Monday, July 31, 2006

Can BMV Problems Get Any Worse?

When the Bureau of Motor Vehicles' new computer system first went online, it resulted in long delays at license branches to renew drivers licenses and perform other transactions. Then we learned that drivers licenses could no longer be performed online. Then we learned that law enforcement could no longer rely on the system because it was spitting out bogus driver data. Tonight AI hears from Jeff Newman in Greenwood that he just received license plates and other correspondence from the BMV addressed to a woman who lived at his address nearly 20 years ago!

A few days ago, an Indianapolis Star editorial wrote: "Bureau of Motor Vehicles Commissioner Joel Silverman admits that 'we didn't do as well as the customer expects.' That's the understatement of the year." The Star had this advice for Gov. Daniels: "The governor . . . needs to send a clear message to his BMV chief: Fix this mess soon or find another job." This mess may be one that is beyond fixing. Perhaps scrapping the whole system and starting anew may be the best option at this point. Incidentally, the vendor for this multi-million dollar computer software disaster is Unisys. Is anyone aware of any projects Unisys has performed successfully for the State of Indiana recently?

UPDATE: The Star's Mary Beth Schneider takes a look today at whether the BMV can wait out the glitch-ridden, $34 million dollar computer system. Schneider writes, "To many BMV customers, and some current and former employees, the system is a $34 million boondoggle that at best was poorly and prematurely implemented and at worst ought to be scrapped before the state wastes any more money on it." If the administration has its way, there's no way it will scrap Unisys' disastrous computer system Schneider reports.

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