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Co-Chairs:
Raj Reddy
Irving Wladawsky-Berger
Members:
Eric A.
Benhamou
Vinton Cerf
Ching-chih Chen
David Cooper
Steven D. Dorfman
David Dorman
Robert Ewald
Sherrilynne S. Fuller
Hector Garcia-Molina
Susan L. Graham
James N. Gray
W. Daniel Hillis
Robert E. Kahn
Ken Kennedy
John P. Miller
David C. Nagel
Edward H. Shortliffe
Larry Smarr
Joe F. Thompson
Leslie Vadasz
Steven J. Wallach
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The Honorable George W. Bush
President of the United States
The White House
Washington, DC 20500
Dear Mr. President:
On behalf of the members of the President’s Information Technology
Advisory Committee (PITAC), we congratulate you on becoming the 43rd
President of the United States. We look forward to serving you, your
Administration, and Congress to help ensure that the Nation’s
long-term needs in information technology are properly addressed.
PITAC, formerly the Presidential Advisory Committee on High Performance
Computing and Communications, Information Technology, and the Next
Generation Internet, was chartered by the High Performance Computing
Act of 1991 (Public Law 102-194) and the Next Generation Internet
Act of 1998 (Public Law 105-305). The committee consists of members
from academia, industry, and the nonprofit sector. It is chartered
to provide advice and information on high-performance computing and
communications, information technology, and the Next Generation Internet.
In February 1999, PITAC published a report, Information Technology
Research: Investing in Our Future, evaluating the Nation’s long-term
needs in information technology. The report concluded that research
investments in information technology were both insufficient and significantly
out of balance in light of their national importance. The information
technology industry has accounted for roughly one third of U.S. economic
growth over the last decade and has created millions of well paying
jobs. Many of the innovations responsible for this economic growth
are a result of Government-sponsored research conducted in the 1970’s
and 1980’s. However, in recent years, the Government has not
invested nearly enough to ensure a continued flow of good new ideas
and trained professionals in information technology. The PITAC report
recommended that the Federal Government significantly increase its
support for long-term, basic information technology research.
PITAC's findings and recommendations were acted upon by the Administration
and by Congress, leading to legislation that significantly increased
Federal support for long-term information technology research. The
National Science Foundation (NSF) received the largest such budget
increase, and initiated the Information Technology Research program,
which last year made 231 awards to 92 research institutions located
in 35 states. These awards will support January 24, 2001almost 2,000
new graduate students, more than 300 undergraduates, and close to
2,000 postdoctoral Fellows. The research awards support and train
this Nation's next generation of information technology professionals.
Last year, PITAC initiated panels to study selected areas that we
felt needed further attention, and to produce reports with focused
findings and recommendations. In August 2000, PITAC released its report
on electronic government, Transforming Access to Government Through
Information Technology, followed in September 2000 by its report,
Developing Open Source Software to Advance High End Computing. PITAC,
partnering with outside organizations, also released two reports on
digital divide issues in 2000, with recommendations aimed at ensuring
that the benefits of information technology become available to everyone.
We have proposed a busy agenda for 2001. PITAC’s most recently
created panels will review: 1) the long-term implications of information
technology in national security; 2) issues surrounding individual
security, including "identity theft"; 3) wireless communications
technologies; and 4) international information technology issues.
PITAC will also update its February 1999 report, to take account of
technology advances that have occurred since the original study was
completed and to assess progress to date on implementing the report’s
recommendations. PITAC will shortly release its findings and recommendations
on transforming learning, digital libraries, and transforming health
care.
Mr. President, we believe that information technology will be one
of the key factors driving progress in the 21st century, transforming
the way we live, learn, work, and play. Much has been achieved so
far, but a great deal of work remains to be done so the Nation can
continue to reap the benefits of information technology far into the
future. We look forward to working with you and your staff to understand
the national goals and priorities that will guide your Administration.
PITAC stands ready to identify ways in which information technology
can be used to achieve them.
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