In a press release today, President Obama named Vivek Kundra Federal Chief Information Officer (CIO) at the White House, where he will work closely with the Chief Technical Officer to "advance the President's technology agenda". Vivek Kundra will be responsible for managing (mainly internal) government IT operations, and managing IT costs in particular. He will also be responsible for the security and privacy of internal information that is shared across the government, as well as contributing advice for IT decisions.
President Obama said today, "Vivek Kundra will bring a depth of experience in the technology arena and a commitment to lowering the cost of government operations to this position. As Chief Information Officer, he will play a key role in making sure our government is running in the most secure, open, and efficient way possible."
Vivek Kundra had experience as Chief Technology Officer in Mayor Fenty's cabinet for the District of Columbia, as well as being named 2008 IT Executive of the Year for his "pioneering work to drive transparency, engage citizens and lower the cost of government operations."
In an effort to increase government transparency, Vivek will be creating a public data feed, named data.gov, according to an article by NetworkWorld. The article also stated that the budget he will be managing will be $71 billion.
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