Presentation by John Kost, Federal Sources Inc., former CIO for the State of Michigan. Purchasing, management and communication is as important as technological knowledge. Leadership is needed from the Chief Information Officer.
Information technology is relationship management.
Information resource management can help improve customer service by providing a single point of contact for citizens through the integration of data. The consolidation of data centers and of computer infrastructure can free up resources that can be applied toward application development. Similarly the standardization of desktop software and hardware can allow for a paradigm shift away from maintenance and toward applications. General rules on how to successfully manage a major technology project were presented. CIO Weaver noted that several changes had already occurred to allow for some coordination and efficiencies in state government.