News and Events

The December edition of the VGIN News Brief focuses on partnering for success. The bi-monthly VGIN News Brief is one of several means of communicating the GIS coordinating activities of the Virginia Geographic Information Network (VGIN), targeting customers in local and state government, as well as academia, non-profits, federal government and the public.

The December issue of Information Security Tips provides users information on making them aware of the actions they should consider taking on their home computer. This newsletter provides information related to specific security standards for state employees and general information that home computer users will find valuable in protecting against cyber and information attacks.

The December edition of the VITA Service Bulletin is a "greatest hits edition," including information about accessing popular VITA contracts for IT products and services. The many local governments honored during 2010 also are featured.

Read the December VITA Service Bulletin

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The Health Information Technology Standards Advisory Committee (HITSAC) that was scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 16 has been canceled. The next meeting of the committee is scheduled for January 20, 2011. The meeting will be open to the public and an opportunity for public input will be provided near the end of the meeting.

The Health Information Technology Standards Advisory Committee (HITSAC) will hold a meeting on Thursday, Dec. 16. The session will be held from 10:30 - 3:30 p.m. in the 5th floor East Conference Room at the General Assembly Building, Richmond, VA. The meeting is open to the public and an opportunity for public input will be provided near the end of the meeting at approximately 3:00 p.m.

64 people participated in the Commonwealth's Information Security Officers Advisory Group (ISOAG) meeting Dec. 9, 2010.  Participants were from the executive (including higher education), judicial and legislative branches of state government, independent agencies and localities.  The keynote presentation was made by Trey Stevens from Northrop Grumman and Michael Watson of VITA on "Keeping the Bad Guys Out: Security Successes."  In addition, Commonwealth Security and Risk Management held a panel discussion by answering audience questions.  There was also an IT Partnership Update.  The session was hosted by Commonwealth Chief Information Security Officer John Green and VITA.  The next meeting is from 1-4 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2011 at CESC.

IT suppliers will find helpful information about doing business with the Commonwealth in a new presentation developed by Supply Chain Management (SCM). This presentation provides an understanding of VITA's role in the selection and sourcing of IT goods and services. The IT supplier community should refer to this presentation to gain an understanding of opportunities to provide the best IT solutions to meet the business needs of the Commonwealth.

Judy Marchand Hampton has joined VITA as Director of the Customer Service and Project Management Organization (CSPMO). Judy served as Chief Information Officer at Virginia State University from 2005-2010. She worked for VITA as acting manager of the Project Management Office from 2003-2005 and as technology specialist for the former Department of Technology Planning (DTP) from 2001-2003. Judy is a leading technology management professional with expertise in technology governance, IT outsourcing, technology service delivery and service level management, business and strategic planning, IT investment management, contract negotiation and management, and implementation of enterprise systems.

The December issue of Network News begins with a message from CIO Sam Nixon about important new customer service staff and organizational changes. Other news includes the beginning of the independent audit of the SAN outage, the transition of contract IT staff, a new identity management tool and upcoming meeting opportunities.

Read the December issue of Network News

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The November edition of the PSC News Brief is now available. The bi-monthly PSC News Brief is one of several means of communicating the 9-1-1 coordinating activities of the Public Safety Communications (PSC) Division to its stakeholder community in an effort to encourage, promote, and assist in the development and deployment of statewide enhanced emergency telecommunications systems.

Read November PSC News Brief

The city of Richmond ranked highest in the nation and six other Virginia cities also ranked in the top ten of their respective population categories according to just-released results of the 2010 Digital Cities Survey. Richmond took top honors in the 125,000-249,999 population category, and was joined by the cities of Norfolk, Hampton, Alexandra, Roanoke, Lynchburg and Danville in the prestigious biennial rankings. The tenth annual survey, conducted by the Center for Digital Government and Government Technology, measures and assesses the use of information technology by local governments.

Read full results of the 2010 Digital Cities Survey

The November edition of the VITA Service Bulletin includes information about new state contracts for a variety of printers.

Read November Service Bulletin

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The Health Information Technology Standards Advisory Committee (HITSAC) will hold a meeting at 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 18. The meeting will be held at the Commonwealth Enterprise Solutions Center in Chester. An opportunity for public input will be provided near the end of the meeting.

The November issue of Network News begins with a message from CIO Sam Nixon about the new Information Technology Advisory Council. Other news includes the selection of the firm for an independent audit of the SAN outage, new project management methodology, an electronic asset validation survey and upcoming training and meeting opportunities. 

Read November Network News

Subscribe to Network News

The October edition of the VGIN News Brief includes information on VGIN's growing variety of base map data layers for both Public (open) use, and for subscription consumption. Data offerings include the Virginia Base Mapping Program imagery for the Commonwealth and the Virginia Base Map cached service. The bi-monthly VGIN News Brief is one of several means of communicating the GIS coordinating activities of the Virginia Geographic Information Network (VGIN), targeting customers in local and state government, as well as academia, non-profits, federal government and the public.

The observance of Cyber Security Month provides an opportunity for agency heads to ensure they are meeting code requirements related to the security of electronic information held by the Commonwealth. Two of those relate to audits and reporting breaches. The agency head is responsible for the development and implementation of an agency plan for IT security audits, and for submitting the plan to the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) of the Commonwealth. Agency heads are also required to report all security breaches related to electronic data to the Chief Information Officer. Reports must be made to the Chief Information Officer within 24 hours from when the agency discovered or should have discovered the occurrence.

Online security incident reporting form

The October edition of the VITA Service Bulletin includes information about new state contracts for cabling products and services, a new Virginia mapping application free from the iTunes store, and coastal mapping initiatives. Also, in recognition of Governor McDonnell's designation of October as Cyber Security Awareness Month in the Commonwealth, a number of resources are provided.

Read the October Service Bulletin

The Information Technology Advisory Council, established by the 2010 General Assembly and appointed by Governor Bob McDonnell, will hold its first meeting on Monday, Nov. 1. The session will be held beginning at 1 p.m. in the multipurpose rooms at the Commonwealth Enterprise Solutions Center (CESC), 11751 Meadowville Lane, Chester. An agenda will be posted as soon as it is finalized. The meeting is open to the public and an opportunity for public input will be provided near the end of the meeting at approximately 2:50 p.m.

Security of information is essential to citizen's trust and continuity of government services. Commonwealth of Virginia agency heads bear the responsibility for the security of agency's IT systems and data (Information Security Standard, SEC501-01). To secure the agency's IT systems and data, the agency head is required to designate an Information Security Officer (ISO).  The ISO should be appointed no less than biennially and, where feasible, a back-up ISO to implement a Commonwealth of Virginia compliant Information Security program that is properly documented and effectively communicated.

Contact us with Information Security questions

The October issue of Network News begins with a message from CIO Sam Nixon. Other news includes Governor McDonnell's appointees to the new Information Technology Advisory Council, launch of a new online VITA Service Catalog, opportunity for comment on agency memorandum of understanding, a new, free Virginia mapping application for iPhone, upcoming electronic asset inventory validation, the 2010 RTIP report, transformation update, national and Governor's awards for IT and upcoming training and meeting opportunities.

Read the October issue of Network News

A new IT Service Catalog now has been published online. It is designed to provide agencies and other customers with information about services and simplify the ordering process. This is a limited version catalog, which will be enhanced in the coming months. It provides:

* VITA-Northrop Grumman infrastructure services
* Standard work requests - frequently requested services in combinations commonly deployed that are pre-priced and pre-solutioned for speed of approval and start of implementation
* Standard work request forms - several forms for faster submission for services
* Custom work requests for services not labeled standard

See the Service Catalog on the VITA website

The September issue of Information Security Tips provides users information on detecting and avoiding fake anti-virus software. This newsletter provides information related to specific security standards for state employees and general information that home computer users will find valuable in protecting against cyber and information attacks.

Governor Bob McDonnell has designated the month of October as Cyber Security Awareness Month across the Commonwealth. Maintenance of effective cyber security for the digital assets of the Commonwealth is a task that involves everyone; however, agency heads have specific requirements per the Code of Virginia. Throughout the month, the Chief Information Security Officer of the Commonwealth will provide specific details in the Leadership Communique. Many resources are provided on the VITA website through an online Information Security Toolkit. Monthly meetings of agency Information Security Officers provide in-depth discussion of important topics. Cyber security alerts are regularly distributed to subscribers. As the month begins, this is a good time to share this observance with your staff and to review the cyber security posture of your agency. Please visit VITA's Information Security Awareness Toolkit.

Go to toolkit

New aerial mapping will provide better models of the earth surface that offer a variety of benefits to citizens, businesses and governments in Virginia's Tidewater area. One immediate benefit is improved emergency planning during hurricane season. Mapping of the coast was coordinated by the Virginia Information Technologies Agency (VITA) Geographic Information Systems (GIS) group in cooperation with the U. S. Geological Survey (USGS).

The Commonwealth of Virginia, along with nine other exemplary initiatives, were chosen as recipients for the National Association of State Chief Information Officers' (NASCIO) 2010 Recognition Awards for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Information Technology in State Government. The ceremony was held last night at a prestigous State Dinner and Awards Presentation at the 2010 NASCIO Annual Conference in Miami, Fla.

According to NASCIO, innovation and excellence continue to thrive in state government. These projects demonstrate that states strive to support the public policy goals of state leaders, provide cost-effective service to citizens, and make available solutions that are transferable to other agencies or units of government. The Commonwealth of Virginia, Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) was awarded in the category of Digital Government: Government to Government.

Read the NASCIO news release

A draft memorandum of understanding (MOU) between VITA and state agencies has been posted to the Online Review and Comment Application (ORCA). The new agreement reflects the post-transformation infrastructure service model that will be provided by VITA and Northrop Grumman. The updated MOU describes service offerings, specifies performance expectations and metrics, and outlines VITA's commitments to agencies. The agreement is posted to ORCA for review and comment through Oct. 28. VITA is particularly interested in comments from Agency Information Technology Resources (AITRs) and agency business owners impacted by the MOU.

Review and comment in ORCA

The September edition of the PSC News Brief is now available. The bi-monthly PSC News Brief is one of several means of communicating the 9-1-1 coordinating activities of the Public Safety Communications (PSC) Division to its stakeholder community in an effort to encourage, promote, and assist in the development and deployment of statewide enhanced emergency telecommunications systems.

Chief Information Officer of the Commonwealth Sam Nixon briefed the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) on Sept. 13 regarding the progress of the Virginia Information Technologies Agency, the IT infrastructure work with Northrop Grumman and the recent storage outage. The CIO provides periodic updates to JLARC as part of the 2010 legislation amending the reporting structure of VITA.

Read the presentation

The September edition of the VITA Service Bulletin includes news about national recognition for IT initiatives from many Virginia localities and local winners of the 2010 Governor's Technology Awards.
A new state contract for Oracle products and maintenance now is available, and more information on this contract is featured.

Read September VITA Service Bulletin

View the presentation

Virginia's state Web portal launched widget technology to provide portable, shareable information that users could place on personal Web pages. This innovative technology, which is used to more easily deliver frequently updated information such as election results or lottery drawings, now is featured in a story by Government Technology magazine. Virginia's use of widgets also was honored with a 2009 NASCIO award.

Read the Government Technology article

See a video about Virginia's widgets

The Center for Digital Government's 15th annual Best of the Web and Digital Government Achievement Awards programs honor outstanding use of digital tools to improve citizen service and government efficiency. The county of Chesterfield was ranked first in the nation in the county Best of the Web rankings. Virginia's state Web portal was a Best of the Web state finalist.

Numerous Virginia programs are recognized in the 2010 program. Virginia's Digital Government Achievement Awards include awards recognizing Virginia Department of Emergency Management, cities of Danville and Richmond and the Richmond Public Library. Honorable mentions were awarded to Department of General Services, cities of Danville and Richmond and the Virginia Departments of Transportation and Mines Minerals and Energy.

View the Center for Digital Government's full list of honorees

Governor Bob McDonnell announced appointments to his administration and appointments to 17 other Virginia boards and commissions. The Information Technology Advisory Council (ITAC) was included in this announcement.

Governor Bob McDonnell announced this morning further steps to be taken to address the unprecedented hardware failure and subsequent data corruption that has affected certain state agencies during the past week.  The Administration, together with the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee (JLARC), will commission an independent review of the information system failures and contractor response that has impacted 13% of the Commonwealth's executive branch file servers and 26 of 89 applicable executive branch agencies. The outside vendor will be chosen together to conduct the review and will be announced in the weeks ahead. The Governor further announced that Northrop Grumman has agreed to pay for the costs of the review.

The September issue of Network News includes new storage offerings, security of printer and copier memory, a national interview with the CIO, invitation to comment on the new project management standard, transformation update, and upcoming training and meeting opportunities.

Read September Network News

Systems have been restored and the Department of Motor Vehicles will be able to issue drivers' licenses and ID cards tomorrow, Thursday, Sept. 2. DMV plans to have additional staff and extended hours to assist citizens who need to obtain licenses or IDs.  DMV is extending the validity periods of most licenses and ID cards that expired during the disruption in service by 20 days providing citizens additional time to renew prior to the new expiration date. Also, citizens who renew licenses prior to the revised expiration date will not be required to provide documentation of U. S. citizenship or legal presence in the country. DMV's drivers' licensing and ID system was down as a result of a networked storage system failure at VITA's Commonwealth Enterprise Solutions Center in Chester. We extend our appreciation to DMV staff and citizens who have been patient as VITA and its partners worked around the clock to repair the system and ensure the integrity of data to allow DMV to again provide this important service to the Commonwealth.

DMV press release regarding additional renewal period, extended hours

Today, the Commonwealth CIO officially submitted the 2010 Recommended Technology Investment Projects (RTIP) Report, including recommended priorities for funding such projects, to the Governor and the Chairs of the Senate Finance Committee and the House Appropriations Committee.  The core recommendation to provide new or continued funding for 39 projects is based on selection and ranking criteria that give significant weight to the Commonwealth's strategic goals and objectives as established by the Governor, the Council on Virginia's Future and the 2007-2011 Commonwealth of Virginia Strategic Plan for Information Technology. 

2010 RTIP Report and Appendices

The Virginia Information Technologies Agency continues to make progress in returning all state agencies to normal operating conditions. As of this morning, all impacted state agencies have received access to their computer systems and files. The required pre-usage testing process is ongoing and found issues are being addressed. Specifically, the Department of Motor Vehicles will be back to normal operations by tomorrow.

Significant progress has been made and we have reached high confidence that all services will be restored soon.

VITA, Northrop Grumman, EMC and impacted state agencies are continuing to work around the clock to restore services. This networked storage system outage impacted 27 of 89 state agencies. State agencies are operating and serving citizens. The most public-facing issue is that the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) cannot issue drivers' licenses at its customer service centers.

On Wednesday, August 25, at approximately 3 p.m., the Commonwealth of Virginia experienced an information technology (IT) infrastructure outage that affected 27 of the Commonwealth's 89 agencies and caused 13 percent of the Commonwealth's file servers to fail. Teams and staff from the affected state agencies, the Virginia Information Technologies Agency, Northrop Grumman and EMC continue to work around the clock to correct the situation.  I have confidence in the teams that are working on this problem. They are aggressively executing our recovery plan and are working tirelessly to restore all the affected agencies to a fully operational status. They have made significant progress and continue to do so. I ask for the continued understanding and patience of state employees and citizens as this work continues.

Throughout the weekend, teams have been working steadily and deliberately to ensure the restoration process is complete and that all data is verified following the networked storage system failure experienced last week. We appreciate the cooperation and patience of every agency and citizen affected by this issue. Substantial progress has been made over the weekend and we expect progress to continue to be made through the night. 

The Virginia Information Technologies Agency, Northrop Grumman, IT staff at state agencies and EMC are continuing to work to restore services to agencies. The outage resulted from a damaged networked storage system, which now has been repaired. Currently, technicians are bringing up servers and agencies are testing applications.

Public CIO and Government Technology magazines have just published an extensive interview with Virginia's CIO. The article, "CIO Sam Nixon Tries to Fix Outsourcing Plan He Helped Create," appears in the August 18 online edition of the magazine, and is the cover story of the just-released August/September print edition. A companion editorial, "CIOs Are People Too," introduces the story in the print edition, and accompanies the online version.

Read the article

Read the companion editorial

The August edition of the VITA Service Bulletin begins with thanks from CIO Sam Nixon to the many localities that shared their innovative IT projects through the 2010 Governor's Technology Awards program. A record number of entries were received this year, and winners will be announced at a COVITS reception on Sept. 7. Other items include a registration reminder for 2010 COVITS, data destruction through statewide printer/copier contracts, a grant application story that impacts localities through the Virginia Department of Education and an upcoming statewide meeting for public safety answering point personnel.

Read the August Service Bulletin

Subscribe to the VITA Service Bulletin

A document now is available that outlines the VITA/Northrop Grumman tiered electronic data storage offerings that are part of the information technology infrastructure partnership. Also included in the document are details on the six offerings, information and timing on moving data into this new tiered structure, and managing storage tips , including some tools that are available now and some that may be offered in the future.

Read the full story and watch the interview

Information technology continues as a high profile topic in the Commonwealth. The Commonwealth of Virginia Innovative Technology Symposium (COVITS) annually brings together a community of senior-level executives and technology decision makers from state and local government, business, and education to identify, discuss and propose solutions to Virginia's critical technology issues. The Sept. 8, 2010 event has been revamped, shortened and moved to Richmond.

"Information technology is extremely important to the Commonwealth of Virginia and our effort to restructure and reform government operations. I encourage you to attend the 2010 Commonwealth of Virginia's Innovative Technology Symposium (COVITS), which is the state's preeminent forum for collaboration and participation in government technology. We look forward to seeing you there!" Bob McDonnell, Governor, Commonwealth of Virginia

The August edition of the PSC News Brief is now available. The bi-monthly PSC News Brief is one of several means of communicating the 9-1-1 coordinating activities of the Public Safety Communications (PSC) Division to its stakeholder community in an effort to encourage, promote, and assist in the development and deployment of statewide enhanced emergency telecommunications systems. 

The August issue of Network News begins with an important forward-looking message from CIO Sam Nixon. Other news includes details about JLARC's approval of VITA rates, new program and speaker information for COVITS 2010, an extension for entries to the 2010 Governor's Technology Awards program, transformation update and upcoming meetings.

Read the August issue of Network News

Subscribe to Network News

In light of the significant workload of Virginia government entities and to allow staff more time to complete entries, the deadline for receipt of entry materials for 2010 Governor's Technology Awards has been extended until midnight on Aug. 4. The entry template is short and submission is completed online.

All entrants will receive free admission to COVITS in recognition of their innovative work.

Categories, criteria, eligibility and other helpful information is posted at www.covits.org.

Robust geospatial mapping tools, transparency resources, real-time social networking feeds, improved organization, a blog-like news feature and citizen rating tools highlight upgrades on the Commonwealth of  Virginia's official website. "Smart Web resources are proven tools to better enable the business of government through technology," said Samuel A. Nixon Jr., Chief Information Officer of the Commonwealth. "New functionality on our state website represents our continued pursuit of excellence in efficient, cost-effective service delivery."

Commonwealth of Virginia's official website

Over 850 COVA pagers have still not had frequencies conversion completed and service to those pagers will be terminated as of July 30, 2010. At that time agencies also will be billed for non-return of these pagers and related equipment. USA Mobility, who provides the pager service, has a conversion process in place and has attempted to contact agencies and users over the last six months. Agencies and users are strongly urged to contact USA Mobility to either schedule the conversion or arrange for return of the equipment.

For questions or additional information, please contact Dianne Byrnes at (757) 531-5088 or via email dianne.byrnes@usamobility.com

The prestigious Governor's Technology Awards recognize innovative use of technology to enable the business of government by Virginia government entities. In recognition of this important work across the Commonwealth, the awards will again be presented to Virginia government honorees in six categories on behalf of Governor Bob McDonnell. The presentation will take place at a special ceremony of the Commonwealth of Virginia Innovative Technology Symposium (COVITS) on the evening of September 7. Entries are now invited and should be submitted by July 30, 2010.

See complete details on the COVITS website

VITA's data standards have been consolidated onto a single Web page. Having one location for the standards helps suppliers who are responding to requests for services or providing goods and services. Suppliers must comply with these standards in new technology procurements and contracts.

Information Technology Resource Management Policies, Standards and Guidelines

Data Standards Catalog

On July 12, the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) approved the new Commonwealth IT rates package submitted by VITA. This is a comprehensive revision of rates, which were adjusted to align with vendor charges, including the recent modifications made to the Commonwealth's IT infrastructure contract with Northrop Grumman. Two supporting  documents with details on the changes are available. "Overview of New Commonwealth IT Cost Recovery Rates" highlights the changes in general and provides descriptions of changes to each IT service area; "Breakdown of New Rates by Service and Cost Component" is a spreadsheet that provides a complete listing of all of the rates approved on July 12, with the cost components of each rate. Links to additional documents of interest also are provided.

Overview of New Commonwealth IT Cost Recovery Rates

JLARC Internal Service Fund Subcommittee Report

VITA Request to JLARC

Letter Approving VITA Rates from JLARC

The Center for Digital Government announced the winners of the 2010 Digital Counties Survey Awards on July 13. Top winners in two of the four population categories came from Virginia. Chesterfield and Hanover County topped their respective population categories as best in the nation for use of technology to improve service to citizens and create government efficiencies. Also scoring in the top 10 were the Virginia counties of Fairfax, Loudon, Roanoke, Franklin and Albemarle. Chesterfield CIO Barry Condrey and Fairfax CIO Wanda Gibson serve on the Commonwealth's CIO Council, providing valuable input to Commonwealth CIO Sam Nixon. Congratulations to the Virginia honorees!

Complete story and results

Northrop Grumman employees working on the Commonwealth's information technology infrastructure program with VITA heard from the company leaders in a town hall meeting on July 9 at the Commonwealth Enterprise Solutions Center. Linda A. Mills, corporate vice president and president, Northrop Grumman Information Systems, and Thomas W. Shelman, vice president and general manager, Civil Systems Division, Northrop Grumman Information Systems sector, shared information on the company's successes and plans.

View meeting materials

The July issue of Network News begins with a message from CIO Sam Nixon about progress toward implementation of Agreement 60 between the Commonwealth and Northrop Grumman, including a recent report to the General Assembly. Other news includes submission of a billing rate structure to JLARC, COVITS 2010 and entries for the 2010 Governor's Technology Awards, transformation update and upcoming meetings. Social Service's "IT Tuesdays" program is profiled.

Read the July issue of Network News

Subscribe to Network News

The Commonwealth has reached agreement with Northrop Grumman creating additional accountability measures for operating the state's information technology (IT) infrastructure. This latest agreement adds three additional initiatives and re-commits to the seven operational improvement initiatives in the March 30 agreement. All 10 are intended to enhance customer service and achieve greater customer satisfaction. The three additional initiatives include:

* Creating and tracking a set of accountability measures related to billing disputes
* Creating and tracking a set of accountability measures around processing times for work requests and technical solutions
* Focusing attention on assisting customers with best practices to manage data storage costs

The June edition of the VITA Service Bulletin includes information from CIO Sam Nixon about recent disaster recovery testing, national recognition for Hampton's IT program, and locality mapping upgrades to the state's Web portal. The state's new enterprise contract for IT contingent labor is featured as well.

Read the June Service Bulletin

CIO Sam Nixon has completed a report on the activities, progress and performance related to the operational and contractual changes outlined in Amendment 60 of the Comprehensive Infrastructure Agreement between the Commonwealth and Northrop Grumman. The CIO and the Virginia Information Technologies Agency (VITA) are directing the contract on behalf of the Commonwealth. CIO Nixon's report was submitted to the Governor, General Assembly leadership, Secretary of Technology and others as required by 2010 legislation. " ... in the 70 days since the amendment went into effect we have made significant progress ..." CIO Nixon said. "Significant work remains to complete IT infrastructure transformation and to fully implement the improvements ... With the clarity and focus to our partnership efforts provided by Amendment 60, I am confident that we will be successful in those efforts."

The June edition of the VGIN News Brief includes information on the GIS Strategic Plan and the Virginia Base Mapping Program. The bi-monthly VGIN News Brief is one of several means of communicating the GIS coordinating activities of the Virginia Geographic Information Network (VGIN), targeting customers in local and state government, as well as academia, non-profits, federal government and the public.

Read VGIN News Brief

Governor Bob McDonnell today announced additional appointments to his administration under the Public Safety, Technology and Administration secretariats. Aaron Mathes was named Deputy Secretary of Technology. Mr. Mathes previously served as the Chief Information Officer and Information Security Officer in the Office of the Attorney General. Prior to that, he worked at Liberty University in multiple capacities including Deputy Chief Information Officer, Director of Operations, and Director of Support Services.

The Virginia Information Technologies Agency (VITA), Northrop Grumman and staff from 12 participating state agencies successfully have completed a comprehensive disaster recovery (DR) test restoring all critical systems in 24 hours. This was the first test that involved a simulated complete loss of the data center at CESC.

The city of Hampton, Virginia is one of nine U.S. local governments recently honored by the Public Technology Institute (PTI) for its use of IT to improve citizen service. PTI's Citizen-Engaged Communities Designation Program challenges local government to achieve high standards in citizen participation, seamless service delivery and democratic accountability. Honorees for 2010-2012 were cited by an advisory board of local officials and representatives from the technology sector as having implemented "best practices."

Read more about the program and the honorees

The June issue of Network News begins with a message from CIO Sam Nixon about the importance of IT to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in an article entitled "State of the Art for the Art of the State: IT key to VMFA expansion, successful opening." Other news includes the results of the recent disaster recovery test, new expiration dates on work request proposals, implementation of the Commonwealth's new contingent labor program, transformation update and upcoming training and meetings. The new Rapid Response Teams also are profiled.

Read the June issue of Network News

The May issue of Information Security Tips provides users information on identity theft. Identity theft is a crime in which personal information such as name, social security number, date of birth, and address is stolen and may be used by someone, often for the purpose of financial gain. This newsletter provides information related to specific security standards for state employees and general information that home computer users will find valuable in protecting against cyber and information attacks.

Read Information Security Tips

Read the VMFA IT story

See the VMFA interview

VMFA Web site

Chesterfield County has launched online mapping features using Geographic Information Systems (GIS). The mapping includes information on land parcels, property lines, subdivisions, protected areas and pending zoning cases. Layers add additional data, including flood plains, magisterial districts and school districts. The program was profiled in the Richmond Times-Dispatch yesterday. The article quotes Barry Condrey, Chesterfield's Chief Information Officer (CIO), who serves as a locality representative on the Commonwealth's CIO Council.

Read the article

A 24-hour 2010 disaster recovery test was completed successfully by VITA and Northrop Grumman. Following its Information Technology Service Continuity Management Plan, the pre-event process began Monday, May 17 and the official test exercise on Tuesday, May 18 at CESC. Agencies were provided the opportunity to test this past weekend. VITA uses the disaster recovery exercise to prepare for emergencies by assessing the Commonwealth's risk and restoring essential services as defined by the Governor as quickly as possible. The virtual private network (VPN), new agency scenarios and restoring the new back-up program were utilized for the first time in the testing process. For more information on VITA disaster recovery services, please contact, Disaster Recovery Specialist Josh Haravay at (804) 416-6020.

The May edition of the VITA Service Bulletin features information about and benefits of the Managed Ongoing Awareness and Trust (MOAT) services from Awareity through an enterprise contract with Virginia Interactive. CIO Sam Nixon also shares information about recent modifications to the IT infrastructure partnership with Northrop Grumman.

Read the May Service Bulletin

The Department of Education (DOE) was the first state agency to deploy Microsoft Office 2007 as part of the statewide upgrade. Office 2007 includes Word, Excel, Outlook (e-mail), PowerPoint and Access. "It was one of the smoothest deployments we've had," said DOE Educational Information Management Director and Agency Information Technology Resource (AITR) Bethann Canada. 

Governor Bob McDonnell today announced additional appointments to his administration under the Secretary of the Commonwealth, Health and Human Resources, Natural Resources and Technology secretariats. Karen Jackson formerly served as the director of the Commonwealth's Office of Telework Promotion and Broadband Assistance where she was responsible for promoting and encouraging telework alternatives in both the public and private sectors and advising the Secretary of Technology on broadband related issues.

Secretary of Technology Web site

Sam Nixon, CIO of the Commonwealth, presented to the Senate Finance Committee today. The presentation was titled: IT Infrastructure Contract Modifications.

Paging services with USA Mobility under contract VA-041215-METR are being upgraded to a new frequency on May 24. Pagers under the old network will not work after that date and need to be swapped out with new devices, at no additional cost. Contact your agency telecommunications coordinator to make arrangements.

One hundred and eleven people participated in the Commonwealth's Information Security Officers Advisory Group (ISOAG) meeting May 12. The keynote presentation was made by Marcus Sachs, Verizon, on "Cyberspace - A Matter of National Security." Lisa Wallmeyer, Joint Commission on Technology and Science (JCOTS), spoke on "Collection of Social Security Numbers in the Commonwealth." Additional topics included Gone Phishing, be Back at Dark Thirty and an IT Infrastructure Partnership update. The session was hosted by Commonwealth Chief Information Security Officer John Green and VITA. The next meeting is from 1-4 p.m., Wednesday, June 16, at the Department of Motor Vehicles.

VITA has honored six employees, who demonstrate the agency's values, with annual STAR awards. The STAR winners were named at a joint VITA-Northrop Grumman employee luncheon during Virginia Public Service Week. Employees were served lunch by Secretary Duffey, Chief of Staff Kent, CIO Sam Nixon, Northrop Grumman Vice President Sam Abbate and members of VITA and Northrop Grumman leadership. Award winners and leaders, pictured left to right, are Secretary of Technology Jim Duffey, Barbara Stewart, Zeta Wade, Ajay Rohatgi, Patricia Borinski, Jamey Doran, Chief of Staff Martin Kent and Northrop Grumman Vice President Sam Abbate. Nadine Hoffman also received the STAR award. Employees are nominated by their co-workers and chosen by the VITA Executive Team.

The April issue of Information Security Tips provides users information on Cloud computing. Cloud computing is an evolving service that provides on-demand network access to a shared pool of computing resources such as networks, servers, storage and applications. This newsletter provides information related to specific security standards for state employees and general information that home computer users will find valuable in protecting against cyber and information attacks.

Read Information Security Tips

The May edition of VITA Network News begins with a message from new CIO Sam Nixon about an important date for agencies that have not yet had their IT infrastructure transformed and documents related to the IT infrastructure contract modifications. Other news in this issue includes rate proposals delivered to JLARC, implementation of the new contract for managed IT services, upcoming software upgrades to Office 2007 and Internet Explorer 8, and a process for local administrative rights. 

Read the May issue of Network News

Subscribe to VITA Network News

In March, Virginia held a poster contest to engage young people in creating posters to encourage other young people to use the Internet safely. All public, private and home schooled students K-12 were eligible to participate. The winners of Virginia state competition were entered into the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC) national competition.

2010 Virginia poster contest winners

The April edition of the VITA Service Bulletin features a welcome from new Chief Information Officer Sam Nixon and a link to audio from Governor Bob McDonnell's recent visit to VITA announcing contract modifications with infrastructure vendor Northrop Grumman. Also included are details about new statewide contracts for servers, an upcoming free narrowbanding workshop in Abingdon and a helpful video on pending changes to the two-way radio spectrum.

Read April VITA Service Bulletin 

Governor Bob McDonnell announced that his Administration has successfully concluded a major contract revision between the Virginia Information Technologies Agency (VITA) and private sector partner Northrop Grumman. The outsourcing contract was entered into in 2005 during the Warner Administration and contract renegotiations were initiated during the last months of the Kaine Administration. The revision resolves all outstanding contractual, performance and financial issues between the Commonwealth and the company. Under the terms of the renegotiated contract, Northrop Grumman agreed to introduce a large number of new customer service features and benefits, all designed to dramatically improve IT functions for all state agency customers. The revised contract extends the contract for three years and keeps the annual costs for the originally agreed upon services as well as contracting for new hardware and services.

Read the release

Listen to Governor McDonnell's remarks (MP3, 16Mb)

IT Infrastructure Contract

Contract Amendments

Operational Improvement Initiatives

The April edition of VITA Network News details Governor McDonnell's appointment of Delegate Sam Nixon as CIO of the Commonwealth. Other news includes resources for implementing the narrowband mandate, a call for suggestions for upcoming national IT awards, a pending change to Outlook 2007, and upcoming meetings and training.

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The March issue of Information Security Tips provides users tips for safely navigating social networking sites. While there can be benefits from the collaborative, distributed approaches promoted by responsible use of social networking sites, there are information security and privacy concerns. This newsletter provides information related to specific security standards for state employees and general information that home computer users will find valuable in protecting against cyber and information attacks.

Governor Bob McDonnell has appointed Delegate Sam Nixon of Chesterfield County to serve as Chief Information Officer of the Commonwealth effective Monday, April 5. Governor McDonnell said, "Sam and I served together for 12 years in the House of Delegates. During that time, I came to greatly admire and respect Sam's intellect, character and understanding of the important issues facing the Commonwealth. Sam is a thought leader on information technology issues, both as a legislator and as a Senior Consultant at Richmond-based IT consulting firm CapTech Ventures. Sam's experience in this fast-changing industry will be of tremendous benefit at VITA. I know he will do a great job for the citizens of Virginia."

Read the Governor's press release

This month's edition of the VITA Service Bulletin features information about significant new statewide contracts for broadband and IT contingent labor from VITA Supply Chain Management. Virginia's four representatives, including three prominent local IT leaders, on Government Technology's annual "Doers, Dreamers and Drivers" list also are featured.

Read the March VITA Service Bulletin 

The Online Review and Comment Application (ORCA) has been upgraded to comply with Commonwealth accessibility requirements. ORCA allows its users to comment on draft documents posted online. While the functionality remains the same, ORCA will look slightly different. This new version of ORCA features: compliance with Commonwealth accessibility requirements; streamlined navigation, with the menu now on the left side of the page; drop-down menus and navigation to help with the organization of documents; and adoption of the Commonwealth Web application template.

The Information Technology Investment Board will not meet this Thursday, March 18. The ITIB had reserved the day for committee meetings but none are scheduled.

The Health Information Technology Standards Advisory Committee will have it's regularly scheduled meeting at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, March 11.  HITSAC will then hold a joint meeting with the Health Information Technology Advisory Commission beginning at 1 p.m. Both meetings will be held at the Division of Consolidated Laboratory Services, 600 North 5th Street Richmond, Virginia 23219. An opportunity for public input will be provided near the end of the meeting.

Any purchases made through VITA to be included in the agency's FY10 charges, must be processed, ordered and received (in eVA) no later than June 4. All procurements meeting these requirements will be billed by June 18. To assist in meeting these deadlines, VITA is asking that requisitions be placed in eVA before April 1.

Read the release

The March edition of VITA Network News includes information about new contracts for competitively priced broadband technologies and new contingent IT labor contracts. Other news in this issue includes infrastructure transformation progress and upcoming meetings.

Read the March issue of Network News

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Each year, Government Technology magazine and the Center for Digital Government publish kudos to 25 individuals for innovative use of technology to implement changes that reshape government for the better. The just-published 2010 "Top Doers, Dreamers and Drivers" list recognizes four of Virginia's most innovative leaders: Karen Jackson, Deputy Secretary of Technology; Wanda Gibson, CTO, Fairfax County and a member of Virginia's CIO Council; Bill Greeves, communications and IT director, Roanoke County; and Bill Hobgood, project manager, IT Department, city of Richmond. Each has provided outstanding leadership within the Virginia IT community.

Read about the 2010 "Top Doers, Dreamers and Drivers"

The February edition of the VITA Service Bulletin features the upcoming conference for the Virginia Association of Governmental Purchasing (VAGP), a VITA-sponsored clinic for localities, information about 1-1 numbers and a cyber-security awareness poster contest for children.

Read the February VITA Service Bulletin

The Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC) is conducting a national K-12 grade poster contest. The top three winners from each state competition will be entered into the national competition.  All submissions must be entered by March 26, 2010.

Learn more about the poster contest

The Health Information Technology Standards Advisory Committee will hold a meeting on Thursday, Feb. 18, beginning at 10:30 p.m. at the Commonwealth Enterprise Solutions Center in Chester. An opportunity for public input will be provided near the end of the meeting.

VITA will be hosting the VAGP Spring Conference from March 17-19, 2010. The Virginia Association of Governmental Purchasing (VAGP) is a statewide, nonprofit, nonpartisan association of procurement practitioners, established in 1958 to improve and assist public purchasers through legislative advocacy, research, education and other services. The membership includes employees in Virginia state, city, local governments, educational institutions, and special authorities.

Conference details:

When: March 17-19, 2010
Where: Sheraton Park South
9901 Midlothian Turnpike, Richmond VA 23235

See the schedule and register for the VAGP conference

The Commonwealth's multi-layered information security program is profiled in the February issue of Government Technology magazine in an article titled "Virginia Strengthens IT Security From Data Center to Desktop."

The February issue of Network News includes information about transformation progress, data standards, password policy changes, 1-1 numbers, training opportunities and upcoming meetings.

Subscribe to Network News

Read the February issue of Network News

The Commonwealth Project Management Division (PMD) and VITA IT Investment and Enterprise Solutions will offer the following training sessions during February at CESC in Chester, VA.

Commonwealth IT Strategic Planning and Technology Portfolio (ProSight) - AITR Training
Thursday, February 11, from 9:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Commonwealth Technology Portfolio (ProSight) - Project Manager Training
Tuesday, February 16, from 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Commonwealth Project Management Overview Training
Thursday, February 18, from 9:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

The January edition of the VITA Service Bulletin features the inauguration of Gov. Bob McDonnell, the appointment of Jim Duffey as Secretary of Technology and various Web resources, including video and audio streams of General Assembly sessions.

Read the January VITA Service Bulletin

Subscribe to the VITA Service Bulletin

Due to the change in the ITIB schedule, the Jan. 21 Health Information Technology Standards Advisory Committee (HITSAC) meeting has been canceled. The next HITSAC meeting is scheduled for Feb. 18.

The Jan. 21 meeting of the Information Technology Investment Board (ITIB) has been postponed and will be rescheduled. A quorum could not be achieved. Members will be polled regarding their availability and the meeting rescheduled.

The Health Information Technology Standards Advisory Committee will hold a meeting on Thursday, Jan. 21, beginning at 12:30 p.m. at the Commonwealth Enterprise Solutions Center in Chester. The committee, established by the General Assembly, will provide recommendations to the Information Technology Investment Board (ITIB). An opportunity for public input will be provided near the end of the meeting.

Read the press release