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Biotechnology
Agricultural biotechnology is a collection of scientific techniques, including
genetic engineering, that are used to create, improve, or modify plants, animals,
and microorganisms. Using conventional techniques, such as selective breeding,
scientists have been working to improve plants and animals for human benefit
for hundreds of years. Modern techniques now enable scientists to move genes
(and therefore desirable traits) in ways they could not before - and with greater
ease and precision.
USDA - Agricultural
Biotechnology
Biotechnology
Video (#k,2:37) This video provides a brief synopsis of Biotechnology and
Illinois' vital position in the field. Prepared by Illinois in efforts to acquire
the Bio2005 conference, this video highlights Illinois' significant resources
and development in Biotechnology. REQUIRES
REAL PLAYER
Business Services Center
The Business Service Center
provides the information people need to run a business in Illinois. Whether
they want to start a business or are looking to expand, they will find step-by-step
information to assist them. From the Business Service Center they can choose
links to information on: Just Starting; Relocate; Existing Business; Professions;
Business to Government; Legislation; Resource Search; and Job Opportunities.
Enhancements are being made to the current portal constantly but parallel initiatives
underway will all be brought together through the Center and provide a new level
of service. There are a number of underlying components essential to this comprehensive
center that have been put in place such as the Public Key Infrastructure, Illinois
Technology Enterprise Planning System, content management system and GIS.
Common Look and Feel Templates for State of Illinois government web
pages
The Illinois Technology Office has prepared templates
to not only help Illinois in achieving the goal of a common look, feel and navigation,
but also address accessibility issues. These templates will provide an easy,
efficient and cost effective way to address accessibility without requiring
the high cost of consultants. The templates can be customized to provide each
agency its own identity and content yet ensures visitors that the website is
part of the State of Illinois. The templates will reduce or eliminate the need
for costly external consultants to design pages and make on-going maintenance
easier. These changes will not only make the sites and services easier to navigate
but will dramatically improve the ease of maintenance.
Digital Divide
Digital Divide is an important issue in Illinois and the Illinois Technology
Office is working in several capacities to address divide through the geographic,
financial, generational, and accessibility issues that are facing citizens.
- Illinois Community Technology Fund -
Fund established to provide access to advanced telecommunications technologies
to low income areas and other underserved populations in urban and rural Illinois.
- Illinois Century Network - A telecommunications
backbone providing high speed access to data, video, and audio communication
in schools and libraries, at colleges and universities, to public libraries
and museums, and for local government and state agencies.
- Eliminate
the Digital Divide Program - Public Act 92-0022 establishes educational
and economic development initiatives that will bridge the digital divide,
making possible a society in which all individuals can benefit from the opportunities
provided by new technologies.
- SBC
Foundation Excelerator Grants
Grant opportunities to strengthen digital connections with America's underserved.
Educational Technology
Illinois delivers a wealth of high tech educational resources and services.
The list below provides information on many of those resources and services.
Electronic Records Management -
Technical Considerations When Storing Public
Records in Digital Format
On July 6, 2000, the Governor of Illinois signed an amended Local Records Act
(50 ILCS 205). This bill allows local governments to reproduce public records
in either microfilm or digitized electronic formats. The new law stipulates that if the local government keeps a public record in an electronic format,
the method must be a trustworthy manner so that the records, and the information contained in the records, are accessible and usable for subsequent
reference at all times while the information must be retained as provided in the Illinois Local Records Act.
This practice is only
allowable if the electronic records are reproduced on a durable medium that
accurately and legibly reproduces the original record in all details, and does
not permit additions, deletions, or changes to the original document images.
Each agency is also under the obligation to file a Records Disposal Certificate
with the appropriate Local Records Commission before any original record may
be disposed of and before the reproduced digital record is disposed.
Local government agencies may complete a Local Records Disposal Certificate and obtain
more information on the Local Records Act by connecting directly to the Local Records Unit web page.
Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
GIS can link together data that is related by a geographic location, such as
a county boundary, street address or zip code. Since the data are related by
location, it can be combined to solve a problem in an easy to understand map
format. The GIS Assessment (GISA) component of the Illinois Technology Enterprise
Planning System (ITEPS) is a geographically based information resource management
tool. Using the information provided, the Illinois Technology Office and its
partners will facilitate the delivery of a wide range of geographically based
data in both a secure public safety site and a public site for citizens.
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
For agencies reporting to the Governor, the Illinois Technology Office has the
lead role for project oversight of the State’s HIPAA Project. As with
other components of planning and project oversight, the HIPAA project is being
conducted on-line through the Illinois Technology Enterprise Planning System
(ITEPS) system. The HIPAA assessment application assists agencies in making
a determination as to whether they have a HIPAA impact, and in defining the
type of covered entity (health plan, clearinghouse, health care provider), business
associate, or trading partner the agency may be defined as under HIPAA regulations.
I-WIN/ALERTS
The State of Illinois has two state-supported mobile data systems: ALERTS and
IWIN. ALERTS is in place in northeastern Illinois and provides mobile data to
close to 8000 public safety and emergency services officers.
IWIN is a comprehensive public safety network which enables state and local
police to remotely access vital information such as LEADS, NCIC, detailed maps,
vehicle licenses plates, drivers licenses, warrants, firearms owners identification,
and criminal history. The system also supports transmission of photo images.
Through the Premier MDC messaging module officers can send messages to any user
or group of users on IWIN. For example, using a simple drop-down address book,
a message could be sent to all officers in an ISP district or to another agency
on IWIN, such as Peoria Police Department. The messaging module also allows
transmission of documents and images, so officers could share a photo of a missing
child with all IWIN officers in a certain area of the state.
I-WIRE
The Illinois Wired/Wireless
Infrastructure for Research and Education (I-WIRE) is an optical "dark
fiber" network linking major research institutions and universities in
Illinois. These institutions and universities include: Argonne National Laboratory,
the University of Illinois (Chicago and Urbana campuses, including the National
Center for Supercomputing Applications - NCSA and the Electronic Visualization
Laboratory - EVL), the University of Chicago, Illinois Institute of Technology,
and Northwestern University.
This advanced optical network will accelerate research in collaborative and
virtual environments, in which people work, study, and create together as if
they are in the same physical location. It will accelerate the development of
new models for partnership between national laboratories, the communications
industry, and academic institutions. I-WIRE will enable evaluation of advanced
optical network architectures and technologies, providing a testing facility
for next-generation ideas and applications. I-Wire will leverage major Federal
and commercial investments in information technology infrastructure and research
at the I-WIRE sites.
IT Security
The Illinois Technology Office is leading an enterprise wide security function.
Representatives from all state agencies are involved in the Illinois Security
Council. This effort is coordinated with other cross agency working groups such
as the Illinois Integrated Task Force, Office
of Homeland Security, and the Illinois Terrorism Task Force.
Illinois Century Network
The Illinois Century Network (ICN) represents
the largest and most diverse educational telecommunications network in the nation.
Signed into law in June 1999, the ICN is a collaborative effort between the
Illinois Board of Higher Education, the Illinois State Board of Education, and
the Illinois Community College Board. The ICN is a telecommunications backbone
to provide high-speed access to data, video, and audio communications in schools
and libraries, at colleges and universities, to public libraries and museums,
and for municipal government, as well as for state agencies and other entities
providing a public service.
The ITO works with multiple stakeholder organizations to oversee statewide
technology planning and set policy direction. In terms of the statewide backbone,
the Illinois Century Network (ICN) Act, created by Public Act 91-0021 and passed
in May 1999, creates the ICN Policy Committee which sets overall policies for
the network. The Chief Technology Officer has been elected chair of this Committee.
Illinois Technology Enterprise Planning System (ITEPS)
ITEPS is an innovative enterprise-wide, web-based, technology planning system
that consists of six planning components: Strategic Planning (annual) and New
Initiatives (annual); EDP Exception Requests (daily); HIPAA Assessment (one-time);
HIPAA Status Reports (quarterly); GIS Assessment (ongoing); Business Services
Assessment (ongoing).
The ITEPS application suite has successfully moved the State from a paper submission
process to an on-line process that can be updated as changes occur, and has
significantly expanded the concept of IT planning. All agency IT plans, requests,
survey responses, and other relevant documentation is available to the Illinois
Technology Office through a single, easy-to-use, web interface.
Information from the ITEPS system provides the metrics for measuring progress
on a variety of projects as well as strategic planning and new technology initiatives.
At the same time, the system has saved Illinois money and provided a simple
process for enterprise-wide IT review and management.
Illinois Terrorism Task Force
The Illinois
Terrorism Task Force was created by Executive Order in May 2000. The Task
Force brings together representatives from state safety agencies and organizations.
The Illinois Technology Office serves on the Task Force to assist with IT issues
such as the homepage and GIS.
Illinois Virtual Campus
The State of Illinois has coordinated technology to meet academic needs of post
secondary students through the Illinois
Virtual Campus (IVC); an online clearinghouse of distance education opportunities
offered by colleges and universities across the state. The IVC offers distance
learners an array of online resources to help them succeed, as well as hands-on
services at community college-based support centers. IVC offerings range from
individual credit and noncredit courses, professional certificate programs,
and complete baccalaureate and graduate degree programs.
Illinois Virtual High School
The Illinois Virtual High School (IVHS) is
an Internet educational service administered by the Illinois State Board of
Education (ISBE) in collaboration with the Illinois Board of Higher Education,
the Illinois Community College Board, and the Governor’s Illinois Technology
Office (ITO). Through the IVHS and the assistance of its key partners, the Illinois
Mathematics and Science Academy and the Central Illinois Distance Education
Network at Lake Land College, Illinois public school districts, nonpublic schools,
and parents of home-schooled learners are able to provide students with access
to a wider range of course offerings and the opportunity to develop their capacities
as independent learners.
Online Permitting
The State of Illinois offers online sales and renewals of a number of licenses
and permits. From license plates and safe drivers’ licenses to snowmobile
and watercraft licenses, all can be renewed online via the Internet. Furthermore,
fishing and hunting licenses and permits can be applied for, paid for, and received
back at the constituent's computer monitor. Applicants can apply online for
permits issued in a state lottery process and receive help in completing the
application via program edits.
Online Professional Licensing
In the State of Illinois, the Department
of Professional Regulations (IDPR) has offered license renewal, lookup capabilities
and extensive search functions for over 160 different types of professional
licenses since 1999. A Government-to-Business (G2B) Web Application, entitled
“E-Batch License Renewal,” introduced in March 2000, enables professionals
to renew their licenses through their places of employment. The program represents
a strategic alliance between the business community in Illinois and state government,
demonstrating how the public and private sectors can work together for their
mutual benefit.
Online Tax Filing
Citizens may complete and transmit their Illinois income tax return from a personal
computer by connecting directly to the Illinois
Department of Revenue's (IDOR’s) web site on the Internet. The taxpayer
is guided through the filing procedure via an interview process. The process
prompts the taxpayer for specific information, which is later used to generate
the IL-1040 return, which is electronically filed free of charge. Online filing
is also available for business taxpayers to file their Illinois sales and use
tax returns.
Public Key Infrastructure (PKI)/Digital IDs
Illinois Digital ID/Public Key
Infrastructure provides an enterprise-wide infrastructure to facilitate
electronic government services. PKI utilizes public key cryptography and digital
IDs, along with software to manage those IDs. Building this infrastructure into
online applications provides the means to authenticate users, ensure privacy
and integrity of data, and establish the audit trails needed to give electronic
transactions the same or better levels of assurance that we are able to provide
when we do business in paper.
The State's digital signature project is governed by the State of Illinois
PKI Policy Authority. This Policy Authority is currently chaired by a representative
of the ITO and includes representatives from three constitutional offices and
six state agencies. The Policy Authority meets nearly every month to propose,
draft, and approve the policies and procedures that determine how digital certificates
are issued, managed, recovered and revoked within the State's public key infrastructure.
As additional state agencies and local governments begin to make use of the
State's PKI, new members will be added to the Policy Authority to represent
the interests of those constituencies.
Additional enhancements are being deployed to address issues related to privacy,
security and authentication. State agencies are currently enhancing existing
and developing new applications that will take full advantage of digital signature
technology. Today the State of Illinois is ready to give a digital certificate
to any person who needs one in order to transact business with the State. Deployment
of digital certificates is directly tied to the development of certificate-enabled
applications.
SACWIS
Illinois was the first state to have a browser-based front end to the Statewide
Automated Child Welfare Information System Project (SACWIS). The purpose
of the SACWIS Project is to create an automated case management tool to assist
workers, supervisors, and managers in providing more effective, efficient, economical
services to children and families served by the State of Illinois. An electronic
case file allows all workers and supervisors involved with a case to have instant
access to case information simultaneously without searching through a paper
file. This enhanced data collection process is also intended to assure that
the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) fulfills all federal reporting
requirements such as the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System.
The underlying communications infrastructure to support SACWIS is the State’s
Frame Relay Wide Area Network (WAN), Virtual Private Network, allowing access
only to authorized individuals from authorized sites physically connected to
the WAN. User IDs are assigned ‘access rights’ to the SACWIS application
based upon that users job title within the Department and the ‘role’
they are assigned, which contains the rights to specific screens and data within
the SACWIS application.
Skills Match
Illinois Skills Match (ISM)
provides intelligent matching of job requirements posted by employers with the
skills posted by job seekers. The system, available 24 hours a day 7 days a
week, includes analysis tools that enable job seekers, training providers, and
state agencies involved in workforce preparation activities to identify training
needs of job seekers registered in the system. ISM matches are immediate and
occur continuously without a job seeker or employer having to submit new information
or even access the system at all. The Skills Match service is provided, without
charge, to both the employer and the employee.
The ISM maintains the fastest growing pool of thousands of available, qualified
job seekers, plus an extensive variety of jobs at every skill level in hundreds
of industries and occupations in Illinois. Skills Match is the result of an
inter-agency partnership with the Department of Employment Security, Illinois
Community College Board, Illinois State Board of Education, Illinois Board of
Higher Education, Illinois Employer Council, Illinois Department of Aging, Illinois
Department of Commerce and Community Affairs, Illinois Department of Human Services,
Illinois Occupational Information Coordinating Committee, Illinois Occupational
Skills Standards and Credentialing Council, and Veterans Employment and Training.
Tech Town at the Illinois State Fair
Tech Town is an experience
that gives fairgoers a unique opportunity to see how Illinois is using technology
to bring services and programs closer to its citizens. Housed in the air-conditioned
pavilion located on Central Avenue between the Coliseum and the high-dive show,
Tech Town is open daily during the ten days of the Illinois State Fair each
year. Organized by “neighborhoods” which showcase the latest technology
in use across state government, including wireless, Tech Town gives visitors
the opportunity to experience some of the innovative technology that is being
used throughout the State of Illinois. From education to public safety and the
environment to business, Illinois is a leader in the use of technology.
VentureTECH
VentureTECH is a five-year, $2 billion comprehensive
strategy for investing state resources in education and advanced research and
development, health sciences and biotechnology, and cutting-edge information
technology programs. The Illinois VentureTECH Advisory Committee, created by
Executive Order, provides an advisory board of academics, leading scientists,
and business leaders to provide direction for the VentureTECH investment. The
Chief Technology Officer serves as liaison for this Committee. Illinois Coalition,
a public-private not-for-profit board consisting primarily of business representatives,
provides direction for the state on technology priorities. These organizations
are referenced in statute and provide approval for the state Technology Challenge
Grant program.
Web Accessibility Standards
In an effort to address the needs of all users, the Illinois Technology Office
established the Illinois Web Accessibility Standards
(IWAS). These standards are based on Federal “Section 508” and
World Wide Web Consortium accessibility guidelines, which were reviewed extensively
by a panel of experts during the preparation of IWAS. The Illinois Technology
Office created this additional set of standards, beyond Section 508 and W3C
standards, because the federal Section 508 guidelines deal with a very basic
level of accessibility needs while leaving out many issues facing users. The
W3C guidelines, on the other hand, offer three tiers of priorities that go into
greater depth than many government entities are able to address at this time.
IWAS incorporate a combination of the two, creating a standard well suited to
serve the users of Illinois web sites.
On February 14, 2002, an Administrative Order was signed, directing Illinois
agencies to "utilize the Illinois Web Accessibility Standards for the development
of web sites, intranets, and web-based applications."
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