 | |
| |
TechnologyDaily Mobile
The Hubbub About Data Hubs
by Liza Porteus
The federal government should consider disseminating the nation's data centers and computer hubs throughout the country to prevent mass destruction from a terrorist attack, Wyoming Gov. Jim Geringer says.
When hijackers crashed two commercial planes into the World Trade Center towers in New York City, telecommunications and data hubs for hundreds of financial firms and companies like Verizon were destroyed. In an interview with National Journal's Technology Daily at the National Governors Association (NGA) conference in Washington this week, Geringer said dispersing those hubs could alleviate the impact of possible future attacks.
To that end, he said the federal government needs to encourage telecom providers and states to increase bandwidth in order to establish a strong, transcontinental Internet backbone. Although Wyoming is a rural state, it has a strong Internet backbone that could serve as an ideal location for some of the nation's most vital data centers and other technology assets, Geringer said.
He said he shared the idea for multiple data hubs with White House Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge and other Bush administration officials.
Geringer also said the federal government could do more to increase citizen access to government services over the Internet, particularly in rural areas.
In other news from the NGA conference, Ridge on Sunday commended the governors for appointing homeland security chiefs who will serve as liaisons with Ridge's office. "It's clearly been an enormous asset to our office," he said.
Ridge also urged governors to collaborate with local officials on how to use federal dollars for emergency-response programs in order to prevent an "ad hoc" approach.
At a Southern Governors' Association meeting on Tuesday, meanwhile, West Virginia Gov. Bob Wise reminded his colleagues that they sent a letter to the Bush administration last November, inquiring about whether the states would be reimbursed for homeland security costs. "My sense if ... they are addressing that ... [is] it's just something we need to keep working on," Wise said.
AeA Names California High-Tech Award Recipients
The electronics group AeA this week named several California lawmakers as recipients of the group's High-Tech Legislator of the Year Award.
The winning state senators are: Byron Sher, for authoring a bill to extend the state's moratorium on Internet access and discriminatory taxes and introducing an education bill; and Bruce McPherson, for his role in debates about privacy, education and protective orders to maintain the confidentiality of data obtained through civil discovery.
Award winners in the state Assembly are: Joe Simitian, for his role in the debate about protective orders; Rebecca Cohn, for authoring a bill to grant a tax credit for manufacturing investments and opposing a protective-orders measure; and Charlene Zettel, for authoring bills on tech-related tax incentives and educational technology, and for opposing protective-orders legislation.
The lawmakers "have demonstrated true leadership on issues of profound impact to the future of the high-tech industry and California's economy," Mark Albertson, AeA's Western region executive, said in a statement.
South Dakota Governor Signs Net-Related Bills
South Dakota Gov. Bill Janklow on Wednesday signed the following Internet and technology-related bills into law.
S.B. 180, which requires unsolicited e-mail, or spam, to contain the abbreviation "Adv" for "advertisement" in the subject line. Sexually explicit spam must contain the header "Adv:Adlt" for adult advertisement. The law seeks to let people easily identify and delete spam.
S.B. 184, which makes it illegal to use computer technology to commit crimes such as child pornography, stalking, and sexual solicitation and exploitation of children. The law also requires computer technicians, commercial Internet service providers and photo laboratories to report suspected child pornography to law enforcement, and it allows families to sue for damages.
"These are some of the toughest laws in the country to deal with this problem," Janklow said in a statement. He created a state law enforcement unit specifically aimed at Internet crimes against children last October, and it has more than 150 active cases.
Janklow also has signed:
- S.B. 38, which creates a central registry of telephone numbers and e-mail and Internet addresses for contacting local officials with terrorism-related information.
- S.B. 19, which makes it illegal to communicate a terrorist threat or hoax threat.
- S.B. 36, which implements a federal law for taxing mobile telecom services.
- H.B. 1031, which allows the use of e-signatures for employee payroll deductions.
- H.B. 1010, which allows the use of direct-recording electronic voting systems.
Florida GOP Resists Bush Tech Proposal
Senate Republicans in the Florida legislature are opposing Gov. Jeb Bush's $100 million proposal to increase technology research at Florida's universities and to diversify the state's economy by stimulating the state's high-tech sector.
Florida is vying with neighboring Georgia for recognition as the top tech state in the South. According to AeA's 2002 Cyberstates report, the Sunshine state ranks fifth in tech-related employment in the country.
Bush, furthermore, considers his tech initiatives a top priority for this year. "It's an integral part of our effort in building a field of dreams," he said earlier this month.
But he faces resistance in his own party. "It's not necessarily that senators are against the concept," a spokeswoman for state Senate President John McKay said, but "$100 million is a lot of money. ... We've got a very tight budget here in Florida, as do many states."
She said McKay is concerned about adding new programs before existing programs are re-evaluated for their effectiveness.
Sun Shines On Georgia Web Portal
The Georgia Technology Authority (GTA) has chosen Sun Microsystems to design a Web portal to integrate information from different state computer systems. Sun's architecture also will allow the state to use new standards-based products and emerging technologies from other vendors.
The $7.3 million software contract includes $5.6 million for integration services and $1.7 million for 11 Sun software products. GTA has requested another $8.7 million for the next phase of the portal's development, which aims to help agency caseworkers deliver online services to children and families.
In other Georgia news, Jeff Strane has been nominated to lead the newly created Office of Science and Technology. Strane's new responsibilities will be added to his role as marketing director for Yamacraw, the state's economic development initiative aimed at enhancing the high-speed Internet industry in the Peach State.
Strane will work to attract a broad range of high-tech industries to the region and will partner Yamacraw with the Georgia Research Alliance and the Board of Regents.
Techies And The Hill
Minnesota Republican Gil Gutknecht, vice chairman of the House Science Committee, held a technology showcase on Tuesday so Minnesota companies could demonstrate their security and defense wares. Companies that participated included: biometrics companies BIO-key International, BioconX and Visionics; aviation security companies ION Electrics and Honeywell; the cyber-technology company CitizenObserver.com; and the defense company Pemstar.
In other news, Science Committee Chairman Sherwood Boehlert, R-N.Y., on Wednesday attended the Technology Alliance of Central New York's "Celebration of Technology" awards banquet.
Correction
Last week's State Roundup inaccurately reported that New Hampshire has committed $100,000 in investments over six years to upgrade state universities. The investment actually is $100 million.
NEW FEATURE
-Advertisement-
-Advertisement-
-Advertisement-
