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"It's not that easy bringing innovation to the federal government," says the nation's first chief technology officer.

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August 5, 2009
By David Needle: More stories by this author:

Aneesh Chopra
Aneesh Chopra
Photo: David Needle
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. -- Aneesh Chopra, the country's first CTO, laid out an ambitious technology agenda before a gathering of IT industry insiders yesterday, while fielding some pointed questions about the government's technological readiness.

When asked about the Marines' recent ban of Twitter, Chopra, speaking here at the Churchill Club, said it was up to the military to decide how it wants to balance security requirements.

But Chopra, who President Obama picked in April to help drive technological innovation in the nation's government, also said changes are coming that could make the government's use of social networks and other Web technologies more practical.

For instance, "our government cloud computing strategy is not ready yet, but when we do it, it'll be safe and secure," he said.
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Still, he admitted that the government still has a long way to go before getting fully up to speed with current technology, and joked about his own frustration with outdated browsers in the White House that limit access to personal finance and other sites. "I can't hardly access anything," he said.

But while critics regularly take potshots and the government's aging infrastructure, Chopra said there are "some reasonably well-architected solutions in pockets of the government."

He also said he's a big fan of free and open tools that are easy to implement, although he isn't against commercial software per se.

"I have no problem with Oracle or Microsoft," he said. "But it costs 90 cents on the dollar customizing the stack. And when you can't share that customization, you have to repeat it for other departments. We're trying to set a culture of sharing and reusable solutions."
The search for a new cybersecurity czar
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Chopra also fielded questions about the surprise resignation of Melissa Hathaway, who had been acting senior director of cyberspace security.

Hathaway had been considered a top candidate for the position but, according to Reuters, withdrew her application out of frustration over the administration's delays in filling the post.

Chopra said Hathaway was staying on till later this month as the administration continues to search for a permanent replacement to the post, and said his department continues to work "fast and furious" on cybersecurity issues.

He noted that cybersecurity was is a high priority with all the government's technology endeavors, for instance, being "baked in" to the smart grid proposals from the beginning.
Spending on innovation

Several times during the evening, Chopra noted the government's $75 billion information technology outlay could be more effective, though it's a challenge.

"It's not that easy bringing innovation to the federal government," he said. "How do we further the cause of game-changing information technology rather than stifling it?"

Chopra then ticked off a few examples. For one, the government has earmarked $650 million to network schools, a move he said will "transform our educational system."

On privacy issues, Chopra said the administration has a policy framework and he is sensitive to citizens' concerns.

"My bias is that consumer preference shall be the leading driver of policy," he said. "And a focus on you having the decision making authority" of what information the government has access to."

Privacy concerns spill into many areas, including health care where the administration is making a big push to get medical records online and portable, giving consumer's more access to the records and flexibility should they change health care providers.

Chopra said that if the cybersecurity framework and safeguards are handled properly, "it could spur the next wave of growth and innovation" from the private sector.

He also said President Obama wants "fundamental payment reform" in health care.

"If the system rewards sickness, it doesn't help if it's electronic," Chopra said. "The incentives today are not designed for healthiness or wellness activity."

He also brushed aside criticism that doctors don't like the move to electronic health records because they don't like technology.

"There is not a doctor I know who hasn't downloaded a copy of Epocrates," he said, referring to the free mobile drug reference database. "It's accessible and they use it on their Treos and iPhones."
Tackling unemployment

With Silicon Valley being hit particularly hard by job losses and unemployment soaring to double-digit rates, it's no wonder that Chopra also faced a question about growing joblessness.

Chopra said the administration has several tech initiatives under way to help. For one, the administration has budgeted $50 million to support "innovation clusters" that he said could lead to the creation of new kinds of jobs using the latest technology.

"It's a modest amount, but it's one tool we have," he said.

He also mentioned the government is active in procurements, and "to the extent we can buy technology to spur job growth, we will."

Chopra said he's also working hard with the Labor Department to make it easier for every single jobseeker to have access to every available position.

"You think that's something easy, but it isn't," he said. "My hope is that by Labor Day, we'll have this done."