Welcome to Year 2 of the Great Government through Technology blog. I’m Mary Davie, the new Assistant Commissioner for the Office of Integrated Technology Services (ITS). Many of you may already know me as the former Assistant Commissioner of Assisted Acquisition Services (AAS) and my work with the Better Buy Project and the Better Blog.
I’m excited to have the opportunity to talk with you here, and I look forward to opening a conversation on how GSA can deliver great government through its technology products and services.
I view my transition from AAS to ITS as a logical step. Both AAS and ITS share a similar perspective on how to use technology to facilitate the acquisition process and deliver integrated solutions. Both have a similar focus on innovation, sustainability, customer intimacy and operational excellence—we make acquisitions easier, faster, better, greener and more secure.
I am also a strong proponent of Web 2.0 and social media for engaging colleagues, customers and industry. For those who don’t know me, Twitter is one of my favorite ways for reaching out to colleagues and customers.
Reaping Technology Dividends
If there were ever a time to aspire to “great government through technology,” it’s now. Agencies face tightening budgets. Acquisition professionals are being asked to do more with less. Large IT acquisitions have come under greater scrutiny.
However, we have much to be hopeful about: new technology solutions such as Cloud Computing and Data Center Services will yield dividends for the government—cost-savings; reduced carbon emissions; and increased communication, collaboration, transparency and productivity.
Throughout my career, I’ve worked all along the IT acquisition lifecycle, with industry, our customer agencies, and my colleagues on all sides of GSA’s business. I see enormous possibilities to collaboratively align GSA’s product and service offerings to meet agencies’ needs for increased productivity, security, and sustainable and cost-effective mission-critical systems.
In 2010, ITS took big steps to reach out to agencies and industry in new ways.
In 2011, we’ll build on that momentum. We’re putting the service back into Integrated Technology Services. More on that in the future.
Let me know what you think. Leave a comment. Tweet me. Or come see me at the Coalition for Government Procurement Executive Breakfast on February 25th.