The Case for Smarter Government

As federal agencies work diligently to pare already sparse budgets even more, boost security and comply with a slew of regulatory mandates as well as the Obama administration’s call for greater transparency, it’s clear that government must become “smarter,” sharpening its focus on delivering the value that citizens expect.

And that goes beyond simply dispensing services or supporting other functions of government to encouraging interaction with citizens to share information and improve lives.

>>>>Read more on how the government is becoming smarter. 

Smart government begins with Security

From the inception of this nation, and especially in the years since September 11, security has consistently topped the list of government’s concerns and priorities. And although the $44.1 billion 2010 Homeland Security bill sent to President Obama in October is more than $230 million lighter than its 2009 predecessor, it is a clear indicator that government is serious about keeping its citizens safe.

According to market research firm INPUT, the demand for security products and services in the federal government will increase from $7.9 billion in 2009 to $11.7 billion by 2014. 

>>>>Learn more on how security affects smart government.

A Lofty Goal: Government in the Clouds

Cloud computing represents a paradigm shift in the consumption and delivery of IT services that can help agencies save money and increase their flexibility. One of the best ways that government agencies can meet the President's call to lower costs while providing more services is by harnessing the power of the Internet to share resources and distribute applications among departments and with other agencies.

From storage to batch processing, government is increasingly turning to "clouds". 

>>>>Read more about government and cloud computing...

Smarter Decisions

Whether government agencies are planning military maneuvers, distributing benefits to aging Baby Boomers or tracking terrorists' movements, they can't make smart decisions, quickly, unless they have the best, accurate and most relevant data at their fingertips-and know what to do with it.

But with agency data coffers literally exploding with information and aging systems thwarting distribution, that's impossible to do without advanced analytics.

>>>>Learn more about how to make smart decision quickly and accurately... 

Green and Lean? Not Yet

IT and energy costs account for up to 60 percent of an organization's capital expenditures and 75 percent of operational expenditures, so going green represents a good way for government to get lean.

Additionally, a slew of regulatory mandates, including an aggressive teleworking initiative, are aimed at moving the federal government into greener pastures with positive implications for the environment overall...

>>>>Learn more about how to become Green and Lean...