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 “Illinois is nationally recognized as the first U.S. state to
have a vision and roadmap for becoming a smarter state,” said Hardik
Bhatt, Secretary Designate and state CIO of the Department of
Innovation and Technology. “The goal is to use technology, Internet
of Things, mobile, analytics and cybersecurity to improve
operational efficiency and find new and more cost-effective ways to
serve our customers.”
Illinois launched Smart State initiatives, under the leadership of
Governor Bruce Rauner, with the release of a white paper titled,
“Introducing the Smart State: Illinois Leads the Way” in early 2016.
This was followed by two smart state workshops in April and
December, that connected leaders from both the public and private
sector, to explore how becoming a smart state will improve
government efficiency and access to services, and create a climate
that promotes the growth of business and industry.
 U of I President Tim Killeen commented, “This partnership will
capitalize on the U of I System’s world-class faculty and its
state-of-the-art research facilities to serve our citizens, lift our
state’s economy and make Illinois a place where the world turns for
the pioneering innovation that fosters success in the 21st century.”
The first phase of the new agreement between the state and the U of
I System will partner the Illinois Department of Innovation and
Technology (DoIT) with the National Center for Supercomputing
Applications (NCSA) at the University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champaign, where world-renowned staff and leading-edge
computing systems will help tackle large-scale data analytics and
cybersecurity issues to accelerate innovation and safeguard
citizens.
“The Smart State initiative will support Illinois residents and the
state’s economy at a variety of levels,” said Michael Hites, the U
of I System’s chief information officer and senior associate vice
president for Administrative Information Technology Services.
As an example, Hites said this initiative can utilize big data
technology to improve state efficiency and make it easier for
citizens to work with the state, creating a “one stop” point of
entry for services – from child-care benefits and motor vehicle
registration to professional licensing and setting up new
businesses.
“A partnership between DoIT and NCSA will bring great benefits to
Illinois businesses and citizens in the area of cybersecurity,”
commented Kirk Lonbom, DoIT’s Chief Information Security Officer.
“The threat posed by cyber attackers grows exponentially by the day
and collaborations such as these accelerate the pace of
cybersecurity progress.”
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State and University officials will meet
soon to discuss future agreements that would expand partnerships
across the U of I System to foster innovation that promises to
create new economy-building work processes, services and products.
About DoIT: On January 25, 2016, Governor Rauner issued Executive Order
16-01 establishing the Department of Innovation & Technology (DoIT), a new state
agency with responsibility for the information technology functions of agencies
under the jurisdiction of the Governor. DoIT’s mission is to empower the State
of Illinois through high-value, customer-centric technology by delivering
best-in-class innovation to client agencies fostering collaboration and
empowering employees to provide better services to residents, businesses, and
visitors. More information can be found on the DoIT website.
About the University of Illinois System: The University of Illinois
System is a world leader in research and discovery, the largest educational
institution in the state with more than 81,000 students, more than 24,000
faculty and staff, and universities in Urbana-Champaign, Chicago and
Springfield. The U of I System awards more than 20,000 undergraduate, graduate
and professional degrees annually.
About the National Center for Supercomputing Applications: The National
Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) at the University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champaign provides supercomputing and advanced digital resources for the
nation’s science enterprise. At NCSA, University of Illinois faculty, staff,
students and collaborators from around the globe use advanced digital resources
to address research grand challenges for the benefit of science and society.
NCSA has been advancing one third of the Fortune 50 for more than 30 years by
bringing industry, researchers and students together to solve grand challenges
at rapid speed and scale.
Related materials
[Illinois Department of Innovation &
Technology]
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