Ten Questions on Practical Technology Transformation with Antonio Hylton

Any idea where the largest county* in the US is? You might expect it to be in the state of Texas, but that's not it. The number two county on the list also edges out Harris County, TX by just a bit, and that distinction is held by Cook County, Illinois.

The CIO of Cook County's massive infrastructure is the founder of Broadband Technology Associates, Antonio Hylton, and he is transforming the technology throughout a complex set of layers in the organization with his "Vision 2010" plan, including the city of Chicago and a total budget of more than three billion dollars.

In this interview with Antonio, which just came out in TechRepublic magazine (you really ought to be a subscriber), he talks with me about the dangers of technological procrastination and what it has taken to reach the point where he can get the ball rolling.

You can always download the PDF version of these articles from the TR site, as well as add your comments and perspectives to the list.

*the largest county is Los Angeles County, CA

Intentional Obfuscation

Marketing should be clear, focused, unobfuscated... Why would you want to confuse your audience about what you are selling?

When you want to sell on impulse and not confuse with the details.

There's a particularly ambiguous commercial that comes up and I've tried to pick out any clue of what it is about before the final seconds -- party supplies? dance lessons? a nightclub? No, it's the Illinois Lottery.

It makes me think they don't really want you to think about what it is they're selling, i.e. casinos double the rate of gambling addiction within 50 miles. For every dollar of gambling revenue the state takes in, there are 3 dollars in social costs. The top state for suicide, divorce, gambling addiction and men killing women is Nevada. (Those aren't in the commercial - btw.)

But how else can we pay to educate our children and grandchildren? It sure does look like a great party for the first 25 seconds.