Technology, Office for

The Governor's Task Force on Information Resource Management was established in 1996. In 1997, it became the Office of Technology (OFT) (Chapter 430, Laws of 1997). An Advisory Council for Technology, comprised of at least eleven state agency information resource directors, reviews and comments upon all rules and regulations drafted by OFT and guides and supports the office as it develops statewide plans. OFT played a key role in the State's Year 2000 (Y2K) software remediation efforts and in developing the NYeNet, an Intranet operated by a private firm under the oversight of the State Office for General Services. It also led efforts to: develop a statewide wireless computing network; consolidate state agency data centers; build a single system supporting delivery of welfare, unemployment, and other benefits; and ensure the State's compliance with the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). In addition, the office spearheaded the Governor's Government Without Walls electronic commerce/electronic government initiative, which was launched in June 2000 with the intent of allowing citizens and businesses to conduct business and find information without needing to know which State agency was responsible for handling a given type of transaction. In January 2002, Gov. George Pataki issued Executive Order No. 117, which created the Office of Chief Information Officer to oversee the Office for Technology. In 2002-2003, staff of the State Office of General Service's Division of Telecommunications were transferred to OFT, which assumed responsibility for maintaining the State's telecommunications system.