What VARs Must Know To Win State IT Business

Partnering with state IT departments is all about relationships, and like all relationships, it's not always simple. But a few tips from Michigan CIO Teri Takai, who spoke at this week's XChange Government Integrator conference, can make it easier.

Takai, who also serves as president of the National Association of State CIOs, said that each state has a tendency to think its own way of doing things is best, and yet the federal government doesn't appreciate 50 different ways of getting things done. Vendors and integrators can get caught in the middle, so understanding a state's unique structure and strategy can go a long way toward getting results.

Integrators should always read a state's strategic IT plan and monitor pending contracts to make sure they're on the right page before approaching state officials, Takai advised. Get to know the state's processes, make sure to meet all bid requirements, and explain how partnerships in other states work.

"Don't complain about the procurement process in the state," Takai said. "Learn and understand how it works."

Michigan's IT systems are largely centralized and consolidated, but Texas, in contrast, has a large number of relatively independent commissions and boards with their own systems. Many states are migrating toward a decentralized infrastructure because of security and cost concerns, but in the meantime, it's vital to approach a state with the knowledge of its particular structure.

In a similar vein, the role of the CIO varies from state to state. Some CIOs are a member of the governor's cabinet, while others work within the management and budget office.

Despite wide disparities in organization and the service delivery methods, most state CIOs share some common challenges, including trying to do more with less and conveying to lawmakers the importance of addressing security.

"One of our challenges is to be able to express to the legislature how important security is," Takai said.

Integrators can help by assisting state CIOs in understanding a technology's business implications and building a case for the investment. Take note, also, that in a political environment, projects that rely on multiyear funding arrangements can be difficult to pursue.

Like most state CIOs, Takai is focused on reducing security risks; to that end, she's implementing one-sign-on endpoint security. The past two network breaches resulted from individuals bringing their laptops onto the network, she said.

In Michigan, upgrading legacy applications presents another big challenge because the state faces an aging IT workforce, Takai said.

"I've got some applications that are 40 years old, and I've got them pieced together with who-knows-what," she said, adding that about 50 percent of her staff is eligible for retirement in the next 10 years. "It's going to be a matter of whether we can run these applications without doing an upgrade."

Despite the unique condition and framework of each state's IT system, standardization and interoperability are key to moving forward, Takai advised.

"We have to try to get down to some standard solutions," she said, adding that integrators that can fit standards into their proposals have a better chance of getting results.

Among Takai's biggest pet peeves is waiting until the quarterly report is due to present the best deals. And above all, make sure you get to know the CIO you're pitching, she said: "If they say Mr. Takai, forget it."