State CIOs Reveal Top 10 IT Priority Lists for 2009

Solution providers hoping to capitalize on state government business in 2009 must focus on cost-cutting solutions and products, according to a survey of state CIOs. The National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) on Wednesday released the State CIO's Top Ten Policy and Technology Priorities for 2009. The lists, based on an annual survey of state CIOs conducted by NASCIO, include one for Priority Strategies, Management Processes and Solutions and another for Priority Technologies, Applications and Tools. The lists clearly reflect the budgetary uncertainty faced by state governments in the face of what could prove to be an extended economic downturn. But by prioritizing their IT strategies, the lists also serve as a roadmap for solution providers hoping to grow their state government business. Top Ten Priority Strategies, Management Processes and Solutions 1. Consolidation: Centralizing; consolidating services, operations, resources and infrastructure. 2. Shared Services: Business models, sharing resources, services and infrastructure. 3. Budget and Cost Control: Managing budget reduction, strategies for savings, reducing or avoiding costs; activity based costing. 4. Security: Security safeguards, enterprise policies, data protection and insider threat. 5. Electronic Records/Digital Preservation/E-Discovery: Strategies, policies, legal issues, opportunities for shared services and emergency preparedness. 6. ERP Strategy: Acquisition, implementation, expansion and upgrade. 7. Green IT: Policies, energy efficiency, power management, green procurement and e-waste. 8. Transparency: Open government, performance measures and data, and accountability. 9. Health Information Technology: Assessment, partnering and implementation. 10. Governance: Improving IT and data governance. Top Ten Priority Technologies, Applications and Tools 1. Virtualization: Storage, computing and data center. 2. Document/Content/E-mail management: Active, repository, archiving and digital preservation. 3. Legacy application: Modernization and upgrade. 4. Networking: Voice and data communications and unified communications. 5. Web 2.0: Services, collaboration technologies and social computing. 6. Green IT: Technologies and Solutions. 7. Identity and Access Management. 8. Geospatial Analysis and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). 9. Business Intelligence and Analytical Applications. 10. Mobile Workforce Enablement. At NACISO's annual conference in Milwaukee last month, CIOs were quick to lump their top priorities of virtualization and consolidation into overall energy and cost cutting measures seen as part of overall green IT initiatives. CIOs noted that green technology is no longer a fad or a political ploy. Ken Theis, Michigan's CIO, said at the conference that CIOs need to take a leadership role in pushing green technology and he even suggested that states appoint chief energy or greening officers. "We are at a crossroads," he said. "Green technology is something that is critical now but it is soon to be a mandate."