IT Consolidation in Indiana

Governor Mitch Daniels of Indiana listed some very specific initiatives for the first weeks and months of his administration. Daniels created the Indiana Office of Technology his second day in office. The office was the consolidation of three pre-existing entities. It is divided into five divisions. Daniels' focus is on government efficiency and he has a goal of saving $150 million six months into his administration. His scorecard shows that much has already been accomplished.

This is not the first time that Daniels has targeted IT consolidation to create efficiencies. While he was the Director of OMB in 2002, he stated,

Redundant systems make it difficult to find and comment on the large number of proposed regulations and create performance gaps in the form of reduced customer service and lead to duplicative spending. Consolidating technology investments will better serve citizens by decreasing existing islands of automation and minimizing government costs.

I like Daniels approach to government, outlining very specific initiatives with very specific efficiency goals and tracking progress regularly.

The IOT is using CIMS for billing just as we are in Utah.

Another interesting note: The Indiana Telecommunications Network (the WAN for state and local government in Indiana is operated by the Indiana Higher Education Telecommunications System (IHETS).