Pennsylvania Earns Two Technology Awards

PA Justice Network and Department of Public Welfare Recognized by Computerworld Honors Program

HARRISBURG, Pa., June 20, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Pennsylvania is being recognized as a laureate by the Computerworld Honors program for a pair of information technology initiatives.  

The magazine will present awards to the Pennsylvania Justice Network (JNET) and the Department of Public Welfare during a ceremony this evening in Washington, D.C.

"Technology has the ability to transform government operations, reduce costs and improve the quality of services," said George White, the state's chief information officer. "These awards show that Pennsylvanians are reaping the benefits."

More than 39,000 police officers and other criminal justice professionals use the Pennsylvania Justice Network (JNET) to access information from state, federal and local data sources through a secure web portal.  

JNET was honored for its federated address search application, which allows users to search addresses housed in different systems via a single inquiry.  Previously, they had to enter an address into each system separately and compare the results from each. The new application will also automatically notify a user if an individual residing at an address is incarcerated or under probation or parole.  

By allowing users to find address information more efficiently, the enhanced search feature is expected to result in $1.8 million in time savings each year. JNET is part of the Office of Administration's Office for Information Technology. To learn more about JNET, visit www.pajnet.state.pa.us.

The Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare's COMPASS system is an online resource that allows Pennsylvanians to quickly determine for which state-administered health and human services programs and services they are eligible, and to apply or renew enrollment in them through the web.  

Computerworld recognized the Department of Public Welfare for a recent system upgrade to streamline and simplify the application and screening processes, provide the ability to check the status of an application or benefits, and pre-populate renewal applications with existing data from the system. These improvements have resulted in increased use of the online system, fewer calls to county assistance offices and more efficient processing of applications. COMPASS can be accessed at www.compass.state.pa.us.

Computerworld received more than 1,000 nominations from across the globe. The 262 winners were selected by a panel of leading information technology company chairmen and CEOs.  Visit www.cwhonors.org to learn more about the Computerworld Honors program.

Media contacts:
Dan Egan, OA; 717-772-4237
Michael Race, DPW; 717-425-7606

SOURCE Pennsylvania Office of Administration