Cloud & Infrastructure

USDA to test mobile SNAP payments with state partners

Five state pilot projects will help USDA determine the requirements and resources that would be necessary for participants to use phones, tablets or smart watches to receive their benefits.

  • By Chris Teale

Digital forms bring low-cost transparency, accessibility to city programs

With CiviForm -- an open source, shared software tool – Bloomington has streamlined the application process for scholarships, utilities assistance and IT equipment donations.

  • By Stephanie Kanowitz

3G retirement blamed for some delayed Michigan election results

The Wayne County Clerk’s Office said the March retirement was partly responsible for delayed reporting in 65 counties across the state.

  • By Chris Teale

Civic engagement takes off with digital survey and respect for community feedback

An easily accessible cloud-based questionnaire and analytics tool helped Corona, California, get more than five times more responses from residents than previous efforts.

  • By Stephanie Kanowitz

Bill aims to reclassify broadband as essential to promote net neutrality

Two Democratic senators unveiled a new bill to codify broadband as an essential service and prevent discriminatory practices.

  • By Alexandra Kelley

Power struggles in Data Center Alley

Higher electricity load forecasts and transmission challenges may create reliability issues for new data center projects in Northern Virginia.

  • By Susan Miller

Why cities and towns see a huge economic opportunity in the semiconductor bill

As the legislation cleared the Senate on Wednesday, local leaders from tiny Taylor, Texas, to metropolitan Phoenix were eying the investment and jobs it could bring to their communities.

  • By Kery Murakami

Digital hub finds new careers, available benefits for jobseekers

The cloud-based Hawaii Career Acceleration Navigator matches a users’ key skills to available jobs and streamlines unemployment claims processing and access to support services.

  • By Stephanie Kanowitz

Why emergency calls sometimes can’t get through

Tragedies like Highland Park, Uvalde and Buffalo keep happening. We must upgrade our 911 systems to prevent robocalls and network hogs from clogging the network.

  • By Jeff Pulver and Noah Rafalko

How rural communities can receive the digital infrastructure support they need

COMMENTARY | Bridging the rural-urban digital divide will depend on fundamental shifts in how we deploy money toward infrastructure in rural areas.

  • By Tamra Reynolds

State election officials struggle with paper shortages, harassment, insider threats

Rather than focusing on threats from Russia or China, members of the National Association of State Elections Directors are now working to prevent insider threats.

  • By Kira Lerner, Virginia Mercury

Virginia to modernize traffic, traveler and road information services

The Department of Transportation is partnering with Iteris for data and video management and distribution.

  • By Susan Miller

FCC chair pushes for gigabit speed broadband

Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel wants to increase the national broadband standard to 100 megabits per second for downloads and 20 Mbps for uploads and proposed setting a separate national goal of 1 Gbps/500 Mbps.

  • By Susan Miller

The late-mover advantage: Faster, more successful tech adoption

State and local agencies are reaping the benefits of their previous caution, skipping the need to work out some of the modernization kinks that their speedier, private-sector counterparts faced.

  • By Stephanie Kanowitz
Featured eBooks

Outdated technologies a risk for modern public safety

Public safety agencies that deal with complex missions and regional partners need up-to-date technology to effectively defend against cyber threats and streamline operations.

  • By Bill Campbell

How state and local leaders can use data to ensure broadband access for all

COMMENTARY | To maximize the $65 billion in federal funds available to expand high-speed internet, governments must first identify the biggest barriers to access in their communities.

  • By Debbie Cox Bultan and Nichole Dunn

Solid collaboration tools essential to remote, hybrid work

User-friendly collaboration tools that work as expected are key to remote worker satisfaction, a new survey finds.

  • By Susan Miller

State gathers data to map internet coverage, performance

To improve broadband mapping accuracy, Vermont state workers will be testing wireless network coverage and performance along state highways. Residents can supplement that data with their own test results.

  • By Susan Miller

Dispatch system streamlines delivery of addiction treatment meds

A no-code workflow management system is helping Paterson, New Jersey, get addition treatment medication to patients within 90 minutes.

  • By Stephanie Kanowitz

Deadlines approach for billions in broadband funding

The federal grant programs will support state and local efforts to expand high-speed internet access and improve digital equity.

  • By Kery Murakami

Revamped UI interface streamlines processes for businesses, unemployed

Connecticut replaced its legacy unemployment insurance system with cloud-based platform that consolidates five unemployment systems, provides a single sign-on for claimants, cuts down on manual processing and provides better data about unemployment.

  • By Susan Miller