Digital Government

Microsoft creates Classroom Teacher Network

Microsoft Corp. announced Tuesday the creation of the Classroom Teacher Network (CTN), a free, online service that will provide teachers with access to professional development tools, including software tutorials, links to Web resources and online seminars.

Digital Government

Grants provide teachers with tech training

Vice President Al Gore announced Tuesday that 400,000 new teachers will receive training in using classroom technology through $135 million in new grants from the Department of Education, as well as $195 million from privatesector sources.

Digital Government

Feds working on Y2K will get to carry over leave

The Office of Personnel Management has made it easier for government employees who must stay on the job until the Year 2000 problem is fixed to carry over annual leave days that they cannot use this year.

Digital Government

USGS keeps tabs on possible floods from Bret

A pair of new stations used to track the volume of water in streams and rivers are helping the U.S. Geological Survey to understand and respond to flooding in Texas in the wake of Hurricane Bre

Digital Government

OMB: Agencies making strides in financial functions

While federal agencies are expected to perform better than ever in their financial reporting to Congress, key areas of improvement include wider use of commercial financial management systems and modernizing financial practices with electronic commerce, according to a report issued publicly Wednesday by the Office of Management and Budget.

Digital Government

Gila County, Ariz., Saves Time and Money With New Voice/Data Integration Tool

The Gila County, Ariz., Courthouse is using a new Cisco Systems Inc. router to help connect smaller departments throughout the region. The new network system is expected to save the county money by reducing longdistance telephone charges, while the enhanced videoconferencing made possible by the system will reduce the cost of transporting prisoners.

Digital Government

Education chooses Andersen for modernization

Education Department officials plan to announce tomorrow that the department has chosen Andersen Consulting to oversee modernization of the troubled computer systems the agency uses to run billions of dollars in federal student aid programs.

Digital Government

USPS toolkits aimed at tapping online retail sites

The U.S. Postal Service today announced plans to release toolkits that World Wide Web developers can use to create information services related to package delivery for online retailers' Web sites.

Digital Government

Pennsylvania Finalizes Contract for Outsourcing Agency Data Centers

Pennsylvania finalized its strategic outsourcing contract with Unisys Corp. on Wednesday, agreeing to have the company consolidate up to 20 state agencies' data centers into a single centralized data center and provide management and operational support.

Digital Government

Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries Takes Fresh Approach to Procurement

Virginia's Department of Game and Inland Fisheries is testing the final phase of a electronic forms and signature system that streamlines the data collection and authentication process for purchase ordering.

Digital Government

Hawaii's Taxation Department Signs 'Benefits-Funded' Contract to Smooth Tax Process

Hawaii's Department of Taxation signed a fiveyear, $50 million contract with American Management Systems Inc. to field an Integrated Tax Information Management System (ITIMS) to improve taxpayer service and collection efforts.

Digital Government

DOD to States: Face Y2K on Your Own

The Defense Department, expected to be the federal agency to respond to potential crises brought about by the Year 2000 problem, this month said it does not plan to react to all requests for help from state and local civilian authorities.

Digital Government

University of Utah Human Resources Team Streamlines Payroll Process

The University of Utah is about to begin its first full academic year with a new human resources/payroll solution that combines scanning terminals, the Internet and the school's intranet to streamline the employee timekeeping process.

Digital Government

FTS releasing solicitation for distance-learning services

Kicking off the second of its three new business lines, the General Services Administration's Federal Technology Service (FTS) today will release the solicitation for a new governmentwide contract to provide broadband distancelearning services.

Digital Government

Annual report on state networks due

The National Association of State Telecommunications Directors will release its annual report on state networks next month.

Digital Government

University of Texas at Arlington Students Must Be Computer Literate to Graduate

University of Texas at Arlington officials now require students to exhibit computer literacy in five distinct areas in order to graduate from the school.

Digital Government

U.S. forced to open electronic case files

A lawsuit brought against the Justice Department by a nonprofit agency has led the department to release information about federal prosecutions that it previously would not make public.

Digital Government

What fiscal rules apply to interagency transactions?

A reader raised the following question: Many government acquisitions are being accomplished through interagency transactions. For example, the General Services Administration manages several programs that support other agencies. Some of these programs employ a revolving fund that may be exempt from normal constraints on the use of appropriated funds. Does an interagency transaction allow the user to take advantage of these exemptions?

Digital Government

Lifestreams enhances workgroup file sharing

If you have a workgroup in your agency or department that shares a pool of information, and you're looking for a better way for the group to access and share that data, take a look at Lifestreams Office. This new program from Mirror Worlds Technologies Inc. is a World Wide Webbased system for mana

Digital Government

DOE plans ultrafast network

The Energy Department plans to build what will be the fastest telecommunications network in the government, capable of transmitting 1 trillion bits of data per second by 2004. The project would upgrade the existing Energy Sciences Network (ESNet) which connects more than four dozen DOE laboratories