Technology initiatives will likely take a backseat to the economy in the first few months of an Obama administration, but the president-elect does have the opportunity to utilize technology in his efforts to revive the country's economic situation, two technology experts said Thursday.
It is “hard to imagine anything on the [technology] industry agenda... that will supersede" the need to resuscitate the economy, Steve Ricchetti, president of Ricchetti Inc. and a former aide to President Bill Clinton, said during a conference call sponsored by the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA). There are issues, however, that could be “attached to the short-term economic strategy."
“Obama certainly has repeated his desire and effort to extend the availability of broadband to more people throughout this country and to deepen its penetration," Ricchetti said. “Broadband could be incorporated in a broad infrastructure strategy that could be" included in President Obama's first budget.
Republican advisor Tim Hugo, head of the Tim Hugo Group and founder of CapNet, also pointed to health IT as a technology-related but relatively bi-partisan issue that Obama could tackle alongside the economy.
“I think health IT is probably one of the opportunities for some bi-partisan resolve," Hugo said. “It is an opportunity for him to demonstrate early on where he can succeed."
It is “hard to imagine anything on the [technology] industry agenda... that will supersede" the need to resuscitate the economy, Steve Ricchetti, president of Ricchetti Inc. and a former aide to President Bill Clinton, said during a conference call sponsored by the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA). There are issues, however, that could be “attached to the short-term economic strategy."
“Obama certainly has repeated his desire and effort to extend the availability of broadband to more people throughout this country and to deepen its penetration," Ricchetti said. “Broadband could be incorporated in a broad infrastructure strategy that could be" included in President Obama's first budget.
Republican advisor Tim Hugo, head of the Tim Hugo Group and founder of CapNet, also pointed to health IT as a technology-related but relatively bi-partisan issue that Obama could tackle alongside the economy.
“I think health IT is probably one of the opportunities for some bi-partisan resolve," Hugo said. “It is an opportunity for him to demonstrate early on where he can succeed."
