VentureBeat had a fascinating article a few days ago on Aneesh Chopra's appointment as chief Technology Officer. It looked at a simple question that has probably occurred to many of you: What exactly does a Chief Technology Officer for the U.S. government do, anyway?

Part of the confusion is that there's also a new Chief Information Officer, Vivek Kundra. And he was appointed before Chopra.

The NT Times has published an interview with Chopra that spells out how he sees the job. The article pointed out that Chopra has four objectives (articulated recently to Rahm Emanuel, the White House chief of staff). They are:

• Economic growth through innovation


• Addressing presidential priorities through innovation platforms


• Building the next-generation digital infrastructure


• Fostering a culture of open and innovative government

Chopra hopes that he can find ways to use technology to achieve the White House's goals more quickly and less expensively. I hope so too...