Vivek Kundra - the new CIO for Obama Administration

President Barack Obama has officially named former Washington, D.C. tech chief Vivek Kundra as the federal government’s CIO. As the federal government’s CIO, Kundra will oversee a $71 billion information technology budget and ensure IT interoperability between government departments. During a conference call this morning, Kundra said that he will be looking at how the government could both improve its technology investments and make more information accessible to citizens through the Internet.

President Obama said, "Vivek Kundra will bring a depth of experience in the technology arena and a commitment to lowering the cost of government operations to this position. I have directed him to work to ensure that we are using the spirit of American innovation and the power of technology to improve performance and lower the cost of government operations. As Chief Information Officer, he will play a key role in making sure our government is running in the most secure, open, and efficient way possible."

Vivek Kundra, Chief Technology Officer, Government of the District of Columbia explains how he got his start in wireless and highlights the importance of meeting the interoperability challenge below: