 | |
| |
TechnologyDaily Mobile
Tech Gets Its Day In Georgia
by Liza Porteus
High-tech industry leaders and policymakers in Georgia will convene for the third annual High-Tech Day at the Capitol on Feb. 27.
The day, sponsored by the Technology Leadership Coalition (TLC), a branch of the electronic group AeA's Southeast Council, will present information on various AeA reports to state lawmakers. It will include an awards ceremony, where state lawmakers, industry leaders and educators, will be recognized for their leadership in technology policy.
The coalition also will a discuss how to boost Georgia as a "cyber state" by attracting new companies and retaining those already located there. And member companies of the TLC will take part in technology demonstrations.
AeA Southeast Council Executive Director Mike Levin said industry is "very concerned" about Georgia's low ratings in educational technology and will talk to lawmakers about how to make improvements in that area.
The TLC sent its legislative agenda to the state Senate and governor last week. It will strongly lobby for telework initiatives and for legislation regarding pension-fund equity and privacy.
The coalition thinks the federal government should take the lead in developing privacy policy, and supports clear and conspicuous notices about how personal information is used by both businesses and government. It also supports the strengthening of existing laws offering protection against identity theft, increased penalties for computer hacking and the creation of a Georgia Internet Bureau to create a safe Internet.
Secondary TLC issues include: economic development initiatives; programs to advance the tech industry in Georgia, such as state-sponsored incubators; intellectual property and database protection; educational standards, accountability and assessments; measures to increase the number of math and science teachers and teacher training; the integration of technology into the classroom; and computer recycling.
Meanwhile, as part of 17 regional meetings to be held by AeA, Georgia Homeland Security Commissioner Robert Hightower spoke with AeA members last month on the impact of the Sept. 11 attacks and the challenges ahead for the tech industry. Levin said the main focus of Hightower's remarks was on the drive toward information sharing at all government levels and how tech companies can foster it by offering solutions such as information-sharing databases.
There also will be a town-hall meeting of AeA's Arizona node at Arizona State University to discuss how to strengthen the tech sector post-Sept. 11, as well as the impact of various regulatory and governmental policies.
Texas Makes Anti-Terrorism Recommendations
The Texas Homeland Security Task Force released its final report last month, and its recommendations include: requiring cell-phone companies to maintain portable towers for emergency use; establishing a call center and e-mail address for reporting suspicious activity; and establishing a state warning system.
The task force recommended that the state identify an organization to set minimum standards for emergency-response equipment and develop security standards for industries that have critical infrastructure, requiring them to submit security impact reports. The state also should develop a plan to expand real-time monitoring of water supplies and improve research and development activities associated with detecting terrorist threats, the panel concluded.
In addition, the report recommends that funding be continued for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Health Alert Network. And it suggests that governments monitor the development of interoperable communications for "first responders" to emergencies and establish a centralized point of intelligence information.
Texas also should reinforce pacts with surrounding states on information and resource sharing in case of an emergency, the report suggests. It recommends that Texas officials ask the White House Office of Homeland Security to establish standard classifications for terrorism and assign minimum levels of expected response from industry and government. The Homeland Security Office also should create a registry of biological agents and publish a tool for government and industry use on how to evaluate infrastructure risks, the report said.
Indiana Connects U.S., Asian Researchers Online
Indiana University on Wednesday announced capacity for a high-speed Internet service for connecting research and education networks in the Asia Pacific to those in the United States. The expansion of TransPAC will help expand international collaboration on digitally enabled science, which is widely called "e-science."
TransPAC supports international collaborations in many fields of basic science, technology, engineering and medicine by vastly increasing bandwidth capacity. It connects networks associated with the Asia Pacific Advanced Network to the Internet2 Abilene network, the very high-performance Backbone Network Service (vBNS) and other global networks.
Bringing Medicine To Nebraska Classrooms
Inventive Communications will launch a new feature in Nebraska classrooms to provide telemedicine programs. The company will provide educational curriculum to 1.6 million worldwide subscribers through its Web site. "INET School Nurse" reportedly will be America's first interactive telemedicine assistance program for schools.
"The convergence of technology and medicine is exciting, especially for underserved or more difficult to serve populations, including those [people] living in rural areas," Gov. Mike Johanns said in a statement. "INET School Nurse offers a potential solution for school districts across the nation seeking to meet the needs of students."
Principals Need Tech, Too!
Pennsylvania Gov. Mark Schweiker and state Education Secretary Charles Zogby last week announced the Technology Leadership Academies (TLA) for school principals. The TLA is designed to aid principals learn how technology can improve student achievement, how to make decisions driven by data, how much technology staff and technical support is needed, and what technology policies surround privacy.
The academies will host a series of workshops beginning in eight regions. The goal is to provide training to 80 percent of principals in Pennsylvania over the next two years. The training is funded by a state grant, registration fees and a grant from Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates and his wife, Melinda.
An Online Dose Of South Dakota History
South Dakota Gov. Bill Janklow announced last Friday that a South Dakota history curriculum for fourth-graders will be published on the Internet by the state Department of Education and Cultural Affairs. The site includes nine units of South Dakota history, each divided into four teaching lessons.
"This is a great example of how schools can use technology to improve classroom learning," Janklow said in a statement. "Our investments in infrastructure and computers for schools are paying big dividends in how we can help schools and how schools can get access to resources."
Ventura's 'Big Plan' Seeks Support
Minnesota is looking for ideas on how to redesign its Web portal. The state has established a site that lets the public check on the progress of Gov. Jesse Ventura's "Big Plan." Another site, www.DepartmentResults.state.mn.us, also provides reports on key indicators for the strategic plans of each of the state's 25 Cabinet-level departments.
The plan is categorized into four sections: "healthy, vital communities," which includes telecommunications as economic development; "self-sufficient people;" "service, not systems," which includes expanding e-government services; and "Minnesota as a world competitor," which includes the expansion of trade, commercialization of new technologies and workforce development.
The "Big Ten Indicators" of the plan's success include: the number of households with high-speed Internet access; grades on government management practices; and the percentage of growth in gross state product.
"The Web sites are accounts of what we've worked on and how we've done," Ventura said in a statement. "It's our report to our shareholders -- the people of Minnesota."
NEW FEATURE
-Advertisement-
-Advertisement-
-Advertisement-
