Government Technology - January 2008 - (Page 31)

Tennessee’s Technology Toolkit Five technologies make up Tennessee’s enterprise architecture: Server consolidation and virtualization: More than 200 servers will be virtualized to reduce stafﬁng and resources needed to support distributed applications. Messaging service: The state expects to save $24 million in six years with its new messaging service. Enterprise Content Management: The state has developed enterprise content management capabilities to process and store government data. Grid computing: The state uses Oracle’s grid computing concept to take advantage of improved technologies, such as lower-cost processors, network storage, enhanced operating systems and server communications connections. Tennessee also has improved system reliability by using Oracle’s Real Application Clusters. Enterprise Shared Storage: The state has implemented a high-availability storage network. networks. Beginning in 2006, the state Office for Information Resources embarked on a massive IT consolidation initiative that has virtualized more than 117 servers thus far, with another 128 to go. The IT agency is deploying Oracle’s grid computing concept, which allows for server clusters and the use of lower-cost processors. In addition, the state implemented a storage area network for enterprise storage. Unlike some government CEOs, Bredesen has mixed feelings about using outsourcing to solve the persistent need for new and upto-date technology. For instance, Tennessee opted not to outsource IT operations as part of its consolidation initiative because of its experience with TennCare. “One of our biggest IT systems is our Medicaid program, which is outsourced,” he pointed out. Technically the contract is up for bid every five years, but as Bredesen said, the contract and the company running the Medicaid system are both so large, nobody else bids on the contract; the advantage of competition is lost. The benefit of outsourcing, though, is that it lets the state inject expertise that it otherwise might not have into a program. “Even though my background is as a businessman, I don’t view privatization as a panacea. It’s one of the tools in the box that has its pluses and minuses,” Bredesen explained. to the world that exists today. “One of the big challenges is how do you use IT in a more sophisticated way than just automating not very effective processes? I’ve found that to be the biggest challenge.” The need to update laws and regulations SOURCE: TENNESSEE OFFICE FOR that are out-of-step with the transformaINFORMATION RESOURCES tive powers of technology isn’t confined to statehouses. It’s a challenge that stretches to Congress, said Bredesen. “Anytime you Bredesen said his IT policy for the state is have a complex system, such as our social grounded in the fundamentals. “We need programs, with all sorts of silos of informato get our systems up to date, make sure we tion, and funding mechanisms that go along have a modern system to run social services, with those silos — it really stifles your ability to transform.” for example,” he said. “It’s not Given his IT background, the sexy, but you have to get [the governor’s views on technology basics] right, and the results are distinctly practical and busiwill show up in our ability to ness-minded. When asked what provide better services.” he would like his IT legacy for Beyond simply making the the state to be, Bredesen spoke technology work is the bigger Technology simply: “What I’m trying to do issue of changing business in Education is bring government a little more processes so the state can In December 2007, into the modern era. A piece of maximize the benefit of new students at Jackson, that is IT. I’d like to leave a system technology. Tenn.’s Liberty Technology Magnet High that is more modern.” “There are things that are School — one of eight cast in stone here that, if I schools allowed to were a CEO of a company, I participate — watched could change quickly,” said a legislative hearing Bredesen, adding that laws in Nashville from the that made perfect sense 40 or school library via com50 years ago no longer apply puter video stream, Cast in Stone and asked questions of Gov. Phil Bredesen via e-mail. 31 http://www.govtech.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Government Technology - January 2008

Government Technology - January 2008 Contents Point of View Big Picture The Last Mile On the Scene CIO Sightings Four Questions for... Spectrum Location, Location, Location Digital Governor Back to the Drawing Board Waukesha Goes Green Collaring Dangerous Dogs Public Sector Goes Web 2.0 Bounce Back SACWIS Rollout Simple Strategy Products Personal Computing How It Works signal:noise

Government Technology - January 2008

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