Their budgets are being slashed, yet they're still asked to go out and innovate. Sound familiar? It should, because these are the challenges facing state CIOs and they're strikingly similar to challenges that their private-sector counterparts battle. In 2012, public-sector technology leaders say they will be looking at increased consolidation, cloud-computing services, exploring mobility and sharing services and network connectivity, according to a recent survey of state CIOs from the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO). NASCIO, which represents state CIOs and IT executives from the U.S. states, territories, and the District of Columbia, conducts the annual survey to identify the top ten strategies, management processes and solutions states are exploring, as well which tech applications and tools on their radar. And government IT leaders are dealing with many of the same internal and external pressures as those in private industry, especially with respect to funding. "Tough times require smarter decision making," says NASCIO president and Oregon chief information officer Dugan Petty. "Decisions for cutting as well as investing will need to be made with an enterprise perspective, and will need to be carefully evaluated and even defended through appropriate governance and analytics." For more about the report,
click here. Here are their top ten priorities:
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