Montgomery County, MD Named a PTI Innovation Lab

April 23, 2009—Public Technology Institute (PTI) has named Montgomery County, Maryland an Innovation Lab for the county’s implementation of configuration management practices in a geographic information systems (GIS) environment.

PTI’s Innovation Lab program - a “mark of excellence” - recognizes a local government for the successful deployment of a technology solution or practice.

Configuration management (CM) is a field originating in the software engineering industry. It provides the necessary processes and tools to control change and manage data impacted by change, thus reducing the risk of errors and bad data.

By applying configuration management concepts in a GIS operating environment, Montgomery County’s Department of Technology Services worked through the challenges of implementing formalized processes taken from a “technically-based” information technology (IT) industry and folding them into the fast growing “data-based” GIS industry, where CM practices are currently in the preliminary stages of implementation and where there is a great need for formalized procedures to assure data integrity and quality control.

“Montgomery County has taken a proven strategy that works in the private sector and adapted it to meet the needs of county agencies and ultimately, the public,” said Alan Shark, Executive Director of PTI. “The County’s efforts serve as a model that other local governments can benefit from.”

Montgomery County’s implementation of configuration management in GIS is particularly important as the county continues to experience phenomenal growth in the use of GIS data and systems by county agencies. Because these users include law enforcement and fire and rescue services, maintaining the quality and integrity of the county’s GIS data is vital to ensuring public safety.

Adds E. Steven Emanuel, Montgomery County Chief Information Officer, “Montgomery County GIS services has taken the traditional software configuration management process and applied it successfully to GIS services and data support, to ensure information is current, accurate and version controlled. The configuration management process allows the county’s essential users to depend on the accuracy of map information that is delivered, and be assured that all planned enhancements and changes are included in each release. This is another example of how the county’s information practices demonstrate the business - IT partnership that promotes investment in technology to enhance services and support our residents.”

PTI members: Find the Montgomery County Innovation Lab Application at this link.

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