Another industry leader has used her voice to speak in favor of interoperability and open standards. This time, we hear from Diane Gongaware, vice president of U.S. public sector services at Cisco.
Recently, the executive at the technology giant spoke out about the massive amount of data that government agencies collect, protect, analyze and refine, particularly with the continued growth of the Internet of Things (IoT) transformation agencies: “Agencies must have a network that is ready for this new data age and be open to incorporating the new IoT data.”
In her article published earlier this summer in FedTech, Gongaware stated that government agencies should establish an information technology network that will work to “help them analyze and derive insights from large data workloads as a result of the adoption of internet-connected devices.” She then added that, “the network foundation must include interoperability and open standards so that multivendor solutions can work together and scale.”
Governments are increasingly relying on the data they collect to inform critical decisions for their citizens. Whether those are made from the battlefield or the boardroom, better data analytics can help these agencies make those decisions faster and with more data. Gongaware outlines three ways agencies across the world can do just that.
1. Create a Network that Provides Data Insight and Pervasive Security: Agencies should ensure the investments they make take advantage of these technologies and provide a roadmap for future growth.
2. Collaborate and Establish Governance Across the Community: City leaders need to understand not only where that data comes from, but also how to share it and create governance across agencies and the business community.
3. Work with Partners to Fill Talent Gaps: Whether through leveraging existing relationships or creating new ones, working with the IT industry can help fill existing talent gaps.
The overarching theme of Gongaware’s article is a focused energy on creating a collaborative IT culture and partnership. Open standards like those shaped by adherence to our five guiding principles create a culture of open sharing of information, allowing agencies to “choose network partners that meet agencies’ needs today and have the breadth to provide industry best practices and an innovation roadmap moving forward.”
While industry may move quicker than government in terms of technology, that doesn’t mean they can’t collaborate and partner in impactful ways to move forward intra- and interagency collaboration and governance.
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