Surveys and Awards

Eighteen of New York's top technology innovators from state and local governments were recently selected by the Center for Digital Government, a division of e.Republic, to be the recipients of its esteemed Best of New York awards. The annual awards recognize superior contributions and distinction in the information technology arena.

This year's winners were chosen from dozens of entries submitted for the 2008 Best of New York awards program. Final selections were made based on criteria that included collaboration among organizations, innovative uses of technology and projects that best advance services provided to the public.

"This year's Best of New York portfolio reflects another harvest of technological innovation that makes cyberspace more secure, communities safer and more connected, and commutes shorter," said Paul Taylor, chief strategy officer for the Center. "The public sector IT community solved some hard problems, helped green government operations and made a difference in the residents' experience with their government."

"New York can be proud of the innovation, creativity and collaboration evident in this year's award winners and nominees from both state and local government. This is an area of public service that gets far too little recognition, so it is particularly gratifying to see the spotlight shinning on these information technology professionals who make government work, and make it work better," said Dr. Melodie Mayberry-Stewart, chief information officer and director of the Office for Technology for the state of New York.

The following Best of New York recipients will be honored by the Center at a formal awards ceremony on March 19:

IT Championship Award

Martin F. Horn, commissioner, NYC Department of Probation & Correction

IT Governance Award

NYS Integrated Justice Advisory Board

Excellence in Technology Promoting Economic Development

Board of Directors, Finger Lakes Regional Telecommunications Development Corporation

Ontario County, New York

Excellence in Project Management

Brenda Breslin, director, NYS Enterprise Program Management Office, NYS CIO/OFT

Excellence in Rapid Project Delivery

Nancy J. Campbell, assistant director, IT Services, NYS Division of Criminal Justice Services

Excellence in IT Operations, Support and Service

NYSeMail Team, NYS CIO/OFT

Project Best Advancing Department/Agency Business Objectives

CIRIS - Critical Infrastructure Response Information System, NYS Office of Cyber Security & Critical Infrastructure Coordination

Project Best Advancing Service to the Public

Metropolitan Transportation Authority NYC Transit Trip Planner, New York City Transit

Traffic Ticket ePlead, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles

Project Demonstrating Best IT Collaboration among Organizations

NYCAPS - The New York City Automated Personnel System, NYC Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications, Department of Citywide Administrative Services, Financial Information Services Agency, Office of Payroll Administration, Office of Labor Relations, Comptroller and Department of Education.

NYSVoter Statewide Voter Database, NYS Board of Elections

Project Demonstrating Most Innovative Use of Technology

The VE-IT Virtual Economy and Backbone, CUNY's Kingsborough Community College Institute for Virtual Enterprise

TC3's Mobile Initiative, Tompkins Cortland Community College

Green IT Award

IT Greening Efforts, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles

Server Virtualization Project, NYC Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications

Green Map Project, Westchester County, New York

Special Award for Excellence in Public Safety

NY-ALERT, NYS Emergency Management Office

Notify NYC, NYC Office of Emergency Management, Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications, and the Mayor's Community Affairs Unit