Lansing – The State of Michigan was again honored with multiple awards for excellence in information technology at the annual awards ceremony for the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) this week.  Michigan received the national recognition for three programs, which included:   

1. Michigan.gov Web Site:   A two year project that focused on improving the Michigan.gov Web site in order to give citizens and businesses even more online information and services via the Internet.



2. Data Center Migration:  A project that consolidated 21 separate hosting centers, saving millions of dollars while improving the overall security and quality of Michigan government data centers.



3. Information Security and Privacy Project:  A three year effort that encompassed 15 initiatives to offer greater protection for the state’s Internet services, protecting the state’s network from more than 91 million virus attacks.

“To make Michigan a global powerhouse in the 21st century economy, we must make state government information more accessible,” said Governor Jennifer M. Granholm.  “We continue to strive for excellence in providing citizens and businesses with the information they need.”
Eleven award-winning entries were chosen from 107 submissions across the country. NASCIO's Recognition Awards Program, in its 19th consecutive year, recognizes programs that exemplify best practices, support the public policy goals of state leaders, assist government officials to execute their duties and provide cost-effective services to citizens.

“These awards are especially meaningful to Michigan because it means we have delivered on the promise of consolidating and centralizing our IT operations, saving millions of dollars and creating the efficiencies that were the motivating factor behind the formation of our department,” said Teri Takai, Director of the Michigan Department of Information Technology and CIO for the State of Michigan.  “We are fortunate to work in a culture where innovation is encouraged and where our partners in state government understand the important role technology plays in serving our citizens and businesses.”

State government projects and initiatives from each of the 50 U.S. states were eligible to be nominated for these prestigious annual awards.  Criteria for selection included a description of the business problem and solution including length of time in operation; significance of the project to the improvement of the operation of government; and the public value of the project.  Full submissions from all award recipients are posted on NASCIO's website at www.nascio.org/awards.

NASCIO represents state chief information officers and information resource executives and managers from the 50 states, six U. S. territories, and the District of Columbia.  NASCIO is the premiere network and resource for state Chief Information Officers (CIO) and members include cabinet and senior level state officials responsible for information resource management.