New North Carolina iCenter lets state 'try before you buy' tech products

North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory and Chief Information Officer Chris Estes cut the tape on a new state innovation center Thursday that gives employees a chance to test-drive technology products before the state procures.

Called the iCenter, the effort is part of McCrory’s “try before you buy” policy established after an April 2013 state audit discovered actual costs of 84 previous projects were $356 million more than projected and ran 389 days past expected deadlines.

“Technology is the key to making state government more efficient,” McCrory said announcing the opening. “The Innovation Center is a big step toward making state government user-friendly so that we can deliver more and improved services to citizens at a cost taxpayers can afford.”

“The Innovation Center is about connecting people and technology in a way that allows our state agencies to deliver more projects on time and on budget,” said Estes.