Alexandria, Va., (USTCNS) --- The Military Traffic Management Command Transportation Engineering Agency received recognition from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology School of Architecture and Planning and Accenture for launching the Intelligent Road/Rail Information Server, also known as IRRIS.
IRRIS, the world's first Web-based geographic information system, is the first-of-its-kind portal that gives military and transportation engineers immediate access to critical infrastructure and cargo data from around the world. By combining a global scope with highly detailed local information, IRRIS is an essential tool in analyzing infrastructure readiness, enhancing decision-making and improving the efficiency of deploying troops and cargo.
MIT and Accenture, a management consulting and technology services company, recognized TEA of Newport News, Va., during the fourth annual Digital Government Awards at the E-Government Conference in Washington, D.C., June 10.
The purpose of the awards is to recognize best practices in digital government and higher education in the United States. This year's recipients, selected from nearly 200 nominations, were honored at a luncheon attended by nearly 1,000 government and industry executives.
"I am extremely pleased and proud of the level of success that IRRIS has had in a relatively short time," said William Cooper, director of MTMCTEA.
"It's quickly becoming the system of choice for spatial tracking of DOD cargo worldwide. I'm a big believer that IRRIS has huge implications for transportation security and homeland defense."
Accenture and MIT invited government organizations, public corporations, and higher education institutions to submit nominations for existing, Web-enabled, digital solutions or services. The nominations were viewed and judged on-line by a panel of leaders in academia, government and other organizations.
Awards for the six categories were based on the degree of creative thinking and innovative use of Web-enabled technology to create or enhance service delivery. The categories included Federal, State, Local, Higher Education, Prototype, and Agent of Change. TEA won the Federal category.
According to Daniel Greenwood, director of the MIT E-Commerce Architecture Program and lecturer at the Media Lab of MIT, E-Government passed the threshold from a convenience to a necessity in the public sector in 2003. This year's award winners exemplify excellence in innovation and pragmatism. The quality of all the nominations was higher this year than ever, with the winners demonstrating creativity in the delivery of efficient, effective and responsive services, Greenwood said.
For addition information on IRRIS, visit the site at, www.irris.tea.army.mil
