The State of Utah has earned an “A” grade from Government Technology Magazine in their biannual Digital States Survey. The survey measures the effort states put towards building their “collective technology portfolio,” by aligning incentives and investments with technology.
Utah is one of only five states that received a solid “A” grade. Utah, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, and Virginia earned the top marks for their attention to cybersecurity, IT staffing, use of cloud computing, and data management. While only eight states earned the lowest grade of “C,” the 2016 Digital States Survey shows that all states are trending upward with regards to both usage and investment in technology.
Utah’s innovations in transportation were considered to be the best of the best according to Government Technology judges. Judges referenced the Utah Department of Transportation’s (UDOT’s) use of GPS trackers on UDOT fleet vehicles and automated traffic signal performance metrics as particularly innovative programs. Thanks to UDOT, Utahns can get real-time information about snowplows and traffic problems to better plan trips.
UDOT’s intelligent transportation systems are estimated to save the state $100 million annually, and other states have taken notice. The program developed by UDOT to improve the timing of traffic signals was created within the state, and has been shared with other state governments to help departments of transportation find better efficiencies. UDOT’s smart transportation system is enabled by the agency’s advanced broadband fiber network, which continues to be a game changer for broadband providers and consumers in Utah.
According to Government Technology, “[Utah’s] prolific success across not just transportation, but nearly all its state departments, was realized through years of commitment to technology; technology is no longer icing on the cake in Utah, but flour to which all other ingredients must cling.”
To read the full article and Utah’s state analysis click here.
To read the Utah Department of Technology Services article click here.