Government Technology - August 2008 - (Page CA-5)

Arkansas Department of Information Systems Agencies across the state beneﬁt from the department’s top-notch network. Arkansas’s network is also a key part of the telecommunications system for state police, the state’s Department of Emergency Management and other public safety agencies. With so many activities, keeping the state’s network running smoothly is a tall order. Among products the state uses are CA eHealth®, which monitors and maintains performance, and CA SPECTRUM®, which finds and corrects network errors. “We try to know about and fix problems before our customers are affected by them,” said Claire Bailey, Arkansas’s chief technology officer and director of the DIS. “We want to ensure customer satisfaction every time.” The network management tools allow the DIS to have detailed visibility into its network. It’s one of many ways in which the DIS is helping the state achieve its mission. The improved technology helps provide more information for decision-makers, for example. “We try to know about and ﬁx problems before our customers are affected by them.” — Claire Bailey, state CTO and director, Department of Information Systems, Arkansas F or the Arkansas Department of Information Systems (DIS), customer satisfaction is paramount. Thus the DIS strives to correct network problems before they have a chance to affect its customers. The agency provides Internet access, equipment hosting, network services and more to customers at the state, county and city levels. These publicsector agencies count on the DIS to deliver solid network performance. The DIS is also the driving force behind such systems as the state’s driver’s license renewal system, the Arkansas Public School Computer Network and the state’s tax systems. In partnership with the Office of the Secretary of State, the DIS provides the “By staying vendor-neutral, we don’t hit proprietary walls, and that is critical.” — Claire Bailey, state CTO and director, Department of Information Systems, Arkansas network for Arkansas’s effort to comply with the federal Help America Vote Act, which is designed to upgrade voting processes. Arkansas understands that the public expects government services to be always on. It was one of the first states to implement an automated Internet process for citizens renewing vehicle registrations. For this and other 24/7 services, the state depends on the DIS to maximize uptime and prevent capacity shortages. Network Helps Many Strong network management also helps save money for the state. Without the automated network management tools, the DIS would have to spend more money on staff to achieve the same level of performance. A solid network also provides the state with technology that helps improve work processes. With today’s tight budgets, that’s especially important. For example, Bailey predicts less travel and more Web meetings now 5

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

Government Technology - August 2008 Contents Point of View The Last Mile Big Picture On the Scene Four Questions for... Net Gains A Government Technology® Industry Profile: CA CA Contents IT Network Management: State and Local Governments Face New Challenges MyFloridaNet Arkansas Department of Information Systems Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport Government Tightens Its Belt Rocking the Vote High-Speed Portal Project On Track Wi-Fi on a Shoestring From Paintball to Video Virtually Vulnerable How It Works Products signal:noise

Government Technology - August 2008

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