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FEATURE

U.S. Governors and Cisco CEO John Chambers Meet to Discuss How The Internet Can Increase Productivity In State Governments

By John Earnhardt, Cisco Government Affairs

July 29, 2002

Recently, Cisco President and CEO John Chambers gave the keynote address to U.S. governors at the annual National Governor's Association's (NGA) conference in Boise, Idaho. Chambers spoke to the NGA about broadband deployment, technology in education, and how the Internet can increase productivity in state government. In his presentation, entitled "Back to Basics," he discussed the parallel between Internet Business Solutions and productivity and improvements to standards of living.

Most states are currently dealing with state budget deficits and facing the possibility of cutting essential government services, but Chambers' remarks about productivity gains from Internet based applications re-awakened many Governors to the role that the Internet could play in their state.

The main points included in Chambers' presentation included:

  • E-Applications Equal Productivity
    Chambers' noted that productivity improvements realized through the Internet drive improvements in the standard of living worldwide. Chambers discussed how the states were not only competing against each other -- but how as a nation the United States is competing in the global economy. He also discussed Cisco's utilization of corporate communications, customer care, and e-learning.

  • Internet and Education are the Great Equalizers
    Chambers' conveyed that, while the U.S. higher education system is excellent, the K-12 education system continues to need improvement. He also discussed how the Cisco's Networking Academy program could serve as a proof point regarding how e-learning can help with the efficacy of education. Responding to a question from the new Vice Chairman of the NGA, Governor Dirk Kempthorne (R-ID), Chambers noted the formula for economic growth is fairly straightforward: "The jobs will go where the best educated work force is, where the right infrastructure is, with the right supportive government."

  • Broadband for All
    Chambers emphasized how the U.S. needed a national broadband strategy, one that would make broadband accessible to all Americans by 2010.
  • Networked Virtual Organization
    Chambers also discussed a new business model that all industries could follow to ensure focus on the right activities and implement the most productive and impactful applications, all via the Internet.

    • During the conference, the Governors were able to build momentum from Chambers' remarks on the importance of broadband and productivity. Some successes from the conference on this front included:

  • The NGA's Committee on Economic Development and Commerce plans to endorse the concept of a Federal National Broadband strategy at their fall planning session.

  • Broadband strategy, e-government and productivity will be highlighted in NGA's transition conference for new Governors, CIOs and other cabinet level officials this winter. This is an especially valuable opportunity given the high number of new Governors coming in next term (at least 18 new governors will be elected in November).

  • Technology was a common theme throughout the annual meeting. In fact, Governor Kempthorne's "take away" from the conference was "a thought reiterated from the first speaker, Cisco Systems Inc. President John Chambers, to the last, Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. The idea is that information technology - and the millions of dollars needed to keep it up to date - is a vital component of health care, education and other state services. In education especially, Idaho has treated technology expenditures as a separate option, not as an integral budget line." Kempthorne also said, "he'd remember this when he's drawing up budgets in the future." (* From the Idaho Statesman)

    • Governors attending the conference represented the following states: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virgin Islands, Virginia, Washington and West Virginia.