[Scan-DC] Press release of PA's statewide radio system

[Kevin P. Inscoe]

New statewide radio system coming online in 2002 will dramatically
improve Commonwealth's emergency response capability

          Funding proposed for 'Imagine PA' will support streamlined
              government business operations beginning this year

    HARRISBURG, Pa., Feb. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Pledging that Pennsylvania
will
remain a leader in technology, Gov. Mark Schweiker today proposed as
part of
his 2002-03 budget broad new investments in technology geared to enhance
Homeland Security and improve state government operations.
    Gov. Schweiker's budget proposal includes an additional $11.2
million to
deploy and transition state agencies to an advanced, statewide
public-safety
radio network linking mobile state employees and improving readiness and
coordination for emergency responders.
    Gov. Schweiker also proposed continued funding of $72 million to
begin
the
rollout of his far-reaching "Imagine PA" initiative.
    "Perhaps more than any other single factor, technology will help
keep
Pennsylvania competitive well into the 21st century," Gov. Schweiker
said.
    "Imagine PA will put all of us in state government on the same page,
slashing red tape that slows us down, and making us more responsive to
customers.  And our Statewide Radio Network makes our emergency
preparedness
the best it can be.  It instantly links state agencies like PEMA and the
State
Police with mobile response crews.
    "Technology represents a profound investment in Pennsylvania's
future --
let's keep it going."
    The completion of the new Public Safety Radio Network will provide
statewide coverage and advanced wireless voice and data communications
unrivaled by any other state.  Planning for the radio project began in
1996,
and construction soon after, with 125 of the total 250 radio towers
already
completed.  The system is using existing state tower locations wherever
possible.
    Once online, the new radio system will replace multiple existing
radio
systems used by state agencies, many of which are more than 25-years-old
and
difficult to maintain.  The system will become operational a region at a
time,
beginning in Southeast Pennsylvania.
    "Our new public-safety radio network will be the most advanced
statewide
radio system of its kind in the nation," Gov. Schweiker said.  "While we
began
work on this project well before the Sept. 11 attacks, those tragic
events
re-
emphasized the necessity for reliable wireless communications to aid
rapid
response by state agencies.
    The new radio system will provide state agencies with a single
network
for
handling wireless communications for all their mobile workers --
something
not
available now.  It will provide digital voice and data communications
across
the Commonwealth, which is not available in any other state.  Plus, it
will
use advanced 800 MHz radio equipment developed by M/A-COM offering
special
features and improved reliability over existing VHF radio equipment.
    "For instance, an extremely useful feature of the state's new radio
system
is its ability to communicate with existing radio equipment being used
by
local governments," Gov. Schweiker said.  "So, older equipment is not
rendered
obsolete and wireless communications are maintained between state and
local
agencies.  This is a tremendous advantage to local governments, since
they
will not have to purchase new radios to continue to communicate with
other
state and local authorities."
    Wherever excess radio capacity exists, local governments are being
invited
to piggyback on the new radio system.  This will minimize their initial
costs
while bolstering the emergency readiness of state and local response
teams.
The new technology also supports Global Positioning System (GPS)
tracking.
This could be used by PennDOT or State Police, for instance, to track
the
location of snowplows or police cruisers.  Also, the new M/A-COM radios
are
software-based, not hardware dependent.  This means that new features
can be
added by making changes to the system software, avoiding expensive
alterations
to the actual hardware in the radios, saving time and money.
    Gov. Schweiker's proposed budget also includes $72 million for
Imagine
PA,
which will deploy new software for better management of the state's
accounting, budgeting, payroll, human resources and procurement
functions.
Imagine PA will establish Pennsylvania as a leader among states in the
use
of
enterprise resource planning (ERP) software, which many corporations now
use
to improve their customer service and global competitiveness.  No other
state
has implemented ERP software on such a far-reaching scale as is being
undertaken by Pennsylvania with the Imagine PA initiative.
    "Many companies have recognized the value of this specialized
software
for
improving their business practices and, in turn, making them more
competitive," Gov. Schweiker said.  "We are doing the same by using the
Imagine PA project to make Pennsylvania a model state government for the
21st
century."
    Imagine PA will dramatically streamline state government's business
operations.  For instance, state business managers currently receive
budget
status reports on a monthly basis.  Through Imagine PA, officials will
be
able
to view their true budget status daily, and they will be offered various
tools
for analyzing their budget performance.  This will help state agencies
to
better manage their annual funding.
    The new software will support streamlined business practices,
cutting
bureaucratic red tape and providing Commonwealth officials with
real-time
access to vital business data.  For instance, the new software will let
employees purchase routine office supplies without going through a
lengthy
approval process.  Authorization and oversight will be built into the
system
to provide accountability while workers are empowered to more easily
request
the supplies they need.  Employees also will be able to file travel
reimbursements online and make changes to their personnel accounts for
changes
to personal addresses, beneficiaries and more, speeding processing and
reducing paperwork.
    The first Imagine PA improvements are on schedule for implementation
in
July 2002, and changes in all five business areas will be completed by
January
2004.
    In his 2002-03 budget, Gov. Schweiker also proposed $5.7 million for
education technology initiatives.  Among other programs, this investment
includes funds to enable Pennsylvania's three Digital School Districts
to
continue to serve as high-tech education centers and models for schools
nationwide.
    The Administration's Digital School District initiative is
transforming
three Pennsylvania school districts into 21st century education centers
that
incorporate technology into every aspect of learning, dramatically
improving
the way children learn.  Selected last year, the three Digital School
Districts are: Carlisle Area, Cumberland County; Quaker Valley,
Allegheny
County; and Spring Cove, Blair County.
    The Administration has made technology a key component of
Pennsylvania's
economic-development efforts by such measures as: launching the nation's
first-ever Tax-Free PC shopping week to encourage home computer use;
signing
legislation to make Pennsylvania the first state to enact a uniform
Electronic
Transactions Act; eliminating the 6 percent sales tax on computer
services;
creating the research-and-development tax credit; putting the state's
Web
address on Pennsylvania's new license plates; leading technology trade
missions abroad to increase high-tech exports and high-tech jobs for
Pennsylvania; launching the Technology 21 initiative to catapult
Pennsylvania
into the top 10 states for high-tech business; creating the "Made-in-PA"
database of Pennsylvania-made products; and expanding the Net Operating
Loss
carry-forward provision to give technology startups a tax deduction.

     CONTACTS: Dave Hixson
               Deputy Press Secretary
               (717) 783-1116

               Scott Elliott
               Administration
               (717) 772-4237

               Gretchen Toner
               Education
               (717) 783-8230


~kevin
-- 
Kevin P. Inscoe  KE3VIN  Unix System Engineer & Specialist
Frederick, MD 21703   Itinerary at http://inscoe.org/where
kevin [at] inscoe [dot] org   CSX-OML    39.4079N 77.4611W  
http://inscoe.org/kevin     BAC MP 56.4  FAX: 507-262-1277
"We are the dreamers, and we are the music makers." Wonka