Technology
Top News
- DoD to pursue commercial alternative to VA's VistA
- FedRAMP achieves another cloud security milestone
- OMB reworking financial systems to focus on outcomes, not inputs
- PHOTOS: Meet the 2013 Service to America Medal Finalists
- Causey: Today, everybody's a Sooner
- House GOP panel moves on deep budget cuts
- Star witness to stay mum for House hearing on IRS
- OMB director taps VanRoekel to lead management team
- Lew taps government retiree pension fund
- SBA starting new lending program for veterans
- New Apple devices cleared to join DoD IT networks
- Army prioritizes access to data in fight over intelligence IT system
- DoD upends slow approval process for mobile devices
- Senior execs' bonuses under fire at agencies
- Wednesday federal headlines - May 22, 2013
Air Force study to focus on 'game-changing' technology
Dr. Mark Maybury, the Air Force's chief scientist, discusses a wide-ranging study of potential future "game changers" and best practices in each of the service's core mission areas.
Army to study brain stimulator for TBI patients
Television personality Montel Williams is joining Army scientists at Fort Detrick in a medical research deal.
DISA promises fixes to overwhelmed online conferencing system
Cancellations of in-person meetings press DoD's Web conferencing system past its limits. The Defense Information Systems Agency will complete upgrades by Feb. 15.
Agencies slowly knocking down cybersecurity barriers to going mobile
Through the Digital Government Strategy, several initiatives are underway to address IT security concerns. DHS created a security baseline architecture and is testing it through five use cases. GSA created a new secure online content platform for agencies to move websites and applications into a mobile environment.
Postal Service's IG's office proclaims 2013 as year of mobile
Gary Barlet, the OIG's chief information officer, is taking a three-pronged approach to helping employees access data from anywhere, at anytime. The steps include virtualization, a BYOD strategy and cloud services.
February 7, 2013
E-government bolsters satisfaction with federal services
For the second year in a row, the number of citizens who report being satisfied with government services rose, according to a new report from the American Customer Satisfaction Index. The higher governmentwide score was driven in large part by the increasing satisfaction with government websites, which rounded out the year at near all-time highs.
The Big Data Dilemma
The concept of big data isn't new. The intelligence community and the Defense Department have understood the benefits of analyzing information to find enemies or determine intentions of nation sates. But with the acceptance and move to cloud computing and mobile devices, every federal agency now has the opportunity to make data work for them. But most federal agencies are struggling to manage and use information to make better decisions. This discussion will look at different use cases of how the public and private sectors are dealing with the deluge of information that is coming at them every day, and how they are using that data to make mission-critical decisions.
DoD, VA accelerate schedule for integrated health record
The two departments are looking for "quick wins" in their integrated health-record strategy, aiming to bring the most important capabilities online three years early.
Federal Drive Interviews -- Feb. 6, 2013
Forrest Morgeson, director of research at the American Customer Satisfaction Index, has some good news for some agencies. Agriculture Department official Kevin Concannon says USDA is claiming victory in its battle against fraud. Jordy Yager of The Hill newspaper explains why some on Capitol Hill are talking about Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) Tom Day, USPS' chief sustainability officer, shares news of the Postal Service's successful conservation efforts.
Business process management
Kris Collo, CEO of MicroPact, joins host John Gilroy to discuss how business process improvement can save agencies money and reduce the risk of job vacancy.
February 5, 2013
CBP brings automated services to more than just travel elite
Building on the success of its Global Entry program for pre-enrolled travelers, U.S. Customs and Border Protection has developed a self-service kiosk that anyone can use. John Wagner, executive director for Admissibility and Passenger Programs at CBP, tells Agency of the Month about this and other new technologies coming to an airport near you.
Federal Drive Interviews -- Feb. 5, 2013
Robert Litan discusses a Bloomberg Government study about rule-making in the Obama administration. Michael Tinsley, CEO of NeoSystems Corp., offers insight on how furloughs might affect federal contractors. Procurement attorney Joe Petrillo weighs in on a a 2012 Supreme Court case that could come back to bite federal agencies facing budget cuts under sequestration. Gregory Wilshusen discusses a new GAO report on how prepared agencies are to fend of online assaults. John Palguta of the Partnership for Public Service talks about sequestration and the threat of furloughs.
Federal Drive Interviews -- Feb. 4, 2013
Terry Weaver, president of Weaver Consulting, discusses an overhauled version of Section 508 regulations. Jamison Cush, chief editor of TechTarget's Technology Guide, talks about the new BlackBerry Z-10. Tom Lee, director of Sunlight Labs, explains what's behind "Docket Wrench," a new tool to make it easier to track actions related to proposed rules.
Shriek! Texts on missing kids startle cell users
The next time a child is abducted near you, your cellphone may shriek to life with an alert message.
Teenage hacker sentenced in UK for cyber-attacks
A British court has sentenced a teenage hacker to youth rehabilitation after he and other members of the Anonymous movement carried out cyber-attacks targeting financial sites like PayPal and Visa.
VA testing cash prizes to improve its health record system
The Department of Veterans Affairs is trying out a new system of contests to make upgrades to its electronic medical record system. The agency plans to award up to three prizes worth $3 million to vendors who create open-source based components to VistA.
US looking at action against China cyberattacks
The Obama administration is considering more assertive action against Beijing to combat a persistent cyber-espionage campaign it believes Chinese hackers are waging against U.S. companies and government agencies.
OMB lays out 11 goals to give Section 508 some punch
Steven VanRoekel, the federal chief information officer, and Office of Federal Procurement Policy Administrator Joe Jordan issued a memo detailing a new strategic plan after a recent Justice Department compliance survey found mixed results. This is the fourth memo since 2005 from the Office of Management and Budget trying to get agencies to meet the law's requirements. David Capozzi, executive director of the Access Board, said new 508 regulations could be to OMB for approval this spring.
DoD moves meetings online, but IT systems can't keep pace
Spending on conferences is among first casualties as various defense components make cutbacks. DoD's online meeting service is suffering from its own popularity.
NASA CIO Cureton to retire in April
Linda Cureton has decided to leave government service after 30 years, including the last four as the space agency's chief information officer.
