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An E-Procurement Milestone In Virginia
by Chloe Albanesius
Virginia's e-procurement system, eVA, reached the $2 billion mark in purchases, Gov. Mark Warner announced Wednesday.
With 17,200 private vendors registered, the system now boasts more than 250,000 in orders. "The commonwealth uses eVA to increase efficiency, leverage buying power and reduce the cost of government," Warner said in a statement. "This milestone ... means we have achieved a fundamental change in how we conduct our business."
Warner stressed the contributions eVA has made to the state's small businesses. More than 9,200 of eVA's registered vendors are small-, women- or minority-owned businesses that contribute $340 million to the local economy.
The system promotes efficiency by curtailing paperwork, Warner said. "Private businesses spend about 1 percent of their procurement budget on processing, while government typically spends 5.5 percent," he said. With eVA, that number is expected to drop to 2 percent over time. The system is managed by Fairfax-based American Management Systems.
In other news, Warner announced last week that IBM will be the lead partner in the governor's Partnership to Achieve Successful Schools (PASS). The company will donate 50 computers, educational software and volunteer mentors to 11 PASS middle and high schools, seven of which are located in Richmond. "The value of the contribution is over $130,000 ... one of the largest donations the PASS program has received," Warner said in a release.
Tech Coalition Blasts Utah 'Spyware' Bill
The technology coalition NetChoice on Wednesday blasted a Utah "spyware" law as unlikely to stop "bad actors" from installing harmful software onto people's computers, according to Steve Delbianco, NetChoice's executive director.
Gov. Olene Walker signed the bill, H.B. 323, into law Tuesday. It criminalizes the creation or installation of software that secretly monitors Internet activity and sends the data elsewhere.
Delbianco said spyware is a legitimate problem but argued that the law "would regulate consumer-friendly software and services, and expose legitimate businesses to frivolous lawsuits." Delbianco said the measure would allow pornography Web-site owners to sue parental-control providers for $10,000 every time their pages were blocked. He predicted that the bill will prompt lawsuits against large e-commerce and Internet companies, as the state's anti-spam statute did.
In Delaware, meanwhile, Gov. Ruth Ann Minner announced last week that Safety and Homeland Security Secretary James Ford will retire effective May 1 to spend more time with his family. Ford coordinated the state's reaction to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and oversaw the transition of the Public Safety Department into the new department.
Southwest Washington Bolsters Tech Investments
Washington Gov. Gary Locke on Monday met with the Clark County High-Tech Community Council to discuss the tech industry in southwest Washington.
Locke praised a new job-skills program in the region that will provide manufacturing training via a partnership between Clark College and nLight Photonics. The Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges awarded the program a $42,000 grant matched 100 percent by nLight Photonics.
Locke also dedicated the new Washington State University Engineering and Science Institute. The program will allow students to earn bachelor's degrees in biology or computer science, as well as bachelor's or master's degrees in mechanical engineering. "This system offers unique opportunities in high-demand fields and works with local employees to meet critical skill needs to build stronger regional economies," Locke said in a release.
The institute was created last year at the suggestion of the region's high-tech industry leaders and students interested in degrees in high-demand fields. The state provided $675,000 for WSU at Vancouver to partner with Clark College and Lower Columbia College to develop a concept, and the program since has received $662,500 more in funding.
In other news, Locke on Wednesday took action on a number of bills, including one measure, H.B. 2771, that seeks to prevent cyber stalking.
And the National Governors Association (NGA) on Wednesday announced that it would hold its annual meeting in Seattle on July 17-19. The conference is expected to bring about $1.5 million in revenue to the state's economy, Locke said. The meeting will focus on homeland security, education, health care and economic development, an NGA spokeswoman said.
Claim: N.Y. Law Hurts Online Realty Firms
New York's licensing law discriminates against online businesses that provide real-estate listing information, an observer argued in an open letter to Secretary of State Randy Daniels.
"The current licensing law for providers of rental information dates from 1975 and contains requirements such as hard-copy contracts, advance submissions of listings, and a ban on advertising of specific properties that are incompatible with the convenience, control and lower costs of online information services," said Braden Cox, technology counsel to the Competitive Enterprise Institute. Because consumers now expect a more streamlined way of doing business, New York needs to update its systems, he said.
Suspected Child Predator Arrested In Texas
A former Dell Computer employee pleaded guilty last week to attempting to lure someone he thought was a 13-year-old to meet him for sex, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott announced.
The "girl" who Michael McDaniel met via the Internet, however, was actually an investigator with Abbott's cyber-crime unit, and McDaniel was arrested when he showed up to meet his Internet interest. Officers seized the man's computer and other materials from his home as evidence in prosecuting the case.
Florida Prosecutor Wants More Access To Records
Florida Attorney General Charlie Crist filed an amended request with the state's Public Service Commission to allow the state's residents access to records the commission reviewed before approving an increase in telephone rates in December.
That decision is currently on hold pending Crist's appeal to the Florida Supreme Court and his request for reconsideration by the commission.
Crist also requested that phone company executives release their records on the issue.
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