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NASCIO Brief Emphasizes Critical State CIO Involvement in Green IT Initiatives

The National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) announced the release of its new issue brief “Green IT in Enterprise Practices: The Essential Role of the State CIO.” This brief highlights the ways in which state CIOs can become involved in shaping and promoting green IT practices and policies. By looking at enterprise hardware through its lifecycle of acquisition, utilization and disposal, addressing energy efficiency in state offices and data centers, and by enabling green practices through the utilization of IT, state CIOs can play a key role in reducing their state's carbon footprint.

”State CIOs have an opportunity to become transformational leaders in green IT initiatives,” said Oregon CIO Dugan Petty, chair of NASCIO's Green IT Working Group. ”By advocating for green practices through the use of IT, and by helping to shape policies that will lead to these practices, state CIOs can have a tangible influence on lessening their state's environmental impact.“

Details Here: www.govtech.com/gt/articles/364953?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=link

first published week of:   06/02/2008

National Archives to Include Earth Imagery

The story of the Nation's land during the last 75 years can be told impartially through records of earth observation -- aerial photographs dating from the 1930s and satellite images dating from the 1960s. This vast reservoir of data supplies objective reference points that are essential in documenting land change and in understanding climate change. Preserving important records of the nation’s history while providing convenient public access to them is a vital responsibility of government.

To meet this responsibility in the field of earth observation, Professor Allen Weinstein, archivist of the United States, and Dr. Mark Myers, director of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), today signed an agreement creating a cooperative framework for how the two federal agencies will together ensure the preservation and access of the massive earth imagery and geospatial data resources currently archived by the USGS at its Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Details Here: www.govtech.com/gt/articles/371836?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=link

first published week of:   06/23/2008

New 'Net neutrality bill surfaces in House

Rep. Markey’s office let us know that the bill was introduced this morning. According to Markey, the bill will“ensure that the historic, open architecture nature of the Internet will be preserved and fostered for the consumers, content providers and high tech innovators of the future.”

Original Story: Network neutrality looks poised for a Congressional comeback as Representatives Ed Markey (D-MA) and Chip Pickering (R-MS) prepare to introduce the Internet Freedom Preservation Act of 2008.

According to a draft version of the bill that we've seen, the Act won't try to legislate network neutrality. Instead, it adds a "“Broadband Policy” section to the Communications Act that lays out a few general principles. The bill would force the FCC to see if those principles are being lived up to and whether any policy changes might be needed. In other words, the Congressmen want the FCC to do something, but they aren’t ready to completely overrule the Commission's judgment.

Details Here: /arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080213-new-net-neutrality-bill-poised-to-surface-in-house.html

first published week of:   02/11/2008

New York State Changes Rules on Use of Consultants by State Agencies

New York Gov. David A. Paterson on Friday issued an Executive Order that creates a new set of stringent standards governing the use of consultant contracts by state agencies. Additionally, a new task force will be put in place to review and report on agencies use of consultants. These measures will help ensure consultants will only be utilized when they represent the most cost-effective or efficient option possible for taxpayers. According to the Division of the Budget, the state is projected to spend over $800 million on consultant services in 2008-09.

The Task Force Governor Paterson created will review all future consultant contracts with personnel costs of over $1 million per year. After entering into a contract covered by the Executive Order, a state agency will have 10 business days to provide the task force a written justification for why it has chosen to use consultants instead of state employees. If the reason for doing so is cost savings, the agency must also produce an analysis that supports this conclusion.

The Executive Order applies to most consultant contracts where personnel costs exceed $1 million per year. The Order only recommends the use of outside contractor work if the contractor will be more cost effective, efficient, or necessary to protect public health and safety. It also requires agencies to explain why outside consultants - and not state employees - are needed to perform a specific task.

Details Here: www.govtech.com/gt/articles/369865?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=link

first published week of:   06/16/2008

North Oaks tells Google Maps: Keep out - we mean it

You can look at almost anything on Google. Just don’t try to sneak a peek of the homes in the private community of North Oaks MN.

The city of 4,500 residents has demanded that Google Maps remove images of North Oaks homes from the website’s Street View feature, where any Internet user can glimpse a home from the nearest road.

North Oaks’ unique situation, in which the roads are privately owned by the residents and the city enforces a trespassing ordinance, may have made it the first city in the country to request that the online search engine remove images from Google Maps.

Details Here: www.startribune.com/lifestyle/19416279.html?location_refer=Editorials

first published week of:   06/02/2008

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