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Decreed by the Obama Administration as the first Federal CIO in the country, Vivek Kundra is hoping to renew IT in the public sector. His previous efforts in IT netted him recognition from InfoWorld as the 2008 IT Executive of the Year and he was recently named Chief of the Year by Information Week. With other know how as CTO for the District of Columbia, Vivek Kundra has the know how to conform to the Information Technology challenges that he now has before him.

Vivek Kundra is on a charge to save the Federal government money when it comes to Information Technology. With that in mind, he is operating, under a directive from the President, to institute a Web 2.0 government. He believes the government owes it to its citizens to be more accessible and to make government easily accessible online. Therefore, he has the ample responsibility of organizing the Information Technology operations across a broad spectrum of Federal government offices.

In addition, his ideal is that all data that is not private, or restricted for national security reasons, be made available to the public, which is why he launched Data.gov within a few months of taking office. He and President Obama trust that this sends a message that the government is an open book looking to inform and serve its citizens. Vivek Kundra also wants to lessen the Federal government dependence on enormous IT contracts.

Pricey technology contracts that do not create significant ROI are an area where Vivek Kundra also believes the Federal government can save money. To that end, he recently launched the Federal IT Dashboard. He is also working to ensure the government is serious and tough on contractors that do not deliver. His ultimate goal is to have consultants and contractors that are adding value to the Federal government so the government can serve the nation better. Born in Delhi, India, and raised in Tanzania, Vivek Kundra has a diversified educational and work background. He is utilizing his knowledge and experience in IT to achieve these aforementioned goals.

Vivek Kundra has an IT view for America that calls for streamlining government operations by way of new technologies. His prior expertise at the District and State levels prepared him well for his role as the nation’s first CIO. Knowing he must supervise the government’s Information Technology budget effectively, he is concentrating his creative energies on a technology strategy that embraces innovation, transparency, and accountability.