Digital Government
Fedwire
White House unveils training plan The Clinton administration last week announced a program to increase the government's use of information technology tools for training federal employees. The National Economic Council and the Office of Science and Technology Policy, under the direction of the admin
Digital Government
Tech-deficient managers, new work force
At a recent conference, I ran into Ken Hoffman, a savvy longtime information technology manager at a major federal agency. We are more or less the same age (at least to judge from appearances), but as a techie, Ken is much better than I at having a feel for how IT is changing our lives. Ken noted t
Digital Government
NTSB gives accident details; Senate offers virtual tours
Numerous federal agencies use the World Wide Web to give the public access to research that an agency has conducted. The National Transportation Safety Board is one agency that has posted information that any person who travels by boat, train, plane or automobile would be interested in: all acciden
Digital Government
GAO blasts bomber's IT
The General Accounting Office reported last month that problems with the command and control systems used aboard the Air Force's costly stealth bomber contributed to a list of deficiencies that limit the aircraft's ability to carry out bombing missions, a conclusion some experts said is inaccurate.
Digital Government
FAA modernization under fire again
Air traffic controllers at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport last week charged the Federal Aviation Administration with reneging on promises to include them in the development of a new air traffic control system, which is scheduled for installation at the airport next March.
Digital Government
Letters
The contracting process Steven Kelman is rightly concerned that the government could lose the benefit of multiple taskorder contracting due to directed solesource ordering [FCW, May 11]. Presumably, users direct the order because contracting personnel would otherwise purchase undesired items. (De
Digital Government
Enterworks expands data integration tool
Middleware vendor Enterworks Inc. last month announced a new release of its Virtual DB data integration software that expands the range of tools the product works with, including Microsoft Corp.'s Windowsbased database tools. Virtual DB is an 'information generation' tool that lets users build a u
Digital Government
Drop anchor at Navy's Y2K site
Anyone wrestling with the Year 2000 problem in the federal government would do well to drop by the Navy Department's Year 2000 World Wide Web site (www.doncio.navy.mil/y2k/year2000.htm). The site offers a cornucopia of general links to Year 2000 information as well as links specifically related to
Digital Government
Supervisors hold all the cards during a RIF
Do you think you've got the right to protest decisions made by your supervisor during a reduction in force (RIF)? Think again. A case recently decided by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit [Case 983090, Thomas K. Winans v. Department of the Navy, April 13, 1998] shows that those rig
Digital Government
NSA to declassify two security algorithms
The National Security Agency plans to declassify two computer security algorithms used in Fortezza PC Cards to clear the way for commercial firms to work with the Defense Department on software encryption for DOD's large email message system now under development. NSA last week declassified the Sk
Digital Government
HP guns for SGI in DOD market
HewlettPackard Co. this month launched an aggressive campaign aimed at unseating Silicon Graphics Inc. for leadership in the Unixbased graphics workstations market, specifically for military battlefield simulation. The campaign comes as HP prepares to introduce this August its 64bit operating sy
Digital Government
High-tech warriors, high-tech wars
After years of developing advanced information technology for the battlefield, the military services are poised to reduce the number of people sent into battle, largely by using IT to improve the way forces are supplied. Of course, the Defense Department has steadily reduced the size of the armed f
Digital Government
INS picks three for mega IT deal
The Immigration and Naturalization Service last week awarded to three vendors the largest segment of its $1.2 billion program to continue development of the agency's full range of information systems from the computers by which agents verify the identities of border crossers to the systems INS wo
Digital Government
GSA plan to keep sked partners 'evergreen'
The General Services Administration this month completed work on a plan to let multipleaward schedule vendors remain in the program indefinitely through new 'evergreen' contracts that run five years and are followed by continuous fiveyear option periods. Bill Gormley, assistant commissioner for a
Digital Government
Letters
Unfair comparison After looking at your most recent editorial cartoon [FCW, June 22] I do not think that John Klossner has a complete understanding of the constitutional right being violated by the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System. The pictures of a park, expressway and cable
Digital Government
NARA circulates draft records management plan
The National Archives and Records Administration has begun to circulate a plan for managing the government's digital documents, but the plan lacks a clear policy that information technology managers and records management experts deem critical to solving their recordkeeping problems. A draft policy
Digital Government
FAA awards satellite navigational pact to AMTI
The Federal Aviation Administration this month awarded a contract to Advanced Management Technology Inc. to improve satellitebased navigational technology for civilian pilots. The Satellite Navigation Technical Assistance Contract (SNTAC), which is worth $62 million over seven years, will provide
Digital Government
DOD simulation project meets first milestone
The Defense Department's system for conducting modeling and simulation to train troops for realworld missions recently completed its first major milestone, validating DOD's initiative to have the services work together on simulation programs. Modeling and simulation technologies are becoming incre
Digital Government
HHS plans to use PCs for tobacco survey
Looking for a way to improve privacy in a survey that has become part of the raging debate over tobacco, the Department of Health and Human Services is considering using computer technology to conduct a study of tobacco use among young people. For months, HHS has been preparing a survey of 20,000 i
Digital Government