Georgia Technology Authority: Strategic Focus Areas 
www.gta.georgia.gov 
GTA is transforming state technology through the Georgia Enterprise Technology Services (GETS) Program, promoting greater efficiency and economy in government. Success in the following strategic focus areas will benefit state agencies and the citizens who use their services, and will enhance the IT enterprise as a tool to connect Georgians with their government. 
Integration 
An out-of-date, insecure and unreliable IT infrastructure is being transformed through the Georgia Enterprise Technology Services (GETS) Program. Siloed IT systems are being consolidated and upgraded with new, more reliable equipment. For example, separate e-mail systems are being combined into a single system that's more reliable and cost-effective to operate. State employees will be able to contact their peers in other agencies and share information more easily. In addition, about 2,500 servers are in scope to be relocated from agencies to a state-of-the-art data center. In the process, a significant number of these servers will be consolidated. By reducing the total number of servers, we are simplifying systems management and reducing operating costs. 
Consolidation is leading to IT as a utility in Georgia state government. Freeing agency IT staff from keeping the lights on will enable them to focus on the core strategic initiatives of their organization. 
Transparency 
Through the GETS Program, GTA is also providing transparency into agency IT usage and costs -- information previously not available in state government. For the first time, agencies are paying only for the IT services they consume. Online invoices let agencies drill down to detailed information about service cost and usage. It allows them to review line item charges so they can see exactly what they are paying for. As a result, agency leaders can make fact-based decisions about their consumption of technology services and better control their IT budgets. 
Transparency is also about how agencies and the state as a whole make IT investment decisions. In the past, a large percentage of technology projects failed to deliver their promised benefits, exceeded their budgets or were completed well past their original implementation date. The state's IT governance program  which includes the Critical Projects Review Panel, Project Assurance, and Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V)  is leading to positive results. Success rates for the state's major IT projects increased from 40 percent in 2007 to 90 percent in 2010. The state's use of IV&V saved an estimated $29.6 million in 2008. 
Value to Citizens 
The private sector offers a growing number of innovative, online services to its customers. These services benefit customers by providing greater convenience and speed of service delivery, and it's less expensive for businesses when customers take advantage of self-service options. Citizens increasingly expect the same level of customer service from state government. At the same time, pressures on agency budgets are leading to greater pressures on technology to support more cost-effective ways of doing business. 
One of GTA's goals is to make sure business and technology leaders in state agencies are at the table together when deciding about strategic directions for service delivery. This level of collaboration will go a long way toward providing Georgians with the fast, reliable and convenient services they expect and deserve while constraining the cost of delivering those services. 
June 2011