Open Forum April 2006
Vol. 19 No. 5
Serving New York's State/Local Government and Corporate IT Leadership
FROM THE EDITOR
Dear Colleague:
On behalf of the government and corporate members of The NYS Forum, I want to extend our congratulations to Mike Donovan on his appointment as NYS Deputy CIO. It is particularly gratifying that this particular team is leading our state's IT initiatives since both Mike Mittleman, NYS CIO and Mike Donovan, our new Deputy CIO, have had a long and productive relationship with The Forum and its programs. Both have served as members of The Forum's elected Executive Committee and Mike Donovan served as Chair of the Executive Committee in 2003-2004. Recent collaborative work with the Office of the CIO makes it clear that the history of productive relationships with Mike and Mike will be continued and strengthened.
An example of that continuing relationship was evidenced on March 10th, when The NYS Forum's monthly meeting was devoted to facilitating a broader understanding of the directions inherent in the NYS IT Strategic Plan. The program, undertaken in conjunction with the NYS Office of the CIO, was hosted by Dr. Michael Mittleman, NYS CIO, and included presentations by Mike Donovan, Deputy CIO, the Co-Chairs of the CIO Council Committees and Meg Levine, Director of the NYS Office for Technology. This was the second such session The Forum has devoted to the state's IT Strategic plan. The first was in March, 2005.
For this observer, the session on March 10th seemed to reflect a much clearer sense of direction and purpose inherent to all of the presentations...an overall sense of confidence and commitment. I know I was not alone in that observation. CIO Council Co-Chairs seemed to share a sense of common purpose that was much more marked than in the previous session in 2005. The enterprise approach would seem to be maturing and with it, the inevitable spirit of collaboration and partnership that is essential to success.
We are all encouraged by what has been accomplished since the release of the initial version of the NYS IT Strategic Plan. Based on the March 10th presentations, it is clear that a process has emerged that yields the solid articulation of priorities, openness to differing perspectives and diligent review and appraisal of alternatives. We all applaud that process and progress and stand ready to support further advancement in coming months.
Sincerely,
Greg Benson
NYS Offers High Caliber IT Training
The Information Technology (IT) Workforce Skills Assessment Survey has been distributed to IT professionals in all New York State agencies. If you have not completed it, we encourage you to do so as soon as possible. The State will use the survey results to develop a statewide technology training plan to align your skills with the future goals of your agency.
A wealth of technology training programs and services are already available through the Governor's Office of Employee Relations (GOER), some in cooperation with its labor partners, PEF and CSEA, and through the Office for Technology. As a result of your participation in the IT Skills Survey, these programs will be further tailored to your professional development needs.
We've provided a list of these programs and services along with contact and registration information. You will also find useful links to additional training and career-related resources. Continuous and ongoing learning is essential, particularly for IT professionals, to be successful and remain current in their chosen field.
Successful Web Communication Series
A series of classroom courses are available to help State employees effectively use the web to deliver services to and communicate with customers using standards-based principles. Courses are tailored to meet the needs of the many groups of employees who have professional responsibilities in the area of web communications. Courses will be held through May 18, 2006 in Albany, New York City, and Rochester and are free to employees in the PS&T Unit, CSEA Units, and those designated Management/Confidential (M/C). To register or for more information, go to www.goer.state.ny.us/train/WebCommunications.
Tuition Assistance
Tuition assistance programs are available to support employees who choose to take credit-bearing graduate and undergraduate courses at accredited colleges, universities, and institutions. Employees in the PS&T Unit are eligible for additional tuition assistance for computer or technical education courses that lead to certification by computer or technical organizations or manufacturers (e.g., Novell, Microsoft). For an application or for additional information, go to www.goer.state.ny.us/train/services/tuition.html.
Instructor-Led Online Courses
Continuing education online courses are offered through Binghamton University, free of charge to employees in the PS&T Unit and those designated Management/Confidential (M/C). Courses include CSS Essentials, HTML Basics, Intro to Web Design, Intermediate MS Excel as well as courses in noncomputer-related topics such as coaching, grammar, and communication skills. For course descriptions and registration information, go to https://ceo.binghamton.edu/pstp.
Technology Academy Classrooms
Four fully-equipped IT classrooms are located in the Empire State Plaza, Albany and are available without charge for agency training use. Each training room is on a separate network, and contains 13 student computers plus one for the instructor. For information or to reserve space, e-mail academy@oft.state.ny.us or call (518) 402-4004.
Public Service Workshops Program (PSWP)
PSWP workshops are offered free of charge to PS&T unit employees at agency worksites and college campuses throughout New York State. Workshops are designed to address the professional development needs of PS&T Unit employees. Go to www.goer.state.ny.us/train/pswp to register or learn more.
Online Learning Center
The Online Learning Center offers State employees self-study courses, resources, and job aids designed specifically for New York State government. Courses include the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), Ethics and NYS Employment, Using Effective Counseling Resources, Fundamental Team and Meeting Skills, and Sexual Harassment Prevention. There is no charge for these courses and completion data is provided to agencies. Go to www.goer.state.ny.us/train/onlinelearning to learn more, take courses, or use the resources and job aids.
E-Learning Training Licenses
The E-Learning and Reference Advantage (ERA) program was created to offer New York government agencies the opportunity to purchase elearning and online reference book libraries at unusually low prices. The e-learning license allows an employee to take as many courses as needed for one year and includes access to technical, desktop and business skills courses in beginning and advanced user levels. ERA also includes an assessment tool, Skills Measurement Assessment Resource Tool (SMART). This tool provides employees with the ability to develop a training path specific to their learning needs. Users can assess their competencies against these career paths and identify skill gaps which will lead them to appropriate NETg courses. The license for this tool includes access to the e-learning library. For information, visit www.oft.state.ny.us/academy/era/general_information.htm.
Useful Links
Visit the following web sites for additional training opportunities and career-related information.
The GOER training site includes workshops, forums, resources, and tools designed for State employees.
The Technology Academy offers courses, agency contacts, and information on how to reserve an IT classroom.
NYS & CSEA Partnership for Education and Training site includes workshops and training resources for CSEA-represented employees.
www.careermobilityoffice.cs.state.ny.us
The Career Mobility Office offers customized career counseling, career tools, resources, and workshops for State employees.
Editor's note: The Forum staff can attest first-hand to the quality of these programs and services. We applaud the staff of GOER and OFT for making them available and urge our readers to take full advantage of these opportunities for professional development.
New York CIO Announces Appointment of Mike Donovan as Deputy CIO
On January 30, 2006, Michael R. Mittleman, Chief Information Officer of the State of New York, announced the appointment of F. Michael Donovan as Deputy Chief Information Officer.
"Mike Donovan's lengthy New York State career has been characterized by a consistent record of consensus building and accomplishment. Mike's past positions with the Department of Transportation, New York State Police, and the Office of the CIO have provided him with a sustained view of the enterprise. He has developed a keen sense of the vital role technology plays in the delivery of government services." Mike Mittleman said.
Mike Donovan has spent most of his state government career, 32 years, working in the field of information technology. He has been the IT Director for the NYS Department of Transportation, as well as the New York State Police.
"I am thrilled for the opportunity to work with the state's technology enterprise in this capacity," Donovan said. "I'm grateful to Mike Mittleman for his confidence in me and look forward to working with agency CIOs and local governments to further the state's enterprise technology strategy."
Mike Donovan has most recently worked in the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) coordinating activities of the CIO Council's committees and providing support to enterprise initiatives such as Identity and Access Management and the State IT Strategic Plan. As Deputy CIO, Mike will chair the state CIO Council.
In the past, Mike served as a member of the Center for Technology in Government's advisory committee and was Executive Committee Chair of The NYS Forum. Mike has a BS in Civil Engineering and an MS in Transportation Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
State Purchasing Forum: Learn, Connect, Grow
The New York State Office of General Services Procurement Services Group (OGS/PSG) is sponsoring its Seventh Annual State Purchasing Forum for government purchasers in Albany on May 17th and 18th, 2006. In addition to offering training classes for anyone whose responsibilities include procurement and contracting, the Forum will feature a State Contractor Trade Show in the Convention Center at the Empire State Plaza. State contract holders will be on hand to exhibit their products and services and provide information to government buyers. Many Preferred Sources Workshops will also showcase a wide variety of products and services in a diverse range of exhibits that you won't want to miss.
State Agency and local government purchasers are encouraged to attend the Forum which provides an excellent opportunity to attend a wide variety of seminars offered by the Office of General Services and the Office of the State Comptroller. Training topics include: Ethics in Procurement, Contract Administration, RFP Development and Evaluation, and much more. OGS Procurement staff will be on hand to answer your questions and assist you in solving some of those tricky procurement dilemmas.
Besides training sessions and the Trade Show, you will want to attend the keynote address about the requirements of recently enacted Procurement Lobbying legislation. Keynote speakers are Robert J. Fleury, OGS First Deputy Commissioner and David M. Grandeau, Director of the Temporary State Commission on Lobbying. We promise it will be an interesting and informative presentation, on a topic that affects all aspects of procurement in government.
As our theme suggests, come to the State Purchasing Forum to learn from the experts, connect with purchasing officers, contractors, preferred source workshops and your colleagues, and grow in the knowledge of new and important procurement legislation. Registration is free. Watch the OGS website for registration information. www.ogs.state.ny.us/purchase.
If you are registered in the OGS Purchaser Notification System (PNS) you may have already received information about this event. You can register at www.ogs.state.ny.us/register. If you are not already receiving electronic notification about OGS contracts, be sure to register at www.ogs.state.ny.us/pns.
State Archives Civil War Soldier Database Receives Award
The NYS Archives Civil War Soldier Database has been selected as one of the 101 Best Undiscovered Websites 2005 by Family Tree Magazine. The database is one of numerous genealogical resources that can be accessed via the NYS Archives' website at www.archives.nysed.gov.
Literally years in the making, the Civil War Soldier Database is an index to more than 360,000 men who served in NYS Volunteer and United States Sharpshooter units, as well as the state's three regiments of United States Colored Troops. Among the numerous search functions, the index enables genealogists to search for an individual soldier (including alternative spellings of many last names), identify what unit he served in during the Civil War, and list all of the soldiers who served in a particular unit.
"Scholars and other citizens who care about this branch of history are very exacting in their standards," said NYS Commissioner of Education Richard Mills. "Thus it takes a lot of hard work to win such praise."
Family Tree Magazine is the first mass-market, beginner-friendly genealogy magazine. It covers all areas of potential interest to family history enthusiasts, reaching beyond strict genealogy research to include ethnic heritage, family reunions, memoirs, oral history, scrapbooking, historical travel, and other ways that families connect with their pasts.
"We focused this year's list entirely on previously undiscovered sites. Many are newly launched. Most have never appeared on our 101 Best lists, or they've improved dramatically since their long-ago listings," according to David Fryxell of Family Tree Magazine.
The NYS Archives preserves and makes accessible the essential recorded evidence - past and present - of New York's governments, organization, peoples and events. At its Albany facility, the Archives cares for more than 140 million archival records of NYS government dating from the 1630's to the present. As a program of the State Education Department, the NYS Archives provides services to assist 4,300 local governments and 3,000 community organizations care for their records.
Ontario County Receives Award
The Ontario County Sheriff's Office in collaboration with Eastview Mall, the Ontario County Information Services Department and dockside.net, has received the 2006 Sheriff's Innovative Program Award, presented by the New York State Sheriffs Association on February 14, 2006 at the NYSSA's annual meeting in Albany, New York.
The award-winning program is based on a new emergency communications application - the G2Alert Emergency Notification and Information Gathering System - created by dockside.net Inc., a Victor, NY software development company.
The Ontario County Sheriff's Office deployed the G2Alert system at one of upstate New York's largest shopping malls during the 2005 Christmas shopping season to ensure fast, immediate and virtually simultaneous notification of all 175 mall stores in the event of an emergency.
Nomination for the award was made by Ontario County Sheriff Phil Povero, who acknowledged the system's value as a "mass target communication tool." The Sheriff's Office will add more contacts to its emergency notification database, including the Ontario County schools and the County's dive, HAZMAT and SWAT teams.
Purchase of the system was initiated by Ontario County Chief Information Officer Ed Hemminger, who said "The G2Alert System provides a very fast, efficient and effective mass targeted communication capability not found, to date, in other deployed services. We are pleased to be the first customer of this innovative service. We believe the deployment of the G2Alert System allows Ontario County to provide "state of the art services to our most important customers, the Citizens of Ontario County."
The G2Alert system offers the capability of sending a text or text-to-voice message via the Internet to digital-, analog-, and satellite-based communications devices and of receiving feedback by way of who has received the message, who needs to be resent, and on-the-scene details from recipients - all in real time. Among the devices G2Alert reaches are cell phones, traditional phones, fax machines, PDAs and pagers, email, satellite phones, and VoIP phones.
"We're pleased our technology is at the center of this award," says Brian Pitre, president of dockside.net and creator of the G2Alert System. "In working with Ontario County and its Information Services Department and Sheriff's Office, we've shown just how useful this emergency notification and response system can be."
For more information on the deployment of G2Alert in Ontario County, contact Ed Hemminger, CIO, Ontario County, via email to ed.hemminger@co.ontario.ny.us or call (585) 396-4502. For more information on the G2Alert Service go to http://www.g2alert.com/.
NYS Cyber Security Conference Offering Local Government Track
Too many governments try to avoid dealing with the security of their computer systems because they may be overwhelmed by the challenges, and be concerned that they don't have the expertise or money to address the challenges. However, cyber security can be implemented in layers and getting started with small steps can be a key to success! Teaching employees to use email wisely and securely, ensuring virus software is up to date, and physically securing computer equipment are just a few of the basic actions any local government can take to protect their electronic records.
All local government officials and employees interested in learning more about cyber security so that they can better secure their information and electronic records should attend the free NYS Cyber Security Conference in Albany on June 14th and 15th.
The first day of the conference, June 14th, will include a three-session track focused on the needs of small to medium-sized local governments. If you are a town clerk or supervisor, this track is for you. If you are not technologically savvy but have been put in charge of information security in your town, then you need to be in Albany on June 14th.
The first session will explain the basics of cyber security, show how essential security is, and help you identify a cyber attack in progress.
The second session will include three local government officials explaining how they made cyber security work in their governments.
The third session will examine some details of cyber security: training staff and ensuring physical security.
This conference, hosted by the NYS Office of Cyber Security and Critical Infrastructure Coordination, the NYS Forum and the Center for Information Forensics and Assurance at the University at Albany, is in its ninth year of training government officials that cyber security is essential to government in today's world. Attendance is free, but the knowledge you will gain is invaluable.
Watch for Conference information and registration at www.cscic.state.ny.us and www.nysforum.org.
Upcoming Events!
April 26-27 - WOW Search Engine Optimization Workshop - Hampton Inn, Albany, NY. The World Organization of Webmasters (WOW) is bringing Professor Bebo White back to Albany. Those of you who attended Bebo's Web Application workshop last fall already know what a great resource he is. Bebo will use the submission of a search as the framework for exposing exactly how search engines index content and how web developers can use this knowledge to increase the likelihood that people searching for the information contained on their sites can find what they are looking for. Visit: http://www.webprofessionals.org/albanyworkshop/.
May 9 - The Forum's MATRIX Committee - ITIL: Past, Present and Future in NYS - ESP Convention Center, Albany, NY. Featured speaker, Brian Johnson, is perhaps the ITIL go-to man. The British government agency responsible for formulating and disseminating best practices in IT, the CCTA, recruited Brian in the late 1980s to help in the design and writing of the IT Infrastructure Library, a series of best-practice guides aimed at IT managers. Available in more than 50 countries, ITIL underpins products, training, qualifications and services and Brian has authored or co-authored books in all of the versions. Putting theory into practice, he led both the first successful government implementation of ITIL best practices, at National Savings, and one of the first private-sector examples, at General Accident. He is a founder (and honorary life vice president) of ITSMF, an independent support group for ITIL users. Having worked in government and industry posts in Europe and North America, Brian currently holds the title of IT Service Management Practice Leader with Computer Associates International. Watch for details and registration at: www.nysforum.org.
May 11 - NYS Governor's Expo on Assistive Technology - Technology Opens Doors - ESP Convention Center, Albany, NY. Held since 1998, the Expo offers over 100 exhibitors and numerous presentations on topics relating to assistive technology in education, community living, employment, information technology and telecommunications, geared to a wide range of constituents and applicable to varying ages, capabilities and issues. Visit: http://www.atexpo2006.com/.
May 12 - The NYS Forum's Monthly Executive Committee Meeting - NYS Information Security Breach and Notification Act - Crowne Plaza, Albany, NY. The NYS Information Security Breach and Notification Act was passed to add a public element of accountability for government and private agencies charged with the stewardship of New York state resident's private information and to help protect NYS residents from unauthorized access to their private information stored in electronic format. This law requires NYS government entities to disclose, without unreasonable delay, any breach of security, unauthorized access, or unauthorized release of personal computerized data to any NYS resident (NYS policy also requires notification of this information to nonresidents) when this information was or is reasonably believed to have been acquired without valid authorization. Mara B. Ginsberg's (Counsel, CSCIC) presentation will feature an overview of the law and agency responsibilities. Watch for registration at: www.nysforum.org.
May 17th & 18th - 7th Annual State Purchasing Forum & Trade Show - ESP Convention Center, Albany, NY. - The OGS Procurement Services Group works in conjunction with the OSC to sponsor a State Purchasing Forum each year. Features, this year, include: a keynote address by OGS First Deputy Commissioner Robert J. Fleury and Director of the Temporary Commission on Lobbying David M. Grandeau, training classes, a state purchasing forum training binder, trade show and preferred sources exhibition. Visit: https://www2stage.ogs.state.ny.us/register/
May 23 - NYS Agency's Oracle User's Group - DOT, 50 Wolf Rd., Albany, NY. Jeffrey A. Polo (EMC2) will present proven solutions for protecting Oracle databases in environments where increasing levels of availability are being demanded. Rae Chardeen (DOT) will showcase some of DOT's applications that use Application Express and discuss how DOT has implemented the tool. Don Dybas (Oracle) will present a demonstration of Oracle's Application Express to show the ins and outs of the tool and how it supports and simplifies fast application and web development. Richard Blanchard (Wadsworth Center) will deliver a presentation on Oracle Database tuning and discuss how he attempts understanding, categorizing, isolating, reproducing, and addressing performance issues, thus discussing utilities/monitors that he uses. Register by emailing jen.may@oracle.com or call Jen at (650) 633-4228.
Hold the Date! June 14 & 15
2006 NYS Cyber Security Conference
Don't miss out on the premier cyber security event in New York State. This conference, cosponsored since 1998 by The NYS Forum and the NYS Office of Cyber Security and Critical Infrastructure Coordination (CSCIC), and joining us for their second year, the NYS Center for Information Forensics and Assurance at the University at Albany (CIFA), brings state and local government cyber security-related professionals, along with their private and nonprofit counterparts, together for two exciting days.
Don't miss Ed Amorosa of AT&T, our featured keynote speaker, over 40 key security-focused sessions, a cyber attack demo, networking at the attendee reception and seeing the latest technology in the Exhibition Hall. Join other state, county, municipal, academia, nonprofit and private sector information security officers, CIOs, business managers, law enforcement, IT directors, system administrators, auditors, and counsels at the Conference.
This conference is free for public sector organizations. Private sector cost is $300 and nonprofit cost is $100 per person. Details and registration coming soon to www.nysforum.org and www.cscic.state.ny.us.
Don't miss it!
Executive Committee
Officers
Chair, Cecelia Hamblin, Dept. of Labor
Vice-Chair, Leigh Favitta, Dormitory Authority
Sec./Treas., Diane Taylor, Office of the State Comptroller
Members
James Bell, NYS Senate
Walter Bikowitz, OGS
Thomas R. Bodden, Assoc. of Towns of NYS
JoAnn P. Bomeisl, Insurance Dept.
Vivian Conboy, Dept. of Taxation & Finance
Teri Daly, OFT
Sharon Dawes, CTG
Michael Donovan, OCIO
Stanley France, Schoharie County
Robert Freeman, Dept. of State
Jeffrey S. Grunfeld, OSC
Christine Haile, SUNY at Albany
Roman Hedges, NYS Assembly
Karl Kelly, DMNA
Robert G. Kelly, DHCR
Kim S. McKinney, NYSLGITDA
Nancy Mulholland, Workers' Comp. Board
Eugene Pezdek, DEC
Joanne Riddett, Thruway Authority
Franklin Slade, Dept. of Civil Service
Timothy Spencer, DOB
Victor Stucchi, HESC
Staff
Editor
Gregory M. Benson, Executive Director
Design & Production
Rebecca J. Buchner, Executive Assistant
Milena Ivanova, Technical Coordinator
Editorial Office
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Open Forum is a regular publication of the NYS Forum.
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