Can the USA get a Handle on IS?

Information technologies and the systems that tie those technologies together are seemingly ever-increasing in complexity.  In our individual lives, in our businesses, and in our government there are systems built upon systems and technologies whose shelf-life can be measured by the weeks.  To get a sense of scale consider: The US government spends 76 billion dollars a year on its IT budget and is responsible for 10,679 IT systems.  Those figures are courtesy of Vivek Kundra.  Vivek is the first CIO (Chief Information Officer) of the USA.  It is Vivek’s job to understand, analyze, and plan the Information Systems that connect and organize the Federal Government of the USA.  I think that he has quite a task in front of him.

However is it only the US Government that has its hands full when it comes to tying all the IS together?  Surely not!  While the US Government has a massive IS network it also has large ranks of talented and knowledge IT/IS employees ready to solve problems.  While the small businessperson might have a very small IS capacity he/she also has a very small budget and probably little to no expertise in dealing with IT issues and problems.  And think about the individual consumer who buys a new laptop and then gets a new smartphone, that person now must learn how to use those products effectively on their own time.

There is nothing that gets simpler as technology progresses, things are only becoming increasing complicated and systems are becoming increasing integrated.  A large federal government, the small business, and the individual consumer are all trying to keep up-to-date in a world where “up-to-date” only lasts about 2 weeks!