State and local briefs

Ciber will install Lawson Software’s ERP offerings. The state has licenses for Lawson’s Enterprise Financial Management, Human Capital Management, Procurement, Business Process Management and Business Intelligence software suites, company officials said.

The project has three phases. In the first phase, which began in May, the state will implement Lawson’s financial system and part of its budget system statewide. Installation of the procurement and human resources components and the remainder of the budgeting system will follow.

Lawson’s ERP software will replace a customized, mainframe-based solution from CGI-AMS, a Lawson spokeswoman said.

Texas agency chooses tablet PCs
The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services began a training program this month to help case workers use tablet PCs.

The state is distributing more than 3,000 tablets from Motion Computing for use in the field, and case workers will receive about 12 hours of training on the tablets, said Shirley Scott, director of information technology operations at the department.

Tablet PCs, such as Motion Computing’s LE1600, let users write with a stylus on a digitized computer display instead of using a keyboard. The government is one of Motion Computing’s primary markets. The company’s customers in that sector include the Louisiana Office of Public Health.

Cisco launches a public safety networking program
Cisco Systems launched a program this month that targets public safety networking. The company’s Solutions with Advanced Technologies program is designed to unify chain-of-command communications and improve emergency response.

Cisco’s solutions include an Instant and Mobile Integrated Communications Solution, which facilitates the rapid deployment of communications services in the event of an emergency or network outage. It includes secure voice over IP, Web connectivity and wireless hot spot capabilities.

Cisco and CACI International have teamed to provide the Tactical Communications Kit, which provides secure voice, data and video communications for first responders.

Input: State, local health care to hit $12.2B
Market researcher Input pegs the state and local health care and welfare information technology market at $7.6 billion in fiscal 2006 and anticipates its expansion to $12.2 billion by fiscal 2011.

Input said the advancement of a national health IT effort will help fuel the market’s growth in the next five years. The company cited the House’s passage of the Health IT Promotion Act of 2006 and $150 million in state grants to be issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services as signs of increased interest in health care.

Wisconsin takes complaint box online
Small businesses in Wisconsin that are miffed about red tape can file their complaints via the Web at commerce.wi.gov/BD/ BD-SBRRB-Complaint.html. An online form lets businesses submit their concerns about unnecessarily burdensome administrative rules or guidelines.

Users can enter the name of a rule or guideline and check off one or more complaint topics, including “the continued need for the rule or guideline” and “the complexity of the rule or guideline.”

Complaints are sent to the state’s Small Business Regulatory Review Board, which is authorized to review the state agencies’ existing rules and guidelines.