Research Slideshow:
And You Thought You Had Data Problems?

The U.S. Government is having a serious problem with its IT data infrastructure. In fact, it loses billions of dollars each year due to its inability to manage data, train employees, and provide workers the information they need to be the most productive in their jobs, according to a study conducted by MeriTalk, an online network for the government IT community. The report, "Uncle Sam's Lost and Found," was sponsored by Google and DLT Solutions, a value-added reseller of government IT services and solutions. The report is based on an online survey of 300 Federal employees conducted by MeriTalk in July 2010. The study estimates that the U.S. government loses $15.4 billion annually due to what MeriTalk calls "ineffective IT." Survey respondents site inefficient searches for documents in internal databases, poor cataloging of data, and ad hoc search tools as contributors to the ongoing problem. As with many private enterprises, the government is also faced with budget restrictions that may be hampering the ability to solve these issues. According to the report, only about one fifth of respondents say improving enterprise search functionality is a priority for their agency.