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Open Source in Government: Newport News, Va.
Sam Hiser writes "Open source in government is getting real. Tom Adelstein, in this penetrating interview with Andy Stein, the CIO of Newport News, Virginia, gets to the heart of why the opportunity to build collaborative software pulled the former chief IT architect of Capital One into the public sector. Police, fire and EMT early responders -- and the IT systems that support them - are under Sisyphean pressure to perform, while budgets are sagging. Something's gotta give, and it's going to be the aging software infrastructure in our towns and cities. Are Open Source platforms the only economically viable alternative? Maybe not, but collaboration will have to occur if we want to build the systems to save our lives."
"I cant wait to see how long I have to stand in line at the DMV next time."
Well, from my experiences, things got worse when Arizona's MVD left OS/2 with a text interface to go to Windows with a GUI interface for the DMV tellers. Their solution has been to build more DMV offices and hire more workers rather than to get rid of those inefficient PCs and switch to something centralized like a terminal/server model with a well-designed interface.
Do not look into laser with remaining eye.
Are you in Hampton Roads (Southeastern Virginia)?
Check out the Tidewater Unix Users Group (www.twuug.org) for linux/bsd/commercial users! Free open group that meets once a month.
Also, there is a Hampton Roads geek mailing list on www.hrconnect.com.
With any luck, Virginia Beach will also look into Linux as a viable alternative, especially after getting hit with an audit from Microsoft (as reported earlier on slashdot).
Southeastern Virginia REPRESENT!
Here in NYC, the police, fire, EMT and every other emergency responder under the Sun has carved out their own protocols and equipment for communications, few of which interoperate. Even after the WTC collapse, which cost so many lives (including NYC's Finest and Bravest), the "brass" are defending their communications "silos" from interoperability at the cost of efficiency. Reliability is paramount, so the leaders don't trust "foreign" tech, especially if it's fairly new, and outside their traditional operations.
In NYC, we stay on top by picking winners. Whose municipal communications have recently been revamped in the public interest, which NYC could use as a model? Where can I find a good example of transcending organizational barriers, especially in the area of "wireless" (digital and analog radio) networks? I am due to deliver such info to the Mayor and City Council during 2004Q1-2, so Slashdotters have an opportunity to really make a difference here.
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make install -not war
it means "Endlessly laborious or futile". In short, it comes from the Greek Legend of Sisyphus. He was an extremely gifted mortal and the gods grew jealous, so they comdemned Sisyphus to ceaselessly rolling a rock to the top of a mountain, and letting it roll back down again, hence the endless futile labour.
Open Your Mind. Open Your Source.
The Register is reporting :
Last year, the city of Munich, Germany opted to go with Linux instead of Microsoft software on more than 14,000 desktop computers. This was seen as a significant setback for Microsoft and a clear sign of Linux' increasing viability. But now the project is in trouble, according to Computerwoche.
This Spring, Munich needs to finish a migration plan as well as present a budget for the project. But according to Computerwoche there is not enough money and technical difficulties may result in stalling of the LiMux Project. In particular, smaller software vendors seem to be unable to migrate Munich to Linux, simply because they lack open source knowledge.
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That's all it says.
So not really Linux' fault all those German NT admins and Microsoft Certified Solution Providers can't get their head round it all.
There are places where the networks are not touching,and there are places where they are-Boeing's Lori Gunter
Yes, but that HMO still feels the natural competitive pressure from other HMOs to ensure they keep costs as low as possible. That doesn't forbid them from hiring high-salary execs, but it does keep those high salaries from being higher than they are...
Actually, if you examine the statistics, HMO's have decidedly not decreased the cost of medicine. In reality all they have done is created a new layer of middle management and moved the money that previously was going to physicians, hospitals, nurses and technicians to managers. Do this little experiment: Go down to your local HMO hospital and look in the parking lot. I will betcha that most of the nice hardware does not belong to the physicians. Rather, it belongs to the managment, particularly in HMO's that are vertically organized and provide the insurance as well as the health care delivery.
If insurance is also providing the care, how do you think that works? Its a business, and businesses are in business to make money, not to be generous and provide the best possible health care. Therefore, they will reduce the money they spend and the effort they make to provide health care in order to maximize profits.
Visit Jonesblog and say hello.
Here's some cool open source dental software - Open Dental. Could be expanded into what you're talking about.