Digital Government
New tech builds mobile virtual private networks
A small startup company in Northern Virginia is targeting the federal market with an application that enables organizations to create 'virtual' networks to connect mobile workers spread out over a geographic region. Ecutel LLC's product, called Viatores, allows users to work securely on mobile com
Digital Government
Netscape browser boosts road warrior support
Government systems administrators and frequent travelers will find much to like in Netscape Communications Corp.'s recently updated World Wide Web browsing suite, Communicator 4.5. Among other upgrades, the new version, which was released Oct. 19, features improved message management and enhanced s
Digital Government
Micron creates training, ed programs
Micron Electronics Inc. today launched an initiative to offer customized education and services online, both of which are aimed at making it easier for customers to understand the technology with which they are working. The company has developed a program called Micron University through which it w
Digital Government
ATL, Seagate team for easy backup
As government agencies look to back up more data that doesn't require instant access, such as desktop files and email, the demand for inexpensive nearline storage is rising. We evaluated one storage solution designed to meet this demand: ATL Products' ATL P1000 tape storage library running Seagat
Digital Government
RIF causes tiff at Commerce's OGC
Before getting rid of employees as part of a reduction in force (RIF), federal managers must classify employees into 'competitive levels.' Basically, this means grouping employees who do roughly equivalent jobs and then evaluating them against each other to determine who stays and who goes. But a r
Digital Government
Let IT bring legislation to light
The legislative process frequently has been likened to the messy process of making sausage. But rarely has Congress subjected federal agencies to the slapdash treatment that gave rise to this year's gargantuan $520 billion omnibus spending bill. Congress frequently finds itself pushed by the end o
Digital Government
Start-up company develops card-based security for PC
A 1yearold security company in Israel has developed a smart card security system that protects a user's PC from unauthorized access by locking the PC when it senses the user is away from the machine. First Access Ltd. designed a system that consists of client/server software, a smart card that id
Digital Government
Set-Asides
Y2K worker deficit feared Federal agencies are concerned that a shortage of skilled labor and competition from the private sector will hamper efforts to fix Year 2000 computer problems, according to the General Accounting Office. Of the 24 large agencies, 13 have expressed concerns about the availa
Digital Government
NARA floats electronic records plan
According to a new draft policy distributed throughout the government last month by the National Archives and Records Administration, agencies should decide whether to keep their electronic records based on their need for the documents, a policy similar to how agencies now make decisions about reta
Digital Government
IRS cuts out tax paperwork
The Internal Revenue Service plans to make it easier for tax accountants to file electronically next year by eliminating the need to follow up with signed tax forms after the fact. While the IRS sees electronic filing as a way to reduce the cost and energy of processing tax forms, the agency in pas
Digital Government
Reforms spur IT cost analyses
Information technology reforms and the availability of contracts that allow agencies to outsource the desktop are forcing agencies to assess how much they spend on computer systems. Two recently awarded desktop outsourcing contracts Outsourcing Desktop Initiative for NASA (ODIN) and the General S
Digital Government
Explore deep space with NASA DS1
NASA's Deep Space 1 mission, launched late last month, has caught the fancy of the general public with its emphasis on science fictionlike technical wizardry. As it has done in the past, the space agency is making use of the World Wide Web to explain the significance of the program and to provide
Digital Government
Lotus nabs two mega Notes buys
The installed base for Lotus Development Corp.'s messaging and groupware product recently expanded, as two federal agencies began rolling out the software to tens of thousands of users. The Environmental Protection Agency will deploy Notes to cover 26,000 email addresses, and the Army Battle Comma
Digital Government
Asymetrix offers comprehensive training solution
Testing by Chip Pettirossi With high demand for training and limited funds to provide it, more government agencies are turning to computerbased training (CBT) to create and manage custom training courses with multimedia features all delivered electronically. Many agencies prefer CBT because it's
Digital Government
IT services firm acquires Vanstar
Vanstar Corp., a newcomer to the federal market last year through its acquisition of Sysorex Information Systems Inc., does not plan to change its position in the federal market after its merger with Inacom Corp., officials with both firms said. Inacom and Vanstar earlier this month announced plans
Digital Government
DOD tells Hill IT central to readiness
Two weeks after senior military commanders warned Congress that defense readiness is spiraling downward, a top Pentagon acquisition official this month implored lawmakers to fund modernization efforts or risk losing its edge on the battlefield. Jacques Gansler, undersecretary of Defense for acquisi
Digital Government
Letters to the Editor
Decrypting PKI Christopher Yukins and Timothy Carnahan should read the primer on publickey infrastructure a little closer. Their article 'DOD PKI plan raises liability, relevance issues' [FCW, Oct. 5] contains a glaring error on how a 'dual key' system works. They should have written that the send
Digital Government
Army readies PC pacts
The Army continues to push for the latest PC technology at the best prices, with slightly more than $800 million worth of contracts for advanced PCbased servers, desktops and notebook computers up for grabs between now and January. The Army CommunicationsElectronics Command's (Cecom) Systems Mana
Digital Government
Roster
The National Science Foundation has named University of Pennsylvania computer science and engineering professor Ruzena Bajcsy assistant director for NSF's Information Science and Engineering Directorate. Bajcsy will assume her new position in December; she is replacing Juris Hartmanis, whose term e
Digital Government