Latest news with #DepartmentofInformationTechnology
New Indian Express
24-05-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
TN floats tender to procure 10 lakh laptops for students
CHENNAI: In its effort to swiftly roll out the distribution of free laptops to eligible college students as promised in its 2025-26 budget, the Tamil Nadu government has floated a tender inviting bids for the procurement of 10 lakh laptops through international competitive bidding. The tender documents showed that the government intends to provide college students with laptops of fairly high specifications, including 8 GB RAM, 256 GB Solid State Drive, Integrated Graphics supporting 128 MB VRAM or higher, display of 14 or 15.6 inch and any processor equivalent to or above Intel i3 or AMD Ryzen3 with minimum of four cores, eight threads and hyperthreading feature, and launched between January 2022 and June 2024. Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu had said that the government aimed to distribute 20 lakh laptops over a two-year period with an allocation of Rs 2,000 crore for 2025-26. While the government had earlier announced that the college students would be able to choose whether they wanted a laptop or tablet, the tender documents indicate that the government is planning to distribute only laptops at the moment. Electronics Corporation of Tamil Nadu, coming under the Department of Information Technology, which has floated the tender, said any interested bidder should be able to supply a minimum of one lakh laptops along with laptop bags. Sources said multiple vendors could be chosen to supply the 10 lakh laptops in a short period of time. With the 2026 Assembly election less than a year away, the government intends to roll out the distribution at the earliest. Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin chaired a meeting in this regard on Monday.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
State searching for new broadband office director after personnel shake-up
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways May 7—SANTA FE — The acting director of New Mexico's central broadband office recently returned to his previous position with the agency after Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham's office decided to go in a "different direction" in its search for a permanent director. A Lujan Grisham spokeswoman said Drew Lovelace had resumed his duties as operations manager with the Office of Broadband Access and Expansion. While a search for his successor is carried out, Department of Information Technology Secretary Manny Barreras is temporarily serving as the office's acting director, according to the Governor's Office. "It's an at-will position and the administration is going in a different direction," said Lujan Grisham spokeswoman Jodi McGinnis Porter, who did not provide any further explanation about the change. The shake-up comes after lawmakers did not grant the office's $70 million budget request during this year's 60-day legislative session for satellite technology to provide high-speed internet to about 95,000 New Mexico households that currently lack such service. Lovelace told members of a legislative panel in November that state-provided vouchers and subsidies for satellite high-speed internet services could specifically help households that aren't eligible for federal broadband programs. "With New Mexico coffers flush with record revenues, now is the time to invest in the broadband New Mexicans deserve and desperately need," he also said in a January letter to the Journal. But the only company likely able to provide such satellite internet services is Starlink, a subsidiary of SpaceX that is owned by Elon Musk, who has drawn both praise and criticism for his role in President Donald Trump's Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. New Mexico's Office of Broadband Access and Expansion was established in 2021 and is tasked with working with other state agencies to expand internet access across the state. Despite a recent infusion of state and federal funds, New Mexico still has slower average download speeds and more limited access to broadband than many others states, according to some national reviews. But the state broadband office has issued millions of dollars in grant funds in recent years in an attempt to improve access and reduce the estimated 15% of the state's population that does not have broadband internet. In addition, lawmakers did pass legislation during this year's session, making changes to how public school broadband projects can be funded.
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
North Carolina signs contract with Musk's SpaceX to buy Starlink products, fill internet gaps
Starlink is a satellite internet service company owned by SpaceX and Elon Musk. (/Kevin Dietsch) North Carolina has inked a deal with SpaceX, Elon Musk's aerospace technology company, to boost internet coverage and infrastructure. A spokesperson for the state's Department of Information Technology confirmed to NC Newsline on Friday that the department had signed a contract 'to purchase Starlink satellite connectivity products and services for state agencies.' Starlink is a satellite internet service company owned by SpaceX and Musk. The company sells mobile kits that connect to orbiting satellites; they were widely used in western North Carolina during the early days after Hurricane Helene. 'This will allow for resiliency and redundancy to network infrastructure in the event of an outage due to a natural disaster, such as Hurricane Helene,' communications director Nicole Meister said. 'In addition, it enables agencies to provide internet connectivity in areas where service options are either non-existent or too costly to implement.' The Department of IT will manage those state services 'to provide a secure network and protect data.' The department did not provide a copy of the contract or its total value. The deal marks a new plank of North Carolina's efforts to improve internet access across the state. Hundreds of millions in federal dollars have flowed into the state in recent years to expand broadband infrastructure. Service providers have applied for the state's program to expand access, led by former Gov. Roy Cooper's administration. Musk, who has 42% equity and majority voting control of SpaceX, has become a central figure in the second Trump administration. And while his other prominent company, Tesla, has seen its value jolted in recent weeks, SpaceX has remained comparatively stable. The private company hit a valuation of $350 billion at the end of 2024 after it bought back shares from employees. SpaceX did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment Friday.
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Senate committee considers taming IT department as part of ongoing budget effort
Sen. Katie Fry Hester (D-Howard and Montgomery) is sponsoring a bill she said would bring accountability to the Department of Information Technology and help ensure major IT projects are delivered on time and on budget.. (File photo by Bryan P. Sears/Maryland Matters.) The chair of the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee Wednesday said his committee will look to resolve how the state handles major information technology projects, saying the current process has resulted in money 'going down a hole.' Some lawmakers are dismayed by the Department of Information Technology, which has shied away from taking control of major projects since it was founded im 2002. Senate Budget and Taxation Committee Chair Sen. Guy Guzzone (D-Howard) characterized managing such projects as a money pit at a time when the state stares down a $3 billion budget gap. 'This is a mess. It was a mess even before 2002, quite frankly, and some of this — the DoIT solution — was supposed to help all of that,' Guzzone said during a committee hearing Wednesday. 'We have not, in my opinion, in all the years I've been around, ever seen an actual solution to our problem. The money has been, unfortunately, going down a hole in many ways and in many projects. And it's really a shame.' Guzzone's comments followed testimony on a proposal to impose stringent reporting requirements for the department. It also comes on the same day that the Board of Public Works approved a more than $400 million IT contract with dozens of contractors. 'It's been a long time, and the lack of clarity, authority and management and oversight really has led to poor project management, cost overruns and failures,' said Sen. Katie Fry Hester (D-Howard and Montgomery) and sponsor of the Senate Bill 705. Hester pointed to a scathing audit of the agency and its failures to properly manage the MDThink project. That mismanagement increased costs to $588 million — 80% more than the initial estimate, Hester said, calling it 'pretty sad.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE 'In recent years, the state has also spent millions on the development of IT projects that produced inadequate computer systems. Some of the reasons for project failures point to poor project management, lack of initial planning, insufficiently trained personnel, and Maryland must take steps to safeguard its growing investment in valued resources,' she said. Hester said the current system lacks accountability for delivering projects on time and on budget, describing it as 'contractors overseeing contractors overseeing contractors.' Officials from the department did not testify at the hearing Wednesday. In a 'letter of concern,' Melissa Leaman, deputy secretary of the department, said the bill duplicates existing reports and 'would impose a significant burden while providing minimal value.' Leaman also cited security and procurement concerns. 'We strongly urge the committee to reconsider SB 705 and instead engage in a collaborative effort to refine our current reporting structure in a way that balances transparency, efficiency, and security. We remain committed to ensuring accountability and providing valuable information while protecting the integrity of state IT projects and operations,' her letter said. Despite the concerns in Leaman's letter, Guzzone signaled an interest in taming the problem. Guzzone said the committee could use Hester's bill and may also look at language in the budget to bring the agency to heel. 'We're going to work hard on this,' Guzzone said. 'This is not something that we need … with all the challenges we have financially. This has got to get handled, and it's going to get handled. It's going to take a while, but it's something that must be done.' Earlier in the day, the Board of Public Works voted to approve a statewide IT contract involving 39 companies. The 10-year deal, valued at more than $400 million, was pulled from a board agenda two weeks ago after Hester and Sen. Stephen S. Hershey Jr. (R-Upper Shore) wrote a letter expressing concerns about the contract and numerous bidder protests and appeals filed with the Maryland Board of Contract Appeals. State officials asked the board to approve the contract even though the appeals and protests had not yet been resolved. Department of General Services Secretary Atif T. Chaudhry said the state 'has a duty to protect essential services that directly impact public health and safety for over 2 million residents across the state, which is nearly one-third of the state's population, particularly including programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also referred to as SNAP, supplemental Social Security Income, also referred to as SSI, child welfare support, foster care services and countless more.' Chaudhry also cited concerns about federal funding which is now guaranteed through October. During the board meeting, Leaman said the agency takes 'seriously our role as stewards of taxpayers' dollars.' The changes being made to how the department oversees major IT projects reflect current best management practices, she said, 'but we recognize that transitioning to new practices is hard and will take agencies time.' The board approved the contract 2-0. Comptroller Brooke Lierman recused herself citing advice of ethics counsel. A spokesperson for Lierman declined to elaborate on the conflict, citing a policy of not commenting beyond the comptroller's announcement Following the board vote, Hershey criticized the approval for jumping ahead of the ongoing protests and appeals. Hershey said it may not be incumbent on the legislature to dig in on what he said was 'a budget issue.' He said lawmakers 'can also do a lot with budget language and forcing an agency to comply with the will of the legislature. We have avenues that we believe are able to be used.' 'At the end of the day, these are taxpayer dollars, and the state has to find a better way to manage them and assure taxpayers that they're being spent cost effectively and efficiently,' he said.
