Harrisburg, PA -- (SBWIRE) -- 11/14/2011 -- “We are pleased to have Unisys as a Founding Member and supporter of the Government Technology Institute (GTI). Unisys clearly values the potential of the GTI to benefit public sector technology leaders throughout the Commonwealth and beyond,” says Dr. Eric Darr, Executive Vice President and Provost at Harrisburg University. “As a Founding Member, Unisys is supporting government IT leaders, and ultimately their constituents, through its participation in the GTI.”

As a Founding Member of the GTI, Unisys will collaborate with Harrisburg University of Science and Technology on a number of thought-leadership symposiums on relevant subject areas.

Anticipated topics include best practices in IT service management and current disruptive trends in the IT field, such as cloud computing, cybersecurity, mobility and social computing.

Under the leadership of Co-Executive Directors Charlie Gerhards and Barbara Shelton, the GTI provides education, training, resources, and networks in which government technology leaders and professionals can learn, collaborate and explore effective technology solutions for Pennsylvania.

“Unisys has a proud history of supporting institutions of higher education, such as the Harrisburg University GTI, that step forward with new and innovative thought leadership programs,” said Reed Laughlin, vice president, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Team, Unisys. “We do extensive work with the Commonwealth, and we increasingly see a real desire on the part of Pennsylvania’s government IT leaders to enhance their skills and knowledge in recognizing the sophistication and complexity of the mission-critical systems that their constituents expect them to provide and support 24x7x365.”

Unisys traces its roots in the Commonwealth to the development of the world’s first large-scale digital computer at the University of Pennsylvania in the 1940s. Today Unisys is a major supplier of information processing services and technology to public sector organizations across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Laughlin adds: “The Harrisburg University GTI provides a new opportunity for Unisys to help the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s IT leaders set the pace of innovation in public sector IT solutions that can be models across the United States.”

About Unisys
Unisys is a worldwide information technology company. We provide a portfolio of IT services, software, and technology that solves critical problems for clients. We specialize in helping clients secure their operations, increase the efficiency and utilization of their data centers, enhance support to their end users and constituents, and modernize their enterprise applications. To provide these services and solutions, we bring together offerings and capabilities in outsourcing services, systems integration and consulting services, infrastructure services, maintenance services, and high-end server technology. With approximately 23,000 employees, Unisys serves commercial organizations and government agencies throughout the world. For more information, visit www.unisys.com.

About the GTI Co-Directors
Barbara Shelton was appointed by Governor Tom Ridge as the Deputy Secretary for Procurement for Pennsylvania, where she was responsible for virtually all purchasing activity in the state. She teamed with other government leaders to dramatically improve the state's procurement processes by making the most sweeping changes to procurement law since 1929. In 2002 Ms. Shelton was asked to lead the Philadelphia regional office of the U. S. General Services Administration (GSA), where she was responsible for over 1,000 employees, revenue of $1.8 billion and an operating budget of over $600 million. In 2005, she went to Washington to lead the merger of GSA's Federal Technology Service and Federal Supply Service. She designed the new organization, the Federal Acquisition Service, in just over seven months, while performing as Acting Commissioner for all three entities.

Before starting Gerhards Consulting in 2003, Charlie Gerhards served as the Governor’s Secretary of Administration, as well as, Chief Information Officer (CIO) for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As state CIO he was responsible for establishing statewide policies, standards, and guidelines governing the planning, management, acquisition, security, and use of information technology assets in all Commonwealth agencies under the Governor's jurisdiction, impacting 85,000 state employees. Mr. Gerhards was appointed to this post by Governor Tom Ridge in January 1999 and served under both governors Ridge and Mark Schweiker. He retired from the Commonwealth in January 2003 after 33 years of public service.

About Harrisburg University
Founded in 2001 to address Central Pennsylvania's need for increased opportunities for study leading to careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields, Harrisburg University is an innovative and ambitious private institution that produces graduates who provide increased competence and capacity in science and technology disciplines to Pennsylvania and the nation. Harrisburg University ensures institutional access for underrepresented students and links learning and research to practical outcomes. As a private University serving the public good, Harrisburg University remains the only STEM-focused comprehensive university located between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.