Agencies Need To Plan For Collaboration, Cisco's Chambers Says

If the federal government stands any chance of catching up to industry in terms of technology, integrators have to help agencies plan three to five years in advance to enable collaboration, said John Chambers, CEO of Cisco Systems, in his keynote speech at Fose.

Chambers compared government to Cisco in the 1990s, when different departments functioned in silo environments. Just as Chambers forced change by sitting all company decision-makers at the same table, agencies need to enable intra- and inter-agency collaboration by changing processes and using technology to not only accomplish immediate requirements, but also long-term objectives.

"Moore's Law is alive and well, and yet [agencies] still have to consider the mission and productivity a decade out," Chambers said. "The ability to identify market transitions determines future [success]."

Of course, agencies have a long way to go before that happens, with many still utilizing legacy technology and rarely extending beyond their individual missions. It's the private sector's responsibility to educate government customers about the technology available and market trends, Chambers said. That means implementing common standards and enabling network interoperability.

To that end, Cisco's Unified Communications System, announced earlier this week, bundles existing network communication tools as well as new products. That includes the Cisco Unified Personal Communicator for switching between different communications applications from within the same desktop interface, and the Unified Presence Server for collecting information about users' availability on various devices. Also encouraging enhanced communication is Cisco's IP Interoperability and Collaboration System (IPICS), which enables real-time information sharing.

But before integrators can introduce those kinds of advanced technologies into the cross-government infrastructure, agencies have to change how they accomplish objectives.

"Government leaders need to be sponsors of changing governmental process," Chambers said. "Only then will you get productivity. If you don't change the process, don't put in the technology, you'll be disappointed."

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