Demands on technology chiefs huge - triage is the norm!
by Mary Scott Nabers
CEO of Strategic Partnerships, Inc.
. . . continued from page one
The biggest challenge in Texas, according to the report, is security. With increases in viruses and hackers, security is continually threatened. Governmental agencies handle all kinds of sensitive information and they are required by law to keep the data protected at all costs.
Ranking second on the list of concerns is management of electronic records. Legally, agency records must be authentic, complete, accessible, legally admissible in court and durable for as long as retention schedules require. Technology officers manage an ever-increasing number of electronic records in a variety of forms, including e-mails, word documents, pdfs, faxes and historical data. Records and document management is a huge task.
Recruiting and retaining skilled IT professionals is another major concern in Texas. Most private sector firms offer better pay and more modern technology so the temptation to leave government is great.
Another high priority for government is the process of backing up and securing data that must be preserved. This gets harder as IT systems become more complex and distributed environments for connectivity, security, backup and recovery are expanded. The state's IT environment is no longer a central computer facility. There are systems across the entire state and each requires support and oversight.
And, then there is the issue of controlling costs. Although Texas has survived the current economic downturn better than most states, agencies are still required to be frugal. With no control over the amount of state funding they receive, agency purchasing decisions become extremely difficult. The goal is to accomplish more through effective use of technology but there is never enough funding to meet demand. Triage is the norm and that process is always stressful.
