Tag Archives: Gov 2.0

Google takes on the Government!

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I had the pleasure of talking with Natasha Wyatt from Google at their booth at the Gov 2.0 conference about some of the exciting tools that Google has developed specifically for the Government.

I learned that in 2009 the City of Los Angeles decided to switch their email to Google, and today have 16,000 employees using Google Apps. Google Apps is the first multi-tenant cloud application certified at the FISMA-Moderate level by the US federal government. What does that really mean? Google Apps has enough security built into its Apps to comply with the Federal Government standard. I also thought it was interesting to learn that the City of LA expects to save $5.5M in IT costs over 5 years by making the switch. Given the financial crisis California is in, every $5.5m counts!

GoogleGov2It is nice to see the Government step outside of their comfort level, and work with a company like Google to provide the technology they need, and save the tax payers a little dough to boot.

What if the government put together a team of top notch cyber security people and collaborated with companies like Google on ways that deal with sensitive information? I know firsthand that agencies build their own Mail, YouTube, and Wiki because of their need for maximum security. How much money could these agencies save by partnering with a Google, or a YouTube to customize their technology to meet the added security needs? What if?

Here Comes Help!

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Clay Shirkey's book "Here Comes Everybody"

Clay Shirky's book "Here Comes Everybody"

I’m passionate about helping Government and Military clients fulfill their missions. So at the Gov 2.0 Summit in Washington DC this past September, I was excited to have the opportunity to hear Clay Shirky speak about the way social media is changing societal behaviors.  I was so enamored with his talk that I went out and bought his book: Here Comes Everybody.

Here Comes Everybody is a smart, engaging look at the power of the Internet to mobilize groups of people around a common cause. Shirky begins the book with the story of a woman named Ivanna who lost her cell phone in the back of a cab in New York City. She enlists the help of her friend, Evan, a programmer in the financial industry, to help her retrieve the phone. Evan launches a full-scale online campaign, harnessing the power of passionate “passersby” on the Internet, the media, and even the New York Police Department — who all become actors in the narrative to get the phone back.

Eventually, Ivanna’s phone was returned and Evan’s quest for justice was satisfied. The point Shirky makes in telling this story is that the Internet has broken down the barriers to forming groups that have the power to take substantive action. People like Evan — who have time, passion, and social capitol — can organize a goal-focused quest at very little cost.

Our team at MMI is committed to using our time, passion, and social capitol to meet our clients’ substantive social media goals.

The U.S. Army's Maj. Gen. Mark Graham and his wife Carol talk candidly about suicide prevention.

The U.S. Army's Maj. Gen. Mark Graham and his wife Carol talk candidly about suicide prevention.

For example, when the U.S. Army contacted us about connecting them with one of our clients to help with a crucial military suicide prevention program, we went into action immediately.

End results? On the social media side, we provided new tools and influential platforms for getting the suicide prevention messages to military families. Beyond that, the people leading the Army’s suicide prevention program have new relationships helping to facilitate care, counseling and intervention to save lives.

(Author’s note: In deference to the FTC’s moves re: bloggers disclosing money or freebies for reviews, I want to let you know I paid for the book myself, I wasn’t asked to write about it by Shirky or his people, and I’m receiving nothing from him for writing about it.)