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Open Data: Empowering Americans to Make Data-Driven Decisions

Today, students are able to compare the cost of college with other significant data points, such as graduation rates and average salaries of graduates to determine where to get the most bang for their buck. Communities can finally map demographic, income, and school data to promote Fair Housing. Patients can find information on the safety and cost of hospitals, nursing homes, and physicians, empowering them to make smarter health care choices. These diverse tools benefit different groups of people, industries, and communities, yet all rely on one thing: open data.

Spotlight

Interior Business Center

The Interior Business Center (formerly the National Business Center) is a federal shared services provider that offers business solutions to create efficiencies and economies of scale for the Department of the Interior as well as other federal agencies.

OTHER ARTICLES
Emerging Technology

Public continues to support funding for school expansions, upgrades

Article | July 16, 2022

There is great angst related to every aspect of reopening of schools in the U.S. What to do? How to do it? When to do it? The questions are numerous, and there is little certainty about anything. However, one thing is not in question – schools and our education system are critically important to our lives, our future, and our economic destiny. American taxpayers have shown no indication that neglecting schools is an option they want to consider. Citizens everywhere appear to be committed to the premise that America must provide modern educational facilities, leading edge technology, and outstanding teachers. To substantiate that point, one only has to take a quick look at what is happening throughout the country. Educational leaders are announcing plans for expanding, rebuilding, and enhancing campuses for tomorrow’s students. And, taxpayers are solidifying their support by approving the required funding. Here are but a few examples. Oregon The West Linn-Wilsonville School District will rely on $206.9 million in funding that was approved by voters to make major expansions. The funding includes $39 million for a new primary school, $18 million for technology upgrades, $25 million for expansion of the Wilsonville High School auditorium, and $15.25 million to secure school entrances, purchase lockdown hardware, and install shelter-in-place curtains. The funding also will cover costs for additional parking and a project to significantly increase the seating capacity of the high school football stadium. Texas In June 2020, the Cleveland ISD approved the first of many projects as part of a $198 million bond package that was approved by voters. Some projects have begun and other planned projects will include the renovation of Northside Elementary and the construction of a sixth elementary school and a new junior high school facility. Additionally, the funding will be used for the addition of a teacher learning center and administrative office as well as for upgrades to the softball and baseball fields at Cleveland High School. Continued growth in this part of the state has required the district to find temporary solutions such as costs of $3 million for portable buildings for classrooms while construction is underway. New Jersey Taxpayers approved a $37.6 million bond election for the Deptford Township School District. It includes replacement of some mercury-infested floors at a number of schools and construction of 16 additional classrooms at the district’s middle school. The funding also will be available for construction of two new science labs, an auxiliary gym, a cafeteria, a new main office, and a new central district office. In Woodbury Heights, voters approved a $2 million bond proposal for construction and renovation projects. The school needs a new main office and a security vestibule. Officials also want to convert some classrooms into a larger area that can be used for group instruction. Nebraska Bennington Public Schools will get a fifth elementary school and second middle school with a $72 million bond issue that was approved in March. The plan was to solicit proposals as quickly as possible with a goal of having construction completed by August 2021. The plan calls for the new middle school to open in 2022. The district also plans for other improvements district-wide, including to the high school softball and football stadiums, and middle school track. Bond money will be used to purchase land for a second high school. California The Oakland Unified School Board voted to place a $735 million construction bond measure on the November ballot to upgrade aging facilities. If approved by voters, the district will upgrade and expand seven schools and construct a new $50 million administrative building. Additional funding will go toward new kitchens at three schools and a cafeteria at one campus. The board also agreed that about $200 million could be used to fund districtwide safety repairs and possible improvements based on COVID-19 requirements at dozens of schools. Another $10 million is allocated for school expansions or other new projects. The cost estimates used by the board were based on the district’s Facilities Master Plan. Michigan The Clio Area School District has announced different plans because the district will downsize. However, voters approved a $40.6 million bond in May. With that funding, the district will begin to consolidate Garner Elementary School, Carter Middle School, Clio High School, and the transportation building. The remaining schools will receive extensive renovations and improvements including ceiling and flooring replacements, air-conditioning, new security systems, and updated technology. The Kenowa Hills School District also received voter approval in May for a $67 million bond proposal. The funding will be used to target multiple areas including, modernizing classrooms, replacing technology, expanding the Early Childhood Center, upgrading facilities and infrastructure, enhancing security, and creating a new STEM lab (science, technology, engineering, and math). In spite of uncertain times, schools are held in high regard and citizens and taxpayers continue to show their support for preserving public assets, enhancing safety, and providing the technology required for quality instruction. Mary Scott Nabers is president and CEO of Strategic Partnerships Inc., a business development company specializing in government contracting and procurement consulting throughout the U.S. Her recently released book, Inside the Infrastructure Revolution: A Roadmap for Building America, is a handbook for contractors, investors and the public at large seeking to explore how public-private partnerships or joint ventures can help finance their infrastructure projects.

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Emerging Technology

Could the next infrastructure bill include funding for public technology systems?

Article | July 13, 2022

The House of Representatives laid out an infrastructure plan on June 18 – an expensive one with a price tag of approximately $1.5 trillion. It will not, of course, pass Congress in its current state, but it promises to start the critical and overdue conversation in Washington about infrastructure. But, there’s an omission that hopefully will be addressed and debated in Congress. The new plan makes little mention of funding for America’s outdated public technology infrastructure. Yet, the nation’s technology is a critical component of its infrastructure. Some leaders hope to make Congress aware of the challenges public officials face as they try to manage with old legacy technology systems that should have been replaced a decade ago. Broadband will likely be addressed, but all kinds of other technology assets need attention as well. When taxpayers think about what infrastructure should include, there is not a consensus. Roads and bridges are certainly considered as public assets and will be included in every discussion of infrastructure. Water, power, schools, health care, and even the Postal Service are named in the new plan that passed the House of Representatives. But, the new bill, which is called the Moving Forward Act, does not mention government’s basic technology infrastructure. One definition of infrastructure is “the basic physical and organizational structures and facilities needed for the operation of a society or enterprise.” Surely, technology falls into that category. There’s no argument that America’s global economic future depends on its technology infrastructure as well as its transportation infrastructure. But, public officials in governmental entities throughout the country attempt to provide services on old legacy systems that are decades past replacement stages. Public databases and networks are vulnerable to cyberattacks. The technology found in cities, counties, school districts, and governmental agencies is more than old and inadequate it is simply unreliable and in some instances could be considered dangerous. In a world of ‘big data’, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, apps, the Internet of Things (IoT), and extreme security requirements, government technology assets lag too far behind in America. Public officials don’t have funding to replace the antiquated technology systems. As Congress debates infrastructure reform, technology should be a part of the conversation. Those in agreement that the national debt does not need another $1.5 trillion hit may advocate for ways to encourage private sector funding for the many needs of infrastructure. Collaborative initiatives could be structured in the final infrastructure bill so that there are incentives for alternative funding and private sector expertise, as well as guidelines to protect taxpayers and public agencies. The inclusion of technology needs in any infrastructure discussion is, at the very least, worthy of discussion. Mary Scott Nabers is president and CEO of Strategic Partnerships Inc., a business development company specializing in government contracting and procurement consulting throughout the U.S. Her recently released book, Inside the Infrastructure Revolution: A Roadmap for Building America, is a handbook for contractors, investors and the public at large seeking to explore how public-private partnerships or joint ventures can help finance their infrastructure projects.

Read More
Government Business

GSA pilots AI for regulatory streamlining

Article | March 11, 2022

The General Services Administration plans to run an artificial-intelligence-based pilot program to help speed up how agencies procure innovative and commercial solutions. The pilot will use a combination of artificial intelligence, machine learning and robotic process automation to help GSA learn how to streamline the acquisition process, fast-track vendor selection timelines, simplify contract administration for innovative commercial items. FEDSIM is working with GSA’s Technology Transformation Service and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the sponsoring customer, to find a software-as-a-service solution that CMS regulatory staff can use to modernize regulatory workflows.

Read More

3 ways digital transformation makes governments more responsive

Article | April 14, 2021

COVID-19 placed enormous demands on government services—demands that are not likely to go away. Moreover, the private sector now looks to government to facilitate the data transparency, digital processes, and data security needed to fuel recovery. Governments now understand those old ways of doing business no longer work. They need to become agile and flexible to meet today’s needs. Some were moved in that direction by the unexpected demands of the pandemic. For others, COVID-19 simply accelerated their digital transformation journey that was already underway.

Read More
Emerging Technology

The Advantages of Introducing 5G to the Federal Government

Article | July 16, 2022

There is great angst related to every aspect of reopening of schools in the U.S. What to do? How to do it? When to do it? The questions are numerous, and there is little certainty about anything. However, one thing is not in question – schools and our education system are critically important to our lives, our future, and our economic destiny. American taxpayers have shown no indication that neglecting schools is an option they want to consider. Citizens everywhere appear to be committed to the premise that America must provide modern educational facilities, leading edge technology, and outstanding teachers. To substantiate that point, one only has to take a quick look at what is happening throughout the country. Educational leaders are announcing plans for expanding, rebuilding, and enhancing campuses for tomorrow’s students. And, taxpayers are solidifying their support by approving the required funding. Here are but a few examples. Oregon The West Linn-Wilsonville School District will rely on $206.9 million in funding that was approved by voters to make major expansions. The funding includes $39 million for a new primary school, $18 million for technology upgrades, $25 million for expansion of the Wilsonville High School auditorium, and $15.25 million to secure school entrances, purchase lockdown hardware, and install shelter-in-place curtains. The funding also will cover costs for additional parking and a project to significantly increase the seating capacity of the high school football stadium. Texas In June 2020, the Cleveland ISD approved the first of many projects as part of a $198 million bond package that was approved by voters. Some projects have begun and other planned projects will include the renovation of Northside Elementary and the construction of a sixth elementary school and a new junior high school facility. Additionally, the funding will be used for the addition of a teacher learning center and administrative office as well as for upgrades to the softball and baseball fields at Cleveland High School. Continued growth in this part of the state has required the district to find temporary solutions such as costs of $3 million for portable buildings for classrooms while construction is underway. New Jersey Taxpayers approved a $37.6 million bond election for the Deptford Township School District. It includes replacement of some mercury-infested floors at a number of schools and construction of 16 additional classrooms at the district’s middle school. The funding also will be available for construction of two new science labs, an auxiliary gym, a cafeteria, a new main office, and a new central district office. In Woodbury Heights, voters approved a $2 million bond proposal for construction and renovation projects. The school needs a new main office and a security vestibule. Officials also want to convert some classrooms into a larger area that can be used for group instruction. Nebraska Bennington Public Schools will get a fifth elementary school and second middle school with a $72 million bond issue that was approved in March. The plan was to solicit proposals as quickly as possible with a goal of having construction completed by August 2021. The plan calls for the new middle school to open in 2022. The district also plans for other improvements district-wide, including to the high school softball and football stadiums, and middle school track. Bond money will be used to purchase land for a second high school. California The Oakland Unified School Board voted to place a $735 million construction bond measure on the November ballot to upgrade aging facilities. If approved by voters, the district will upgrade and expand seven schools and construct a new $50 million administrative building. Additional funding will go toward new kitchens at three schools and a cafeteria at one campus. The board also agreed that about $200 million could be used to fund districtwide safety repairs and possible improvements based on COVID-19 requirements at dozens of schools. Another $10 million is allocated for school expansions or other new projects. The cost estimates used by the board were based on the district’s Facilities Master Plan. Michigan The Clio Area School District has announced different plans because the district will downsize. However, voters approved a $40.6 million bond in May. With that funding, the district will begin to consolidate Garner Elementary School, Carter Middle School, Clio High School, and the transportation building. The remaining schools will receive extensive renovations and improvements including ceiling and flooring replacements, air-conditioning, new security systems, and updated technology. The Kenowa Hills School District also received voter approval in May for a $67 million bond proposal. The funding will be used to target multiple areas including, modernizing classrooms, replacing technology, expanding the Early Childhood Center, upgrading facilities and infrastructure, enhancing security, and creating a new STEM lab (science, technology, engineering, and math). In spite of uncertain times, schools are held in high regard and citizens and taxpayers continue to show their support for preserving public assets, enhancing safety, and providing the technology required for quality instruction. Mary Scott Nabers is president and CEO of Strategic Partnerships Inc., a business development company specializing in government contracting and procurement consulting throughout the U.S. Her recently released book, Inside the Infrastructure Revolution: A Roadmap for Building America, is a handbook for contractors, investors and the public at large seeking to explore how public-private partnerships or joint ventures can help finance their infrastructure projects.

Read More
Emerging Technology

Government as a driving force

Article | July 13, 2022

The House of Representatives laid out an infrastructure plan on June 18 – an expensive one with a price tag of approximately $1.5 trillion. It will not, of course, pass Congress in its current state, but it promises to start the critical and overdue conversation in Washington about infrastructure. But, there’s an omission that hopefully will be addressed and debated in Congress. The new plan makes little mention of funding for America’s outdated public technology infrastructure. Yet, the nation’s technology is a critical component of its infrastructure. Some leaders hope to make Congress aware of the challenges public officials face as they try to manage with old legacy technology systems that should have been replaced a decade ago. Broadband will likely be addressed, but all kinds of other technology assets need attention as well. When taxpayers think about what infrastructure should include, there is not a consensus. Roads and bridges are certainly considered as public assets and will be included in every discussion of infrastructure. Water, power, schools, health care, and even the Postal Service are named in the new plan that passed the House of Representatives. But, the new bill, which is called the Moving Forward Act, does not mention government’s basic technology infrastructure. One definition of infrastructure is “the basic physical and organizational structures and facilities needed for the operation of a society or enterprise.” Surely, technology falls into that category. There’s no argument that America’s global economic future depends on its technology infrastructure as well as its transportation infrastructure. But, public officials in governmental entities throughout the country attempt to provide services on old legacy systems that are decades past replacement stages. Public databases and networks are vulnerable to cyberattacks. The technology found in cities, counties, school districts, and governmental agencies is more than old and inadequate it is simply unreliable and in some instances could be considered dangerous. In a world of ‘big data’, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, apps, the Internet of Things (IoT), and extreme security requirements, government technology assets lag too far behind in America. Public officials don’t have funding to replace the antiquated technology systems. As Congress debates infrastructure reform, technology should be a part of the conversation. Those in agreement that the national debt does not need another $1.5 trillion hit may advocate for ways to encourage private sector funding for the many needs of infrastructure. Collaborative initiatives could be structured in the final infrastructure bill so that there are incentives for alternative funding and private sector expertise, as well as guidelines to protect taxpayers and public agencies. The inclusion of technology needs in any infrastructure discussion is, at the very least, worthy of discussion. Mary Scott Nabers is president and CEO of Strategic Partnerships Inc., a business development company specializing in government contracting and procurement consulting throughout the U.S. Her recently released book, Inside the Infrastructure Revolution: A Roadmap for Building America, is a handbook for contractors, investors and the public at large seeking to explore how public-private partnerships or joint ventures can help finance their infrastructure projects.

Read More
Government Business

Designing a Consistent and Accessible Digital Government

Article | March 11, 2022

The General Services Administration plans to run an artificial-intelligence-based pilot program to help speed up how agencies procure innovative and commercial solutions. The pilot will use a combination of artificial intelligence, machine learning and robotic process automation to help GSA learn how to streamline the acquisition process, fast-track vendor selection timelines, simplify contract administration for innovative commercial items. FEDSIM is working with GSA’s Technology Transformation Service and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the sponsoring customer, to find a software-as-a-service solution that CMS regulatory staff can use to modernize regulatory workflows.

Read More

3 ways digital transformation makes governments more responsive

Article | April 14, 2021

COVID-19 placed enormous demands on government services—demands that are not likely to go away. Moreover, the private sector now looks to government to facilitate the data transparency, digital processes, and data security needed to fuel recovery. Governments now understand those old ways of doing business no longer work. They need to become agile and flexible to meet today’s needs. Some were moved in that direction by the unexpected demands of the pandemic. For others, COVID-19 simply accelerated their digital transformation journey that was already underway.

Read More
MORE ARTICLES

Spotlight

Interior Business Center

The Interior Business Center (formerly the National Business Center) is a federal shared services provider that offers business solutions to create efficiencies and economies of scale for the Department of the Interior as well as other federal agencies.

Related News

Cybersecurity

MSPAlliance Launches Initiative to Solve MSP Cybersecurity Talent Crisis

MSPAlliance | March 23, 2022

In conjunction with MSPWorld 2022, the International Association of Cloud & Managed Service Providers (MSPAlliance) announced a new program designed to address the cybersecurity talent shortage facing the managed services profession. Featuring a partnership with Boise State University and Stellar Cyber, the program has an overall goal of creating Managed Service Provider (MSP)-specific business, technical, and cybersecurity training, along with job placement tools. The program will be launched in the coming months and will begin producing viable MSP security candidates for hire within the year. This program will leverage existing cyber and general educational capabilities of organizations such as Boise State, combined with cybersecurity-specific training of students on actual technology tools used by MSPs, such as Stellar Cyber's Open XDR platform. Further, MSPAlliance will be contributing MSP-specific business and operational content to make the students highly attractive to MSPs looking to fill positions. We have known for a long time that MSPs were facing difficulty in identifying, hiring, and training employees who had necessary skills. Through this partnership with Stellar Cyber and Boise State, we are taking the first steps to solving this problem and bringing much-needed help to the MSP profession." Celia Weaver, president and co-founder of MSPAlliance While many cybersecurity training programs do exist, they fall short of the specific needs of the global MSP profession in several areas. First, the candidates graduating from a vast number of traditional computer science programs are not being trained on current technologies used by MSPs. Second, the graduates do not possess the specific knowledge necessary to make them relevant to MSPs. Third, the graduates do not have relevant work experience, also needed to improve their utility to the MSP profession. This program will address all three of these issues. Boise State, a leader in cybersecurity education, will accelerate real-world training for new students as well as MSP analysts who want to upgrade their skillsets to offer Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP) services. Boise State's new Cyberdome leverages Stellar Cyber's Open XDR platform in the University's in-house MSSP service, which provides enterprise-class security to rural schools and communities throughout Idaho while significantly enhancing students' cybersecurity skills in a real-world environment. "At Boise State, we built this program to become a competency hub for new students as well as working analysts looking to broaden their skills to work effectively in a cybersecurity provider environment," said Edward Vasko, CISSP and director of the Boise State Institute for Pervasive Cybersecurity. "With this announcement, the MSP industry now has a partner inside the education community that believes in the mission we're trying to accomplish." "We are excited to help solve one of cybersecurity's biggest business problems—talent shortage," said Mark Porter, President and CEO at High Wire Networks, a Stellar Cyber Master MSSP Partner. "With our human capital management expertise and SOC services, we can help build a pipeline of security analysts who will help the MSP community reach their customers more effectively and efficiently." Stellar Cyber's Open XDR platform provides the cybersecurity technology that underpins the Cyberdome program. Thanks to its ease-of-use and comprehensive, "everything detection and response" functionality and AI-driven analytics, the platform quickly prepares Boise State students for careers in cybersecurity. "This is great news for MSPs who want to add security services to their offerings but can't find any analysts to deliver it," said Brian Stoner, vice president of MSSP at Stellar Cyber. "Our Open XDR platform is ideal for MSPs who want to capitalize on the hot market for cybersecurity services, and Boise State's Cyberdome program has the potential of enabling security analysts to meet our industry partner demand." About MSPAlliance MSPAlliance is a global industry association and accrediting body for the Cyber Security, Cloud Computing, and Managed Services Provider (MSP) industry. Established in 2000 to help MSPs become better MSPs. Today, MSPAlliance works with cloud computing and managed service provider corporate members worldwide in a collaborative effort to assist its members, along with foreign and domestic governments, on creating standards, setting policies, and establishing best practices. About Boise State University's Institute for Pervasive Cybersecurity Boise State University's Institute for Pervasive Cybersecurity is a leader of innovative cybersecurity research and advancement in Idaho and the region. The Institute welcomes and facilitates strategic partnerships with industry, higher education, business, and government to improve cybersecurity for Idaho and the nation. The Institute also works to commercialize ground-breaking research and tools, and educate graduates to become the change-makers and forward-thinkers of the 21st century. About Stellar Cyber The Stellar Cyber Open XDR platform delivers Everything Detection and Response by ingesting data from all tools, automatically correlating alerts into incidents across the entire attack surface, delivering fewer and higher-fidelity incidents, and responding to threats automatically through AI and machine learning. The Stellar Cyber XDR Kill Chain, fully compatible with the MITRE ATT&CK framework, is designed to characterize every aspect of modern attacks while remaining intuitive to understand. This reduces enterprise risk through early and precise identification and remediation of all attack activities while slashing costs, retaining investments in existing tools and accelerating analyst productivity. Typically, Stellar Cyber delivers an 8x improvement in MTTD and a 20x improvement in MTTR. The company is based in Silicon Valley.

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Government Business

OpenGov Launches "OpenGov Across America" Campaign In Support of Local Government Leaders and Public Service

OpenGov | August 25, 2021

OpenGov has launched the "OpenGov Across America" campaign in support of local government leaders to thank them for shouldering the burden of keeping their communities safe and governments open for business throughout the pandemic. As part of this campaign, OpenGov CEO Zac Bookman has set out on a nearly 4,000-mile cross-country bike tour to meet with and hear directly from town, city, and county leaders about how their governments have evolved to address the urgent needs of their communities in the pandemic. In conjunction with this ride, OpenGov has committed to supporting the mission of the Sandra Day O'Connor Institute For American Democracy to increase awareness of the importance of civic engagement, civics education, and civil discourse. Together, they will raise funds to help educate future civic leaders and enable a more informed and engaged citizenry. "I'm excited to embark on this amazing adventure to highlight the local government visionaries who have devoted their lives to serving American communities," said OpenGov CEO Zac Bookman. "In support of that mission, OpenGov is proud to team up with the O'Connor Institute to champion the next generation of public servants and educate residents about the importance of civic engagement." "The Institute is gratified that OpenGov recognizes the importance of public service and leadership," said Institute CEO Sarah Suggs. "We appreciate this tremendous effort by Zac Bookman in civic engagement and philanthropy." As OpenGov looks to shed light on the importance of local leadership, government leaders and public-sector allies are encouraged to post photos and videos of themselves thanking someone in the public sector or sharing how they got into public service on LinkedIn or Twitter with #OpenGovAcrossAmerica and #GovLove, for an opportunity to be featured on OpenGov's social channels. About OpenGov OpenGov is the leader in modern cloud ERP software for our nation's cities, counties and state agencies. On a mission to power more effective and accountable government, OpenGov serves more than 1,000 agencies across the U.S. Built exclusively for the unique budgeting, financial management and citizen services needs of the public sector, the OpenGov ERP Cloud makes organizations more collaborative, digitizes mission-critical processes and enables best-in-class communication with stakeholders. About the Sandra Day O'Connor Institute For American Democracy Founded by retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, the O'Connor Institute, a nonprofit, nonpartisan 501(c)(3), continues her distinguished legacy and lifetime work to advance American democracy through multigenerational civics education, civil discourse and civic engagement.

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Government Business

OpenGov Acquires ProcureNow the Leading Government Procurement Software

OpenGov | June 24, 2021

OpenGov, the market leader in modern cloud ERP software for our nation's cities, counties, and state agencies, today announced the acquisition of ProcureNow, the industry's fastest-growing, top multi-tenant SaaS software provider for government procurement and contract management. ProcureNow, like OpenGov, allows government leaders to serve stakeholders with the most effective solutions intended to simplify critical processes, enable data-driven choices, and openly communicate outcomes. OpenGov, in collaboration with ProcureNow's full lifecycle procurement management software, which includes powerful solicitation and contract development automation, continues to power governments' most strategic processes: budgeting and planning, citizen services, financial management, reporting and transparency, and, now, procurement – all in the cloud. Procurement significantly impacts a government's ability to meet strategic objectives such as budget accountability, spend control, supplier diversity, economic growth, and citizen experience. It is becoming more critical in allowing remote work and investments related to the American Rescue Plan Act and the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act. By incorporating this necessary solution into the OpenGov ERP Cloud, the merged company is better positioned to fulfill the modernization requirements of the nation's most forward-thinking administrators, finance, and community development professionals. About OpenGov OpenGov is the market leader in delivering modern cloud software to our nation's state and local governments to enable more effective and accountable governance. OpenGov solutions, designed specifically for the public sector's unique budgeting, financial, and community development requirements, assist our more than 1,000 clients in planning effectively, increasing efficiency, and improving participation through better collaboration and transparency. About ProcureNow ProcureNow, based in San Francisco, is a recognized small business to transform efficiency and innovation in local government by providing a complete toolkit for creating and sourcing government RFPs and bids. ProcureNow's Government Procurement Automation Cloud connects governments and local businesses through technology that enables more suppliers to confidently read, understand, and react to complicated government bids.

Read More

Cybersecurity

MSPAlliance Launches Initiative to Solve MSP Cybersecurity Talent Crisis

MSPAlliance | March 23, 2022

In conjunction with MSPWorld 2022, the International Association of Cloud & Managed Service Providers (MSPAlliance) announced a new program designed to address the cybersecurity talent shortage facing the managed services profession. Featuring a partnership with Boise State University and Stellar Cyber, the program has an overall goal of creating Managed Service Provider (MSP)-specific business, technical, and cybersecurity training, along with job placement tools. The program will be launched in the coming months and will begin producing viable MSP security candidates for hire within the year. This program will leverage existing cyber and general educational capabilities of organizations such as Boise State, combined with cybersecurity-specific training of students on actual technology tools used by MSPs, such as Stellar Cyber's Open XDR platform. Further, MSPAlliance will be contributing MSP-specific business and operational content to make the students highly attractive to MSPs looking to fill positions. We have known for a long time that MSPs were facing difficulty in identifying, hiring, and training employees who had necessary skills. Through this partnership with Stellar Cyber and Boise State, we are taking the first steps to solving this problem and bringing much-needed help to the MSP profession." Celia Weaver, president and co-founder of MSPAlliance While many cybersecurity training programs do exist, they fall short of the specific needs of the global MSP profession in several areas. First, the candidates graduating from a vast number of traditional computer science programs are not being trained on current technologies used by MSPs. Second, the graduates do not possess the specific knowledge necessary to make them relevant to MSPs. Third, the graduates do not have relevant work experience, also needed to improve their utility to the MSP profession. This program will address all three of these issues. Boise State, a leader in cybersecurity education, will accelerate real-world training for new students as well as MSP analysts who want to upgrade their skillsets to offer Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP) services. Boise State's new Cyberdome leverages Stellar Cyber's Open XDR platform in the University's in-house MSSP service, which provides enterprise-class security to rural schools and communities throughout Idaho while significantly enhancing students' cybersecurity skills in a real-world environment. "At Boise State, we built this program to become a competency hub for new students as well as working analysts looking to broaden their skills to work effectively in a cybersecurity provider environment," said Edward Vasko, CISSP and director of the Boise State Institute for Pervasive Cybersecurity. "With this announcement, the MSP industry now has a partner inside the education community that believes in the mission we're trying to accomplish." "We are excited to help solve one of cybersecurity's biggest business problems—talent shortage," said Mark Porter, President and CEO at High Wire Networks, a Stellar Cyber Master MSSP Partner. "With our human capital management expertise and SOC services, we can help build a pipeline of security analysts who will help the MSP community reach their customers more effectively and efficiently." Stellar Cyber's Open XDR platform provides the cybersecurity technology that underpins the Cyberdome program. Thanks to its ease-of-use and comprehensive, "everything detection and response" functionality and AI-driven analytics, the platform quickly prepares Boise State students for careers in cybersecurity. "This is great news for MSPs who want to add security services to their offerings but can't find any analysts to deliver it," said Brian Stoner, vice president of MSSP at Stellar Cyber. "Our Open XDR platform is ideal for MSPs who want to capitalize on the hot market for cybersecurity services, and Boise State's Cyberdome program has the potential of enabling security analysts to meet our industry partner demand." About MSPAlliance MSPAlliance is a global industry association and accrediting body for the Cyber Security, Cloud Computing, and Managed Services Provider (MSP) industry. Established in 2000 to help MSPs become better MSPs. Today, MSPAlliance works with cloud computing and managed service provider corporate members worldwide in a collaborative effort to assist its members, along with foreign and domestic governments, on creating standards, setting policies, and establishing best practices. About Boise State University's Institute for Pervasive Cybersecurity Boise State University's Institute for Pervasive Cybersecurity is a leader of innovative cybersecurity research and advancement in Idaho and the region. The Institute welcomes and facilitates strategic partnerships with industry, higher education, business, and government to improve cybersecurity for Idaho and the nation. The Institute also works to commercialize ground-breaking research and tools, and educate graduates to become the change-makers and forward-thinkers of the 21st century. About Stellar Cyber The Stellar Cyber Open XDR platform delivers Everything Detection and Response by ingesting data from all tools, automatically correlating alerts into incidents across the entire attack surface, delivering fewer and higher-fidelity incidents, and responding to threats automatically through AI and machine learning. The Stellar Cyber XDR Kill Chain, fully compatible with the MITRE ATT&CK framework, is designed to characterize every aspect of modern attacks while remaining intuitive to understand. This reduces enterprise risk through early and precise identification and remediation of all attack activities while slashing costs, retaining investments in existing tools and accelerating analyst productivity. Typically, Stellar Cyber delivers an 8x improvement in MTTD and a 20x improvement in MTTR. The company is based in Silicon Valley.

Read More

Government Business

OpenGov Launches "OpenGov Across America" Campaign In Support of Local Government Leaders and Public Service

OpenGov | August 25, 2021

OpenGov has launched the "OpenGov Across America" campaign in support of local government leaders to thank them for shouldering the burden of keeping their communities safe and governments open for business throughout the pandemic. As part of this campaign, OpenGov CEO Zac Bookman has set out on a nearly 4,000-mile cross-country bike tour to meet with and hear directly from town, city, and county leaders about how their governments have evolved to address the urgent needs of their communities in the pandemic. In conjunction with this ride, OpenGov has committed to supporting the mission of the Sandra Day O'Connor Institute For American Democracy to increase awareness of the importance of civic engagement, civics education, and civil discourse. Together, they will raise funds to help educate future civic leaders and enable a more informed and engaged citizenry. "I'm excited to embark on this amazing adventure to highlight the local government visionaries who have devoted their lives to serving American communities," said OpenGov CEO Zac Bookman. "In support of that mission, OpenGov is proud to team up with the O'Connor Institute to champion the next generation of public servants and educate residents about the importance of civic engagement." "The Institute is gratified that OpenGov recognizes the importance of public service and leadership," said Institute CEO Sarah Suggs. "We appreciate this tremendous effort by Zac Bookman in civic engagement and philanthropy." As OpenGov looks to shed light on the importance of local leadership, government leaders and public-sector allies are encouraged to post photos and videos of themselves thanking someone in the public sector or sharing how they got into public service on LinkedIn or Twitter with #OpenGovAcrossAmerica and #GovLove, for an opportunity to be featured on OpenGov's social channels. About OpenGov OpenGov is the leader in modern cloud ERP software for our nation's cities, counties and state agencies. On a mission to power more effective and accountable government, OpenGov serves more than 1,000 agencies across the U.S. Built exclusively for the unique budgeting, financial management and citizen services needs of the public sector, the OpenGov ERP Cloud makes organizations more collaborative, digitizes mission-critical processes and enables best-in-class communication with stakeholders. About the Sandra Day O'Connor Institute For American Democracy Founded by retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, the O'Connor Institute, a nonprofit, nonpartisan 501(c)(3), continues her distinguished legacy and lifetime work to advance American democracy through multigenerational civics education, civil discourse and civic engagement.

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Government Business

OpenGov Acquires ProcureNow the Leading Government Procurement Software

OpenGov | June 24, 2021

OpenGov, the market leader in modern cloud ERP software for our nation's cities, counties, and state agencies, today announced the acquisition of ProcureNow, the industry's fastest-growing, top multi-tenant SaaS software provider for government procurement and contract management. ProcureNow, like OpenGov, allows government leaders to serve stakeholders with the most effective solutions intended to simplify critical processes, enable data-driven choices, and openly communicate outcomes. OpenGov, in collaboration with ProcureNow's full lifecycle procurement management software, which includes powerful solicitation and contract development automation, continues to power governments' most strategic processes: budgeting and planning, citizen services, financial management, reporting and transparency, and, now, procurement – all in the cloud. Procurement significantly impacts a government's ability to meet strategic objectives such as budget accountability, spend control, supplier diversity, economic growth, and citizen experience. It is becoming more critical in allowing remote work and investments related to the American Rescue Plan Act and the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act. By incorporating this necessary solution into the OpenGov ERP Cloud, the merged company is better positioned to fulfill the modernization requirements of the nation's most forward-thinking administrators, finance, and community development professionals. About OpenGov OpenGov is the market leader in delivering modern cloud software to our nation's state and local governments to enable more effective and accountable governance. OpenGov solutions, designed specifically for the public sector's unique budgeting, financial, and community development requirements, assist our more than 1,000 clients in planning effectively, increasing efficiency, and improving participation through better collaboration and transparency. About ProcureNow ProcureNow, based in San Francisco, is a recognized small business to transform efficiency and innovation in local government by providing a complete toolkit for creating and sourcing government RFPs and bids. ProcureNow's Government Procurement Automation Cloud connects governments and local businesses through technology that enables more suppliers to confidently read, understand, and react to complicated government bids.

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