Steve Towns

Recent Articles

• The Age of the Tech-Savvy Legislator
• Mar 29, 2013
• An influx of young lawmakers could lead to better technology investments.

• Online Registration Helped Increase California’s Youth Vote
• Feb 28, 2013
• If there was any doubt about citizen desire to register online, California’s one-month experience with it running up to the November general election erased it.

• Government Technology Ideas Worth Importing
• Jan 31, 2013
• These best e-government practices aren't from this side of the pond.
• 1 Comments

• How Acting Like a Tech Entrepreneur Can Improve Government Services
• Dec 28, 2012
• Letting the public test unfinished products saves agencies money and time.

• Innovation In-Demand as Economy Makes a Comeback
• Nov 30, 2012
• After years of belt-tightening, CIOs are being petitioned to innovate.

• Smarter Traffic Signals Could Make Commuting Easier
• Oct 31, 2012
• Washington, D.C., one of the most congested cities in the country, is testing technology that could ease traffic gridlock.
• 2 Comments

• What Makes the Best Government Website?
• Sep 28, 2012
• The ‘Best of the Web’ winners showcase must-have features for effective public-sector sites.

• Cyber Security Act’s Failure Leaves Infrastructure Vulnerable
• Aug 31, 2012
• Some worry terrorists could shut down the economy with the click of a mouse.
• 2 Comments

• IT Lessons from Roseville’s “Footloose” Moment
• Jul 31, 2012
• A rapidly spreading rumor about the California city last year offers a cautionary tale for public officials who think social media has little to do with the business of governing.

• Lessons from Utah's Massive Data Breach
• Jun 5, 2012
• Utah's former CIO Steve Fletcher says cybersecurity is everyone's job.

• Michigan Shows What Can Be Achieved if CIOs and Budget Directors Get Along
• May 31, 2012
• In too many instances, they aren’t on the same page -- or even speaking the same language.

• Cities Share Data, Software Applications
• Apr 30, 2012
• An informal group of seven city CIOs is launching its first project: a website that will house standardized data from each city.
• 1 Comments

• Colorado Government Takes a Play from ‘Moneyball’
• Mar 30, 2012
• The hit movie details how the Oakland Athletics baseball team analyzed patterns and huge sets of data to improve their record. Colorado is doing the same to improve public policy.
• 4 Comments

• Technology Is Not a Cure-All Solution to Education’s Problems
• Feb 29, 2012
• Giving every student a laptop won’t close the achievement gap. Careful policymaking to make sure the tools are used to improve learning might.

• Cities Give Google Cloud-Based Email Mixed Reviews
• Jan 31, 2012
• Some cities have switched to the cloud with ease, but Los Angeles, for example, had to abandon it for law enforcement because of outdated security policies.