Representative Rakestraw Braddock Reviews Technology in Georgia

December 23, 2013 — Representative Paulette Rakestraw Braddock (R-HD19) spent the day with the Georgia Technology Authority (GTA), reviewing the statess technology infrastructure and information and plans for efficiency and security of public data housed in Georgia. Rep. Rakestraw Braddock was appointed by Speaker David Ralston to the Georgia Technology Authority Oversight Committee last year to review the states infrastructure and technology systems.

Calvin Rhodes, chief information officer for Georgia, led the meeting, held at the GTA offices. Joe Webb, deputy executive director of the GTA, Steve Nichols, chief technology officer, Tom Fruman, senior enterprise governance and planning officer, and Jeff McCord, director of intergovernmental relations, were there to present information to Rep. Rakestraw Braddock and to answer questions.

Throughout the state budget cuts, Georgia has centralized its technology infrastructure, information systems, data management, security, and telephony systems to streamline government services and make them more robust and cost effective. The GTA provided Rep. Rakestraw Braddock with a status report on the implementation timeline, identifying which agencies have been centralized already and the measurable results of that effort in terms of efficiencies gained.

The Georgia Enterprise Technology Services (GETS) division has worked to modernize the states information technology (IT) infrastructure to allow better management of IT resources, so that government can meet its service obligations to Georgias citizens. It has a predictable spend, better security, and a robust disaster recovery system for emergencies. A centralized effort has also enabled GETS to replace an aging IT infrastructure more cost effectively than would have been possible with the compartmentalized, multi-departmental approach that previously existed.

The Georgia Technology Authority is a state authority that is self-funded through data sales and administrative fees and has public/private partnerships with outside companies to provide centralized information systems efficiently and cost effectively throughout the state. The GTA manages the states central IT infrastructure, data center, security, network, and telecommunication services. The vision statement of the GTA is, To provide exemplary customer service; to enable business solutions for Georgias state government; to lead change for Georgias state government.

Rep. Rakestraw Braddock commented, The centralization of our States IT infrastructure was a huge undertaking, but it has helped our state be more efficient, cost effective, and secure things I believe every tax-paying citizen seeks from their government. I am honored to serve on this oversight committee, looking at how our state can be more efficient in the technology realm.

Rep. Rakestraw Braddock, Paulding Countys first female legislator, represents the citizens of District 19 in Paulding County. She was elected to the House of Representatives as the Vice Chair for the Science and Technology committee and serves on the Special Committee for Small Business and Job Creation, Special Rules, Juvenile Justice, and Economic Development Committees.

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