INPUT would like to recognize the state of Maryland for its continued effort in promoting critical and innovative public safety technologies. Over the past few years, specifically 2010, the state of Maryland has taken on an unparalleled initiative across the country with the procurement of five major public safety technologies:

• Statewide Public Safety Interoperable Communications System
• Computer Aided Dispatch/Records Management System
• Next Generation 911 System
• Cell Phone Detection
• Electronic Court Management Environment

All five of these projects involve a great deal of planning, coordination, and execution among a variety of stakeholders. While these projects have been in the works for quite some time and contain hefty budgets (upward of $350 million), the need for enhanced, mission-critical technologies within the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, State Police, and the Administrative Office of the Courts continues to grow. The state of Maryland has done a tremendous job setting the stage for these valuable tools.

The first procurement, issued in July 2008, is the Statewide Public Safety Interoperable Communications System. While no official contract has been announced, this project is estimated to cost $300 million over 15 years. The number of attendees (134) at the pre-proposal conference alone could classify as a small city. This project is one of the biggest, if not the biggest, interoperable communications project since the New York Statewide Wireless Network.

The second procurement, issued in January 2010, is the Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD)/Records Management (RMS)/Automated Vehicle Location (AVL)/Automated Field Reporting (AFR) system. This is, without a doubt, the largest CAD/RMS project for 2010, with an estimated cost of $25.2 million. It also had a sizeable pre-proposal conference, with 27 companies represented. Proposal submission closed in May 2010, and it is unlikely that a contract will be signed by the end of the year.

The third procurement, issued in June 2010, is the Next Generation 911 (NG-911) system. This project, which is still being solicited, is estimated to cost nearly $3 million, according to the state. It is intended to extend delivery of 911 call data to the secondary public safety answering points (PSAPs) from the main Maryland State Police barracks. Ten companies attended the pre-proposal conference for this project, and more than 15 companies are expected to submit proposals by September 16, 2010.

The fourth procurement, issued in July 2010, is the Cell Phone Interdiction (detection) project. With cell phone smuggling increasing in America's jails, the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services has a goal to procure a system that targets the location of cell phones within jails. While many jails use more traditional tools, such as metal detectors and dogs, this system could electronically detect the presence of a cell phone. Proposals are currently under evaluation for this project.

The fifth procurement, issued September 2010, is the Electronic Court Management Environment project. The goal of this project is to create an integrated environment for managing and reporting court information. This environment will facilitate the establishment of a statewide process for exchanging key justice information throughout the justice community. Proposals are due October 27, 2010.

INPUT will continue to monitor these procurements through their respective opportunity reports. However, INPUT wanted to take the time to recognize the state of Maryland for its efforts in promoting critical and innovative public safety technologies. It will be interesting to see the outcomes of these projects and their effects on the justice and public safety community.

August brought a flurry of activity to the health care market (what's new, right?). States that sent off their Health Information Exchange (HIE) Strategic and Operational Plans to the Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) include Wisconsin (Statewide Health IT Network), Virginia (CHIMES), Connecticut (HITE-CT), and Arkansas (AR SHARE). The Louisiana Health Care Quality Forum started its procurement process by issuing a request for information (RFI) for the Louisiana Health Information Exchange (LaHIE) on August 6, 2010. On the other end of the spectrum, the Utah Health Information Network (UHIN) became the first organization to be accredited through the Electronic Healthcare Network Accreditation Commission's (EHNAC) recently developed Health Information Exchange Accreditation Program (HIEAP).

Grant money flowed freely out of the United States Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), including $159.1 million to support health care workforce training; $1 million to each state to develop health insurance exchanges; and $32 million to increase access to health care for Americans living in rural areas. ONC named the Certification Commission for Health Information Technology (CCHIT) and Drummond Group Inc as the first technology review bodies authorized to test and certify electronic health record (EHR) systems for compliance with DHHS standards and certification criteria. This means that EHR vendors can now begin to have their products certified to support meaningful use. In other vendor news, Ingenix continued its purchasing run, acquiring Axoltl on August 16, 2010.

Medicaid projects were also hot this month, including Indiana's Department of Administration releasing an RFI for a data migration strategy. The Indiana Family and Social Services Administration plans to issue a few request for proposals (RFP) for the replacement of its Medicaid management information system with a new MMIS, including full operation of the system. On August 17, 2010, Alabama released an RFP for independent verification and validation (IV&V) and quality assurance (QA) services in support of its MMIS recipient subsystem replacement project. South Carolina's Department of Health and Human Services released an RFI for a replacement MMIS that includes provider management services, health care management services, testing management services, and IV&V services. Last but not least, the California Health and Human Services Agency released an RFP for CA-MMIS design, development, and implementation project management services on August 18, 2010.

Other projects released in the health care and social services market include:

• The Indiana Department of Administration, in conjunction with the Family and Social Services Administration, released an RFI for eligibility determination system planning services on August 2, 2010. The RFI requests responses from vendors capable of performing planning services for the design, development, implementation, and eventual procurement of a system integrator to replace the Indiana Client Eligibility System (ICES), the state's current eligibility determination system for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Medicaid, and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
• The Iowa Department of Administrative Services, on behalf of the Department of Public Health and Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, released an RFP for a planning and quality assurance contractor for electronic benefit transfer (EBT) for the Iowa WIC Program on August 9, 2010. INPUT is tracking the EBT system here.
• The Wisconsin Department of Corrections (DOC) released an RFI for an electronic health record (EHR) on August 23, 2010.
• The Missouri Office of Administration, Division of Purchasing and Materials Management (DPMM), on behalf of the Department of Social Services, Family Support Division, released an RFP for EBT Services for the SNAP program on August 20, 2010.
• The New York Department of Health, Vital Record Division, re-released an RFP on August 16, 2010, for an electronic death registration system (EDRS.

Notable awards include:

• The Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services awarded the State Medicaid Health IT Plan contract to Fox Systems LLC on August 9, 2010, for $476,978.
• The state of Nebraska awarded the Development of the State Medicaid HIT Plan/Medicaid Regulation Analysis/Medicaid Systems Replacement Planning and Procurement contract to Public Consulting Group for $1,458,450. The contract will run from September 14, 2010, to December 13, 2011.
• The Delaware Department of Health and Social Services awarded its WIC EBT planning contract to Chaddsford Planning Associates in the amount of $103,750. The tentative start date is September 1, 2010.
• The Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Service Systems (MIEMSS) awarded ImageTrend the Statewide Electronic Care Report and EMS Data Collection System contract in the amount of $668,000.
• The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment awarded the WIC EBT Planning Services contract to Imadgen LLC in the amount of $219,128.

August was also a busy month for INPUT analysts attending events. Make sure to keep an eye out for recaps of the MMIS Conference and ISM Conference in the coming weeks.

On September 1, 2010, the Virginia Information Technology Agency (VITA) released its annual Recommended Technology Investment Projects (RTIP) report, which highlights the top 17 state IT projects. The report also offers estimated project costs, along with estimated start and completion dates. Of the 17 projects outlined ($110.6 million), six are transportation, five are public safety, four are health and human services, and two are "other" initiatives. Below, you will find a brief summary of the five public safety projects, totaling $11.8 million. Of the initiatives, three are for improvements to existing systems, one is for transforming a current system, and one is for running existing infrastructure. One project began in early 2010; three are scheduled to start in 2011, and one in 2012.

Central Criminal Repository and Support Systems Improvement (Ranked #5 and started in January 2010) - $1.65 million

Virginia Intelligence Management System (VIMS) (Ranked #9 with a start date of January 2011) - $1.5 million

STARS Asset Management Tracking System (Ranked #15 with a start date of January 2011) - $1.02 million

Replacement and Enhancement of the Central Criminal History (CCH) Application (Ranked #13 with a start date of February 2011) - $6.5 million

Replacement and Enhancement of the Statewide Incident Based Reporting System (IBRS) (Ranked #6 with a start date of July 2012) - $1.2 million

If you are like INPUT and have been tracking these projects for quite some time, you will notice that some of these projects have become staples within the annual RTIP report. Many of these projects have moved up or down in priority over the years and have yet to really get off the ground, i.e. VIMS, which has been listed year-over-year. It will be interesting to see how many of these projects fall in line with the estimated start dates and begin to take shape.

In April 2010, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) created the Emergency Response Interoperability Center (ERIC) to assist in the development of the 700 MHz band for use in public safety broadband. However, the 700 MHz spectrum also has another use: public safety communications.

Public safety agencies across the country have been mandated to reband their current radio communications networks. As they are rebanding, agencies are starting to focus on the long term evolution (LTE) of communications networks and their possible use in public safety broadband.

When the FCC established ERIC, it also provided waivers for twenty states and cities to begin developing a plan to utilize the 700 MHz band for broadband or other technologies. In June 2010, the FCC released several analyses on network capacity for a Nationwide Mobile Public Safety Broadband Network. Part of the goal in developing ERIC and furthering research on a nationwide network is to establish seamless interoperability across agencies, jurisdictions and regions. In theory, with a nationwide network, each state could subscribe and eliminate gaps in the system. In an emergency, communications would not be lost across county lines or, more importantly, state lines.

While this type of nationwide network is still a distant goal, the FCC waivers to begin utilizing the 700 MHz spectrum are an important first step. Vendors, state and local public safety agencies, and the federal government need to continue to work together in order to make this type of national network a reality.

Last week, the Commonweath of Virginia experienced a massive failure at the states' information technology headquarters, managed by Northrop Grumman, in Chesterfield County. You would not be at fault to assume Northrop Grumman's competitors will be out for blood after this debacle. For those unaware of the incident's details, the Virginia Information Technology Agency (VITA) experienced an unprecedented hardware failure that impacted 26 state agencies shortly before 3 p.m. on Wednesday, August 25, 2010. VITA and Northrop Grumman – VITA's service provider – activated their rapid response teams in an attempt to restore services and reduce downtime. However, almost a week later, a handful of agencies are still experiencing significant challenges and are not fully operational. These agencies include:

• Department of Motor Vehicles, which was unable to issue drivers licenses and identity cards until today
• Department of Taxation, which is unable to process tax payments or refunds
• State Board of Elections, which is in the process of having voter files restored

The incident has prompted Gov. Bob McDonnell to seek an "independent third party" to investigate the fiasco. According to VITA, Northrop Grumman indicates the hardware failure is attributed to a networked storage unit part, EMC DMX3, sourced by EMC. Consequences of this calamity remain to be seen. Reports attributed to Chief Information Officer Samuel A. Nixon indicate the possibility of financial penalties has yet to be determined. Virginia recently extended Northrop Grumman's contract for an additional $236 million; total contract value thus far is $2.3 billion.

By way of GovManagement.com, I found this topic's coverage here. VITA's press releases can be found here.

With summer coming to a close, procurement processes tend to slow down as many decision makers enjoy vacation days while the weather is still warm. Despite this seasonal trend, the justice and public safety (JPS) team uncovered quite a few new pre-RFP opportunities and recently awarded contracts in August. Additionally, the JPS analysts posted several blogs and traveled to the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials Annual Conference in Houston, Texas.

Projects of note covered all aspects of the JPS realm, including corrections, 911, information sharing, and interoperable communications. Each project below contains a link to the INPUT Opportunity Report, which provides INPUT members with detailed project information.

Nelson County, Virginia, acting as the lead agency for the Blue Ridge Interoperable Network (BRIN), has a requirement for a regional microwave system that will support radio systems and data services needs for the following political subdivisions: Nelson County, Albemarle County, the city of Charlottesville, Virginia State Police, Virginia Department of Emergency Management, the city of Waynesboro, and the city of Staunton. A request for proposals (RFP) for this project was released August 16, 2010, and proposals are due September 17, 2010.

On August 13, 2010, the Maryland Department of Transportation, Motor Vehicle Administration, released a rebid of the Central Issuance System RFP originally issued in October 2008. This project was protested and the state has since rewritten the specifications. Proposals are due September 14, 2010. INPUT has been actively tracking this project for two years.

The state of Texas has contracted with L. Robert Kimball & Associates for a Next Generation 911 (NG911) system consultant. The Texas Commission on State Emergency Communications (CSEC) began planning for a statewide migration by contracting L. Robert Kimball & Associates to conduct a study on the cost and requirements to move to the NG911 platform. The contract's duration is approximately two years and three months, ending in September 2012.

On August 24, 2010, the state of California released a request for information (RFI) for Cell Phone Interdiction. The state seeks vendor demonstrations on technology to prohibit the use of cell phones at state prisons. RFI responses are due September 7, 2010. INPUT has been tracking prison cell phone interdiction activity in 31 states since August 2009.

Two of the most popular projects in the JPS database are estimated for RFP release in September. The Connecticut Department of IT plans to release an RFP for the Connecticut Information Sharing System, and the District of Columbia Motor Vehicle Administration plans to solicit bids for its Drivers License Credentialing and Imaging System. Expect more reporting on these projects in the coming months.

Last week, officials in Marin County, California, announced plans to replace the county's underperforming SAP enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. The system is at the core of a heated lawsuit the county filed against Deloitte Consulting earlier this year.

Marin County claims the system has been far too pricey to maintain and only 50 percent functions properly. Deloitte is refuting these claims and has filed a complaint seeking overdue payments. In a court filing, Deloitte states the system "was working properly and could perform all the tasks consistently with the standards set forth in the written contract."

During a recent webcast county meeting, David Hill, director of the county's information services and technology department, said a complete rebuild and redesign is needed to get the current system up to par, which would be highly expensive.

Marin County reports it would cost $34.7 million to maintain its current SAP system, simply fixing current problems would cost $34.1 million, and fixing/supporting the system over time would cost $49.8 million. Instead, the county plans to implement a new system at an estimated cost of $26.2 million over a 10-year period.

In no rush to purchase a new product right away, Marin County is keeping its options open and hopes to learn more about what technology is available over the next several months.

INPUT is closely monitoring this project and will post new information as it is released. To view this opportunity, go here.

Over the last two years, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and public safety agencies and organizations across the country have debated how to best use the set of radio spectrum known as the D-block. The FCC has toyed with the idea of allowing the commercial industry to purchase this spectrum, while public safety organizations have lobbied to expand the current public safety spectrum to include the D-block. Whatever the decision, public safety agencies will continue to pursue communication systems that support mission critical activities.

Assuming public safety approves use of the D-block, it will be up to vendors to expand their systems to include this additional spectrum. Agencies will be requesting equipment that allows seamless transmissions from one radio to another, whether in the same building or across the city/county. They will also request equipment that can transmit density-rich information. This is especially true during emergency situations where capacity and priority can influence response and recovery.

Vendors will also need to improve their reliability and vulnerability. It will be more important than ever to have a strong backup network and supply that allows agencies to ensure continuity of operations. So often we hear of networks dropping or losing function; therefore, it is essential for vendors to provide heightened reliability given the presumed data-driven communication environment that will stem from future broadband initiatives.

Over the last few years, it has become clear that agencies are not just putting in digital communication networks for the sake of moving away from analog, but more to ensure their networks are flexible enough to take on any future enhancements or capabilities. This could not be truer given the current economic situation of many government entities. The purchase of digital communication systems has the ability of saving money over the long run, as opposed to analog systems, which need upgraded equipment every few years. It will be interesting to see how a potential expansion of spectrum will affect the technology being proposed and purchased.

With unemployment across the nation hovering at 9.5 percent, ominous clouds of a double-dip recession loom over the horizon. Most state budgets are shrinking, and one can only imagine the angst through procurement offices and boardrooms across the nation as they struggle to decide which IT initiatives to approve in this economic climate. However, all is not lost. With a newfound mantra of 'consolidation' whispered within the corridors of the powers that be, states are now taking this opportunity to examine IT portfolios, rationalize current enterprise applications and systems, identify areas of shared functions and needs, and attempt to stretch existing IT budgets to encompass a growing plethora of needs and services.

As observed in INPUT's State and Local Information Technology Market 2010-2015 report, authored by Chris Dixon, state and local government initiatives that focus on "streamlining and performance management across the government enterprise are integral to long‐term budget cutting." In the forthcoming years, states will "look for major programmatic consolidations that will drive IT integration projects."

Examples of such consolidation efforts and initiatives include:

New York City and Centralized Accounts Receivables and Payments Marketplace: The city of New York currently deals with numerous types of invoices such as parking, red light and traffic violations, permits, and taxes that are handled by disparate systems. In an attempt to consolidate billing and customer functions, streamline and improve processes, and reduce overall costs, the city has decided to centralize management of all these functions within the Department of Finance. The city is currently seeking feedback from vendors with solutions for best practices, associated costs, and information on installing new and improved billing, payment collection, and cash application programs.

New York State and Consolidated Statewide E-mail Platform: The state of New York is currently in the process of consolidating various e-mail platforms across 40 different agencies onto a single e-mail platform to gain operational efficiencies. By consolidating all state agencies' e-mail operations on a single platform, the state anticipates a gain in operational efficiencies, which will result in an annual savings of $4 million dollars once fully implemented.

Michigan State, Cloud Computing and Consolidated Data Center: The Michigan Department of Technology plans to build a massive 80,000-100,000 square foot data center that provides cloud computing services to state agencies, cities, counties, and schools across the state. Not only will the initiative spur economic development within the state, but it will also reduce duplicate systems operated by cities, counties and state agencies. This could potentially save these organizations a significant amount of taxpayer dollars. Lastly, the plan is to position the infrastructure for private companies to view the data center as a potentially secure alternative to offshore application hosting and storage, all based in the U.S.

The U.S. Department of Education (DOE) awarded nine states and the District of Columbia with $3.4 billion during Round Two of its Race to the Top (RTTT) competition on Tuesday, August 24, 2010. Delaware and Tennessee were the recipients of Round One funding. The Race to the Top Program encourages states to develop ambitious, yet achievable plans for education reform. The ten awardees received the highest scores on their applications and were selected from a pool of 36 applicants.

The Round Two awardees are as follows:

District of Columbia - $75 million (INPUT Opportunity 58681)

Florida - $700 million

Georgia - $400 million

Hawaii - $75 million

Maryland - $250 million (INPUT Opportunity 58485)

Massachusetts - $250 million

New York - $700 million

North Carolina - $400 million

Ohio - $400 million

Rhode Island - $75 million

In order to receive the funding, the awardees must work with the DOE to meet the criteria established in their applications. DOE has requested an additional $1.35 billion in funding for Round 3 of the competition due to only being able to select ten applicants from several competitive applications submitted.

For more information on Race to the Top, please visit the program's website.