Thanks to a new piece of legislation being signed into law, the Illinois Department of Professional Regulation (IDFPR) will be able to use a competitive, expedited process to identify and implement a new professional licensing system.

The Kendall County, Ill., Sherriff’s Office is piloting a new tool that will help inform motorists of emergency situations while they’re on the road.

Cook County, Illinois, has announced a major update to its 2010-2020 Census Demographics App. The newly updated interactive map makes it easier to identify a variety of demographic changes that took place in Cook County on a census-tract level between 2015 and 2020.

During its 2021 Midyear Conference underway this week, the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) took a break from more serious sessions to give attendees a chance to get to know state IT leadership.

The State of Illinois has launched the Connect Illinois Computer Equity Network, which is intended to expand digital access for low-income households throughout the state.

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced schools to shift towards remote and hybrid learning, which has shined a bright light on the digital divide in education.

When the Land of Lincoln needed a new CIO this fall, Illinois-native Kirk Lonbom couldn’t have been a more obvious choice. With two years as CISO and more than 15 years of experience with the state government, Lonbom had the right credentials for the job. So, it was no surprise when Gov. Bruce Rauner tapped Lonbom to head the Illinois Department of Innovation & Technology as state CIO.

Every year the National Association of State CIOs (NASCIO) releases its State CIO Top 10 Priorities. While the recently released 2018 list has a few predictable entries, it comes with a few surprises, too. 

The National Association of State CIOs recognized excellence in state technology at all levels at the recently wrapped NASCIO 2017 annual conference. Four awards were announced: the State Technology Innovator Awards, the 2017 NASCIO State IT Recognition Awards, the Thomas M. Jarrett Cybersecurity Scholarship, and the Corporate Longevity Awards.

Hardik Bhatt is stepping down from his role as Illinois’ CIO to move to the private sector–joining Amazon in a public sector-facing role. To fill Bhatt’s shoes, current state CISO Kirk Lonbom is stepping up as interim CIO. Lonbom has worked in Illinois state government for more than a decade, and became state CISO in 2015.