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eGovernment - Massachusetts - Archive

mass.gov - organised by functional category

• Getting things done - the online services section - has sections on Home & health, Doing business, Work and education, Having fun, Getting around, Your Government
• Massachusetts' E-Renaissance - Once a pioneer in Internet offerings, the Bay State's Net offerings were less than impressive in recent years. Now, with the unveiling of its new portal, Massachusetts is back as an E-government player. By Eric Chabrow, InformationWeek April 8, 2002. "The official unveiling of Mass.Gov this month symbolizes a renaissance for E-government in the Bay State...."

Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority - This site gives access to the MBTA;s schedules, mpas, passes and fares, a list of the sights to visit in Boston (including links to the Boston tourist site), access services, jobs on offer, safety issues, etc.

Massachusetts Housing Finance Agency

• Housing agency eases filing, By Dibya Sarkar. Government e-Business, July 30, 2002. "The Massachusetts Housing Finance Agency this year implemented a Web-based service so that its network of 400 independent, nonprofit management firms could file their yearly audited financial statements online, eliminating a time-consuming, error-laden and costly service..."

Virtual Education Space - "(VES) is a set of online tools designed to support education reform by providing both a personalized and secure environment, as well as a set of integrated tools that promote teaching and learning in a standards based context. This environment is open which allows districts to also integrate their own tools and applications, promoting interoperability of online systems and providing enhancements and value to districts’ technology investments..."

• Students put portal to the test, By Dibya Sarkar. Government e-Business, May 9, 2002. "Last December, about 6,000 Massachusetts high school juniors who had to retake a statewide assessment test voluntarily prepared for it through a dynamic education Web portal that mapped their weaknesses, assigned a curriculum and corrected practice tests instantly...."

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Articles

CELLUCCI, SWIFT LAUNCH E-GOVERNMENT TASK FORCE Public/Private Partnership to Develop Enterprise Portal to Maximize State Services On-line, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Governor Paul Cellucii, Press Release September 13, 2000. "Governor Paul Cellucci, Lieutenant Governor Jane Swift and Lycos CEO Bob Davis today kicked off the Governor's E-Government Task Force, a 60-member group of public and private sector high-tech experts. This group will employ public and private best practices to improve and expand the state's web site and E-government capabilities, ultimately creating a fully integrated, task-based Commonwealth enterprise portal...."

Governor Cellucci - Speech - E-Government Task Force Wednesday, September 13, 2000 "Thank you for coming today. I am pleased to launch the first meeting of the Task Force on Electronic Government, which is charged with guiding us into the new era of Massachusetts state government. The goal of the more than 60 members of the public-private task force is to create a full-service government that people can bring into their home or their business on their own schedule. The plan is to build a Commonwealth task-based enterprise portal that will maximize the functions and information that can be accessed on-line, making the lion's share of essential state services available twenty-four hours a day, and seven days a week...."

Massachusetts shines IT spotlight on capital assets management BY Patrick J. Walsh Civic.com 5 February 2001 "With all the attention state and local agencies have paid to launching and expanding e-procurement systems, what's sometimes lost is the impact that information technology can have on the management and planning stages of procurement. For information-intensive tasks such as keeping an up-to-date inventory of assets, planning capital expenditures and appropriately scheduling maintenance, a comprehensive IT solution can save time and money while streamlining and automating complicated procedures..."

Taking care of business in Mass. By Eric Kulisch Federal Computer Week 14 February 2001 "Filing financial and legal documents with regulators will become easier for businesses in Massachusetts as the state phases in a new Web site with forms that can be completed online. From business and trademark registrations to Uniform Commercial Code and other submissions, businesses must file and update scores of reports..."

Mass. gets serious about 'online, not in line', BY Nicholas Morehead. Civic.com, Aug. 6, 2001 "Massachusetts is making it possible for people to find out how long they can expect to wait in line at a Registry of Motor Vehicles branch before they head there. The state's new service enables customers to check on the wait times for licensing or registration at any RMV branch by clicking on the name of the office at www.state.ma.us/rmv/branches. The information is updated every two minutes...."

The End of an Annual Headache - Corporations now have an easier way to take care of business in Massachusetts thanks to the commonwealth's new online filing system, By W. Eric Martin. Government Technology - January 2002. "Despite Massachusetts' reputation as a haven for liberals, the commonwealth installed an online filing and payment system this year to make the business of doing business easier for corporations, trusts and limited liability companies and partnerships...."

Caring for the Masses. By Drew Robb - Government Technology, May 2002."Massachusetts hopes to provide better service through its health and human services agencies by centralizing data and linking agencies...."

Web Site Allows Neighbors to Track Aircraft and Flight Paths. Government Technology - August 16, 2002 -- BOSTON -- "Area officials, including Boston Mayor Thomas Menino and CEO of the Massachusetts Port Authority, Craig Coy, demonstrated a new Internet service from the Massport. Area residents and neighbors of Logan Airport now have direct access to information once available only to airlines and FAA air-traffic controllers through Airport Monitor -- a computerized radar image with color-coded information depicting information on arriving, departing and over-flight planes..."

Massachusetts Disease Tracking System is a National Model. Government Technology - March 25, 2003 -- BOSTON -- Gov. "Mitt Romney said last week that the state's Syndromic Surveillance System, which was designed for the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH), will be used by the federal government as part of a national early detection surveillance system..."

Court Cases Migrate to the Web. News Release - Government Technology, - June 20, 2003 -- BOSTON, MA -- "The Justices of the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts have adopted a policy that will allow the trial and appellate courts of the commonwealth to make information about court cases available to the general public through Internet access..."

Mass. legislature names CIO, By Dibya Sarkar. Government e-Business, September 3, 2003. "The Massachusetts Legislature has chosen Val Asbedian as its first chief information officer. As CIO, Asbedian, who had been heading the Massachusetts House of Representatives information technology group since last November, assumes control of the state Senate's information systems group, the joint data processing group and the document center, which produces copies of bills and other materials for lawmakers and the public..."

Massachusetts gives MS the flick, by Justin Pope. AustralianIT, September 29, 2003. "Massachusetts, the lone holdout state still suing Microsoft for antitrust violations, will become the first state to adopt a broad-based strategy of moving its computer systems toward open standards, including Linux..."

Contract Awarded to Upgrade Massachusetts Procurement System. News Release - Government Technology, October 7, 2003. " The Commonwealth of Massachusetts awarded a contract to BearingPoint Inc. to launch the start of a new era for the state's Web-based system for buying goods and services..."

Massachusetts' Bold Steps To Open Source - Open Source and Open Standards, by Rob Reilly. Linux Planet, 30 September 2003. "Late last week, it was announced that the Massachusetts Department of Administration and Finance has taken the bold step of pursuing Open Standards and Open Source Software for that Commonwealth, whenever and wherever possible. Eric Kriss, the department's Secretary, has charged the government office to begin looking for alternatives to many of the legacy systems that the agency currently uses..."

Massachusetts CIO Criticized for Open Source Initiative. News Release - Government Technology, October 7, 2003. "The Council for Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) last week criticized Massachusetts Chief Information Officer Peter Quinn for his stated intention to move all state and local government computers to open-source operating systems..."

Massachusetts to Enhance Comm-PASS Procurement System. News Release - Government Technology, October 6, 2003. "This spring, the commonwealth of Massachusetts will launch its enhanced Web-based system for buying goods and services. The self-funded initiative of the Romney administration is expected to cut costs and streamline operations for all levels of government, as well as for companies doing business with state agencies. In addition, for the first time the online procurement system will be accessible at no charge to cities, towns, public authorities, and public schools, including the university and state college system..."

Massachusetts updates procurement, By Dibya Sarkar. Government e-Business, October 6, 2003. "Massachusetts, once a leader in electronic procurement, is revamping its 7-year-old COMM-Pass system to automate more services for state and local agencies, universities and other public authorities, schools and vendors..."

US state embraces open source, by Justin Pope. AustralianIT, October 20, 2003. "The US state of Massachusetts has instructed its chief technology officer to adopt a policy of "open standards, open source" for all future spending on information technology..."

Massachusetts CIO Gives Update. News Release - Government Technology, November 5, 2003. "In an executive teleconference with members of the Center for Digital Government on Monday, November 3, Massachusetts CIO Peter J. Quinn clarified the commonwealth's much publicized move to open standards, including open source when it meets the business requirements of government..."

Massachusetts Issues Public Review Draft of Open-Source Initiative, by Wayne Hanson. Government Technology, November 24, 2003. "The state of Massachusetts today issued a public review draft of its controversial open-source initiative. The brief document defines "open source" and "open standards" and listed three business and technology drivers for the initiative..."

Open Standards Policies Finalized. News Release - Government Technology, January 14, 2004. "The Romney Administration finalized new open standards for information technology (IT) acquisitions in Massachusetts, saying the acquisition guidelines will help reduce total system cost while enhancing flexibility and performance..."

The Open Road - Massachusetts drafts a statewide policy to move toward open standards in the government enterprise, By Shane Peterson. Government Technology, February 2004. " In September 2003, a modern version of the shot heard 'round the world was fired from Massachusetts' Executive Office for Administration and Finance..."

Massachusetts Builds Open-Source Public Trough. - Massachusetts' new software repository is designed to let government agencies make more efficient use of open-source software, By Larry Greenemeier. Information Week, March 18, 2004. "Massachusetts on Wednesday took the wraps off a new software repository designed to let government agencies make more efficient use of open-source software. The repository will be managed by the Government Open Code Collaborative, a newly formed group of seven states and four municipalities that will contribute and download open-source software and proprietary software designed by government agencies for their use..."

Massachusetts Awards First Open-Standards IT Contract. News Release - Government Technology, April 1, 2004. "This week the state of Massachusetts acquired its first information technology (IT) services under its new open-standards policy..."

Massachusetts Unveils New Crime Fighting Database. News Release - Government Technology, April 19, 2004. "Last week, the Massachusetts administration announced a new online database that provides the commonwealth's criminal justice agencies access to information maintained by the Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV)..."

IT Connection - Massachusetts' government IT work force now easily shares ideas across state and local governments, By Emily Montandon. Government Technology, June 2004. "State and local government IT professionals in Massachusetts now have the benefit of InfoExchange, a forum they use to communicate and collaborate like never before..."

Mass.Gov: Weekly Features (MA) - www.mass.gov. State and Local Governments on the net, August 3, 2004. "Most state homepages are as dry as toast despite of attempts to jazz them up with photos and bits of trivia. Mass.Gov is not your typical dull state portal. In fact, it's the only state homepage that I look forward to visiting each week (and I visit them all). What's the secret?..."

Massachusetts Gov. Introduces New HHS Web Portal. News Story - Government Technology, September 20, 2004. "Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney recently unveiled an Internet portal that offers easy access to people seeking state support. Romney criticized the way government agencies tend to operate in silos, walled off from other agencies and from the people they serve. "For someone on the outside, those walls sometimes look impossible to scale. We want to break down those walls. Our goal is to make the process of accessing benefits and services as easy and efficient as possible," said Romney..."

Hold Your Fire - Massachusetts deploys the most comprehensive gun licensing and verification system in the country, By Tod Newcombe. Government Technology, December 2, 2004. "In 1998, America's law enforcement community began using an automated background check system to approve or deny gun purchases instantly. Since then, millions of Americans have had their backgrounds checked by police who use the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System to keep guns out of the hands of convicted felons, illegal aliens, fugitives from justice and several other categories of people..."

Microsoft Agreement With Massachusetts Will Keep Public Records Accessible in Perpetuity, By Wayne Hanson . Government Technology, January 25 2005. "In a Center for Digital Government Web conference this afternoon, Massachusetts CIO Peter Quinn said that the commonwealth and Microsoft have reached agreement on making public records created with Microsoft Office 2003 readable by any reader, including open-source or GPL-based software..."

Massachusetts Lt. Gov. Healey Proposes GPS Tracking to Protect Domestic Violence Victims. Government Technology, February 18, 2005. "Massachusetts Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey recently filed first-in-the-nation legislation that will use Global Positioning System (GPS) technology to protect victims of domestic violence from their abusers and witnesses of gang crimes from dangerous or life-threatening situations..."

Massachusetts Flips The Switch On $50 Million Health IT Test, By Marianne Kolbasuk McGee. Information Week, May 13, 2005. "Sen. Kennedy notes that that is as much as the entire federal government is debating spending on health IT pilots. Massachusetts on Friday kicked off the formal launch of three large-scale regional health IT pilots involving hospitals, physician practices, nursing homes, and other care facilities in three large communities..."

Keeping Tabs, By Jim McKay. Government Technology, August 2005. "New Web-based application in Massachusetts contains a suite of information on registered sex offenders..."

Massachusetts to adopt 'open' desktop, By Martin LaMonica. CNET News.com, September 1, 2005. "update The commonwealth of Massachusetts has proposed a plan to phase out office productivity applications from Microsoft and other providers in favor of those based on "open" standards, including the recently approved OpenDocument standard..."

Massachusetts Embraces Open Source, By Jay Wrolstad. CIO Today, September 6, 200. " "Government organizations take a more historical perspective than enterprises when it comes to records and other data," said IDC analyst Dan Kusnetzky. "What governments produce today has to be accessible a hundred years from now, so the documents must be in a format that will stand the test of time." The State of Massachusetts is migrating to open-source software for all government documents. The move will come at the expense of Microsoft and other proprietary technology providers..."

Massachusetts finalises open standards proposal, By Martin LaMonica. ZDNet Australia, 27 September 2005. "The commonwealth of Massachusetts has finalised its decision to standardise desktop applications on OpenDocument, a format not supported by Microsoft Office..."

Massachusetts Finalizes Switch to OpenDocument. Government Technology, September 27, 2005. "The state of Massachusetts issued the final version of its Enterprise Technical Reference Model v.3.5. "State agencies in the executive branch are now supposed to migrate to OpenDocument-compliant applications by Jan. 1, 2007, a change that will affect about 50,000 desktop PCs." CNet The state's FAQs say, "...use of existing MS Office licenses is allowed as long as agencies use a method permitting the saving of documents in Open Document Format."..."

Heated debate brewing over state's OpenDocument plan, by Elizabeth Montalbano, IDG News Service. cio.com, 26 October 2005. "Debate among Massachusetts government officials may throw a wrench in a state proposal to migrate away from Microsoft's Office productivity suite in favor of software that supports an open-document format..."

Massachusetts officials criticise OpenDocument decision, By Martin LaMonica. ZDNet Australia, 2 November 2005. "Massachusetts state officials have criticised a decision to adopt OpenDocument as a standard, casting doubt over a closely watched initiative..."

Massachusetts to Implement Validation Technology for Driver License Issuance. Government Technology, October 19, 2005. "The Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) awarded Digimarc Corp. two contracts to strengthen the security of the RMV's driver license issuance process..."

Political debate brews over Massachusetts OpenDocument plan, By CBR Staff Writer. Computer Business Review Online, 28 October 2005. "The State of Massachusetts' plan to adopt the OpenDocument file format as the standard for its office documents looks set to become the center of a political tug of war after Massachusetts's Secretary of State voiced opposition to the plan..."

Massachusetts mulls IT review board, By Joab Jackson. Government Computer News, 3 November 2005. "Citing concern about an apparent lack of due process within the Massachusetts CIO’s office, state Senate lawmakers have developed legislation that calls for an IT oversight committee to evaluate all proposed implementations of standards..."

Last updated: 26 November 2005

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