Topeka – Kansas Governor Sam Brownback released Tuesday a summary of 25 information technology initiatives his administration is implementing through the Kansas Office Information Technology Services (OITS) to lower IT costs and improve IT efficiency across state agencies.
“The ability for government agencies to adapt to a rapidly changing environment, whether the change be financially, technically or politically driven, has never been more greatly needed,” Gov. Brownback said. “Developing the agility within state government to take advantage of these changes in a timely manner will allow us to reduce costs across state agencies, improve service levels and increase the consistency of our business processes and interactions with our citizens.”
Developed through a series of planning and envisioning sessions with agency and technology leadership, these initiatives will set a positive foundation for IT consolidation efforts. Kansas Chief Information Technology Officer Anthony Schlinsog oversees the OITS. He said while not a definitive list, the 25 IT initiatives represent some key opportunities.
“In a world where almost every business process at the state is in some way enabled, managed or tracked within our applications, systems and technology, IT is uniquely positioned to assist state agencies and offices with improving efficiencies and driving service delivery costs lower,” Schlinsog said.
Schlinsog said the diversity and complexity of the various agency missions are driving up IT costs. He said selective consolidation efforts will allow Kansas to reach greater economies of scale, eliminate the duplication of technology and support efforts, and expand staff collaboration capabilities. The IT initiatives also will help lower the operational risks and costs of core systems and programs, allowing the state to use more of its limited resources for non-administrative purposes.
The OITS is committed to working closely with agency leadership to assisting agencies with their operational and strategic needs and with the fulfillment of their missions, while ensuring the security and viability of their systems and data. Kansans can learn more about the IT intitiatives at http://oits.ks.gov.