E-gov with industry is 'golden'
IBM executive tells an Internet summit that tending to businesses is the way to spark the economy
According to one industry official, the "golden nugget" that governments
should be after is how to provide better e-government services to businesses
— because successful businesses drive the economy.
That's how Todd Ramsey, IBM Corp.'s general manager for global government
industry, opened a session titled "Best Practices of Governments" at the
2001 Global Internet Summit in Fairfax, Va., March 6.
Virginia Gov. James Gilmore and Cisco Systems Inc.'s president and chief
executive officer, John Chambers, were co-chairmen of the summit, which
focused on the potential of the Internet. Speakers included 40 top business
executives and public-sector luminaries from as far away as Ireland and
Taiwan.
Government bureaucracy costs new entrepreneurs and small businesses
time, money and energy — resources that could instead be reinvested in those
companies, Ramsey said. IBM and Cisco have improved internal operations
through technological changes, and governments need to do the same thing,
he said.
Governments should set sensible policies, help businesses and lead by
example, he said.
Donald Upson, Virginia's secretary of technology, said that philosophies
and policies enacted by the Gilmore administration helped spur the growth
of Internet and communications companies in Northern Virginia, from hundreds
in the 1980s to 13,000 now.
"We're the only technology center that owes its birth and creation to
government," Upson said. He added that working with business, educational
and community leaders helped make that happen.
The session also focused on examples from municipal leaders about their
use of the Internet to streamline government operations, save money and
create a better quality of life for citizens.
For example, in a partnership with a cable company, LaGrange, Ga., has
provided many citizens with high-speed Internet access through their televisions,
said Jeff Lukken, mayor of the municipality, which is 60 miles southwest
of Atlanta. The access provides online educational and government services,
among other things.
"We consider this just another form of investment, an investment in
our citizens," Lukken said.
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