April 2011 VITA Service Bulletin

Volume 11, Number 4

From the CIO

Our thoughts are with those impacted, both personally and professionally, following the multiple tornado touch-downs in Virginia over the past week.

VITA is ready to play its part if needed to assist with recovery. VITA contracts provide rapid access to a wide variety of IT goods and services with pre-negotiated terms and pricing. The work required to fairly and transparently establish terms with private vendors has been done. Governments that use these contracts can be assured that public procurement statutes have been followed precisely - so they can be accessed and acted upon quickly.

As always, I encourage you to contact VITA if there are other IT-based products and services that could benefit you and your organization.

Please feel free to contact me at cio@vita.virginia.gov with your ideas, questions or concerns.

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VITA contracts available to localities impacted by severe weather

Local governments, school systems and other Virginia public bodies impacted by severe weather can use VITA state contracts to obtain computing, cellular, audio visual and other technology equipment needs. The contracts have been pre-bid and can help localities save staff time and effort on the bidding process.

Examples of available goods and services include: personal computers, cabling, servers, printers (including high speed and wide format), IT product repair services, broadband, satellite communications, off-the-shelf software, data storage devices, networking equipment, audio-visual equipment and services, cell phones, iPads, two-way radios, voice and text alert systems, secure data destruction and more.

Search all VITA contracts

New contract provides grant management solution

VITA has awarded a new state contract to assist Virginia government entities involved in multiple grant solicitations.

The contracted vendor offers a grants management solution (GMS) for management of the end-to-end request and distribution process of grant funds. Services include: 

• implementation
• training 
• ongoing support services

For more information 

View the GMS contract 

Questions about the contract? Contact VITA's Mike Novak by e-mail 

April 2011 recognized as 9-1-1 Education Month

Governor Bob McDonnell has recognized April 2011 as 9-1-1 Education Month in the Commonwealth of Virginia and encourages all citizens to become educated in the proper use of 9-1-1.  The National 9-1-1 Public Safety Coalition launched a nationwide campaign and a new resource website in an effort to promote education and awareness. VITA's Public Safety Communications Division is supporting this month's observance in addition to assisting Virginia's Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) with educational needs throughout the year. Division staff members, with funding provided through the Wireless E-911 Services Board, assist primary PSAPs with provision of 9-1-1 specific group education/training opportunities throughout the Commonwealth. This training enables PSAPs in Virginia to educate their citizens on 9-1-1 and its proper use. 

9-1-1 Education Month Proclamation

Save the date: COVITS 2011 scheduled

The Commonwealth of Virginia Innovative Technology Symposium (COVITS) has been scheduled for 2011. The event again will feature a one-day format and be held in Richmond to better enable participation. This year's event will be held Sept. 26-27 at the Hilton Richmond Hotel at Short Pump, 12042 West Broad Street, Richmond. The Advisory Board will meet later this spring to determine focus areas, speakers and workshops.

2011 cyber security poster contest winners announced

Winners of the Commonwealth Security 2011 Cyber Security Awareness "Kids Safe Online Poster Contest" have been announced and winning entries posted online. Entries were grouped in kindergarten-fifth grade, sixth-eighth grade and ninth-12th grade brackets in the Virginia State Division of the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC). Students will receive a letter and certificate of appreciation from Chief Information Security Officer John Green and will be entered in the national contest.

View the poster contest winners

March PSC News Brief now online

The March edition of the PSC News Brief is now available. The bi-monthly e-newsletter is one of several means of communicating the 9-1-1 coordinating activities of VITA's Public Safety Communications Division to its stakeholder community in an effort to encourage, promote and assist in the development and deployment of statewide enhanced emergency telecommunications systems.

Read the March PSC News Brief

April Information Security Tips: Safeguarding your data

The April issue of Information Security Tips provides information about safeguarding your data. By understanding the risks and combining some common sense rules with a little bit of technology, home users can safeguard their data from these threats and understand the needs for security controls at work. This newsletter provides information that home computer users will find valuable in protecting against cyber and information attacks. 

Read April Information Security Tips

April Network News

CIO Sam Nixon discusses the Comprehensive Information Technology Assessments required of agencies by the General Assembly in its budget bill in the April edition of Network News. 

Read April Network News