I have never professed to be psychic. However, as 2016 is coming to an end there are clear signs that illuminate the plans of government entities for 2017. These signs include the surveys that have been conducted to identify the priorities of state, county and city CIO’s. As you can see, their priorities align very closely.
Cybersecurity is prominent on all of the lists. Cybersecurity awareness is not a one-time event, it is a continual process. There is no such thing as “done with security”. This is why this topic continues to dominate the CIO’s priorities. IBM’s point of view on cybersecurity aligns with this view of government. A clear understanding of IBM’s investment in Cognitive Security and how it will help with this battle is important for everyone involved. If we can augment the knowledge and skills of security experts, with the speed and breadth of data analysis, there will be a stronger security perimeter.
Another topic that stands out is modernization of infrastructure. This is demonstrated as offering shared services, open government, and managed and/or cloud services. CIO’s are speaking openly about transforming their infrastructure. With the shortage of staffing in government, these transformations have the potential to cut costs and help manage budgets (another item on the lists).
Finally, the lists clearly demonstrate that 2017 will be the year of analytics and artificial intelligence. Citizens want government interactions to be as easy as ordering on line. Governments that get there will see growth in all areas.
It is an exciting time for IBM. The priorities on these lists are strengths for our organization. Government is positioned to be a growth area for IBM in 2017.
