Georgia Annual State IT Report FY 2023
From the State Chief Information Officer
IT capabilities aren't something a state builds in a flash and then just steps back to admire. It takes time to establish reliable, resilient, secure systems. It takes discipline and constant renewal to keep them that way. It takes planning and precise execution to modernize aging infrastructure. The technology community's work, like the state's work to serve Georgians, is never done.
Georgia has built impressive IT capabilities. Across state government, we're harnessing technology in so many ways. We're nourishing what we've put in place, and we're innovating to develop new capabilities. FY 2023 illustrates all those things. State agencies and entities worked this past year to capitalize on technology to help deliver a wide range of services, and GTA was proud to collaborate with them.
Cybersecurity is woven into all those efforts. Pervasive cyber threats grow ever more sophisticated and potentially damaging. GTA works to ensure agencies have what they need to address concerns like endpoint protection, security monitoring, specialized training for security professionals, and security awareness training for agency staff. Access via GTA to shared resources helps ensure to entity has to go it alone.
FY 2023 saw meaningful progress with a GTA-led cloud-first campaign, prioritized by Governor Kemp. More than 100 state servers migrated from on-premises server services to Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud. Cloud training through GTA for agency IT staff, critical to a successful shift to cloud, was expanded. GTA partnered with the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) to introduce a program of courses in cloud operations and developer skills for agency IT employees, and more cloud platforms, e.g., Microsoft, Oracle, are being made available to agencies.
The past year was also marked by real traction for broadband service expansion and digital connectivity outreach in Georgia. Readiness to use broadband and access to it go hand in hand toward closing the digital divide. Benefits can be life changing as unserved and underserved communities gain high-speed internet access.
With an eye on the present and a look at the future, state government is weighing artificial intelligence (AI). AI is already part of the landscape and expected to stretch out in all directions. GTA has added a Chief AI Officer to its team and published a state policy for acceptable use of generative AI. Near the end of 2023, GTA hosted an AI summit where agencies came together to begin to map an informed approach to AI for Georgia government.
Technology is powering state services today and holds promise for enabling more tomorrow. I hope you'll read about it in this Georgia Annual IT Report, FY 2023.
Shawnzia Thomas