrestrial Trunked Radio Association (TETRA), said wireless networks aren’t resilient or secure enough to deliver the required services.
Internet Protocol networks are the way forward for emergency-services providers, said IPv6 Forum President Latif Ladid. Though some in public safety consider additional spectrum the answer, that would merely add access and connectivity without making it easier for services to talk to each other, he said in an interview Monday. But Jeppe Jepsen, Motorola’s director of international business relations and a board member of Europe’s Terrestrial Trunked Radio Association (TETRA), said wireless networks aren’t resilient or secure enough to deliver the required services.