US should promote teleworking, says CSIA: The US federal government should encourage more teleworking as part of its business continuity plans, according to the Cyber Security Industry Alliance (CSIA), a US public policy advocacy group. In a report entitled "Making telework a federal priority: Security is not the issue," the group says that increased adoption of teleworking by government workers could help to ensure continuity of federal operations during a natural disaster or terrorist attack. "A more flexible workforce that is able to work from virtual locations would certainly lessen the impact of an attack," said Paul Kurtz, executive director of the CSIA. The report cites other benefits of teleworking, including a reduction in traffic congestion and air pollution, as well as increased productivity among workers and greater staff retention. The CSIA also calls for the inclusion of telework in the President's Management Agenda (PMA) for e-government. The report is available to download from the CSIA website.
Czech government issues tender for e-toll system: The Czech government's Ministry of Transport has issued a call to tender for the supply of a national electronic road toll system, reports the IDABC's eGovernment Observatory. More than 60 companies have already shown interest in the tender, including firms that already operate electronic toll systems in Europe, such as Siemens, T-Systems and IBM. The contract is estimated to be worth CZK11 billion (EUR365 million), and it is thought that the winner of the tender could be in a strong position to bid for similar contracts in the future in neighbouring countries like Slovakia, Poland or Hungary. The e-toll system, which will initially target trucks but could be extended to all vehicles after 2012, will be used to collect money to finance the construction and maintenance of Czech roads, but it could also be used to provide more sophisticated services, according to Jiri Nouza, director of the Ministry of Transport's roads and highways department. These functions could range from fleet management and traffic control to traffic congestion warning systems for drivers. Contract bids must be submitted by 16 September.
European government investment in IT to reach USD49bn: Western European governments will spend USD49 billion on IT in 2009, according to a new study from research firm IDC. Investment in information technologies by governments in Western Europe will grow at an average rate of 5.3 percent between 2004 and 2009, rising from USD38 billion in 2004 to USD49 billion in 2009. Local authorities represent the strongest driver of growth, with a compound annual growth rate of 5.8 percent to 2009. According to IDC, IT vendors that want to take advantage of this fast-growing market must provide IT solutions that support business process transformation. The report notes that vendors targeting e-government service delivery initiatives must package citizen-interfacing technologies, such as portals and call centres, with solution bundles that can securely handle all citizen cases on a customised basis. Meanwhile, vendors supporting back-office functions must offer traditional accounting, payroll, and HR solutions alongside business intelligence/analytical tools for performance review and planning.
Australia releases key IT procurement data: IT vendors have been given an unprecedented insight into the Australian federal government's technology procurement plans for the coming year. According to a report by the "Australian IT" newswire, new federal reporting requirements aimed at improving transparency have resulted in the release of previously unpublished data concerning planned government spending. For the first time, IT suppliers can get an overview of how the government intends to spend its AUD5 billion IT budget for the 2005/2006 year, well in advance of contracts going to tender. The Department of Finance, which oversaw the implementation of the new reporting infrastructure, published the most detailed guide to its purchasing plans, listing over 50 procurement plans, including a managed phone services contract that is expected to be worth more than AUD50 million over three years. The procurement plans were published online in the government's Gazette Publishing Information System.
UK launches Government CIO website: The UK government has launched a website dedicated to showcasing the work of the Government Chief Information Officer (CIO) Council. The site, www.cio.gov.uk, provides details of the work and plans of the recently established CIO Council, an organisation of CIOs from across government whose aim is to drive best practice in IT implementation across the public sector. "The Prime Minister has set the CIO Council members and their staff the mission of ensuring that IT supports the business transformation of government itself so that we can provide better, more efficient, public services," said Ian Watmore, government CIO and head of the Cabinet Office e-Government Unit. The council, set up in January, consists of 28 senior IT directors from across central and local government.
Autor: Sylvia Leatham
Quelle: ElectricNews, 03.08.2005
