Virginia updates IT strategic plan
Virginia released the latest version of its information technology strategic plan that maps out the state’s technology vision through 2018.
The plan encompasses the state’s information technology projects beginning in 2012 and draws on two previous editions of the strategic plan (covering the years 2002-2006 and 2007-2012 respectively) as well as the Information Technology Advisory Council Technology Business Plan published in December 2011.
“The numerous technology advances in recent years have left commonwealth agencies and citizens alike awash in technology choices,” the report’s introduction says. “The challenge for both groups is to select technology that helps them achieve their business or personal objectives. For the commonwealth, the fundamental principle that investments in technology are made to support the commonwealth’s business priorities remains as central to this Strategic Plan for Technology as it was to the preceding editions and the ITAC Technology Business Plan. Briefly stated, information technology is a means, not an end in itself.”
The plan recommends 48 strategic directions for state agencies to address their business needs through technology and walks the balance between establishing policy and governance to promote the use of technology and recommendation specific actions.
The strategic plan identified seven emerging technology trends that are playing, or likely to play, a role in agency efforts to address the five main initiatives in the technology business plan. They include: social media, mobility, cybersecurity, enterprise information architecture, enterprise shared services, cloud computing services and consolidation and optimization.
For each trend the plan states a commonwealth goal for leveraging the trend and identifies several strategic directions, specific activities that agencies can use to harness the trend to fulfill the initiatives.
