Digital Government

NEC regroups, focuses on notebooks

NEC Computer Systems Division is completing a reorganization of its government operations and is emphasizing notebook technology in a renewed federal marketing push. NEC Computer Systems Division a business unit of Packard Bell NEC Inc. is absorbing what had been the government business of Zenith D

Digital Government

Federal Bytes

Manual writers report to the ER Medical researchers know plenty about managing the inputs and outputs of the human body but computers the researchers reminded us recently are different animals entirely. At a meeting last week held at the National Institutes of Health to discuss new systems for mana

Digital Government

Returning to Harvard: Rip Van Winkle and information tech

If you stare at your watch it's hard to see it moving but if you don't look at it for an hour it's easy to see how it has changed since you last looked. The same applies if you've been away from an organization for a long time. Gradual shifts that might not be noticed by the person around the insti

Digital Government

Final revision to streamline, open up communications

A year after it was first proposed federal policymakers have issued their final revisions to Part 15 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation the rules that govern large negotiated procurements. The new regulations which become mandatory on Jan. 1 are designed to encourage more open communications be

Digital Government

GAO: DOD system puts soldiers at risk

The Defense Department computer system that helps supply Army troops with everything from M16s to beans is far behind in fixing its computers to be Year 2000compliant which could cause 'injury or death ' according to the General Accounting Office. The Logistics Systems Support Center (LSSC) is no

Digital Government

Congress passes legislation that benefits feds

The Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 contains a number of provisions specific to federal employees. What follows is a summary of its major legislative provisions, federalspecific and nonfederalspecific. Retirement Benefits Under the Taxpayer Relief Act, there will be a fiveyear, .5 percent increase i

Digital Government

Hawaii's Campaign Spending Site Gets the Vote

Even as the campaign spending hearings in Washington highlight abuses and prompt calls for reform the state of Hawaii has found a way to let the average citizen see where the money is coming from and where it is going.

Digital Government

Illinois Comptroller: How to Turn Around an Administrative System on the Brink of Crisis

When Illinois Comptroller Loleta Didrickson entered office two years ago she faced a situation about to implode. Not a fiscal one but a deadend computer platform and archaic accounting procedures that threatened to stymie management of the state's $35 billion budget.

Digital Government

Healthy Technology Options for State and Local Health Care Agencies

Laura Larsson gave up hope long ago that the public health nutritionists she helps train would get access anytime soon to the technology necessary to mine the wealth of health information now on the Internet. '

Digital Government

Bridging the Gap Between Citizens and City Decision-Makers

During a computer simulated drive over a new design for San Francisco's Bay Bridge, elected city officials gasped as they accelerated over an incline into a panoramic view ofblue sky.

Digital Government

The Sweetest Suites

Once upon a time an office suite was just a bunch of applications thrown into a box and tagged with a discounted price.

Digital Government

Groupware Speeds Emergency Measures

It's an old joke: What are the four seasons in California? Fires floods earthquakes and mud slides.

Digital Government

New Technology and Business in the Civic Sector

New GIS Software Increases Ease and Accuracy of Property Maps The geographic information system (GIS) software industry is becoming increasingly specialized toward the needs of state and local government users.

Digital Government

DISA plans FedCenter expansion

FedCenter the commercial electronic mall and acquisition site on the World Wide Web that is open to government agencies will get a $15 million facelift that should make it one of the most used electronic commerce Internet sites according to its developers. Digital Commerce Corp. which launched FedC

Digital Government

PC-management tools take aim at cost of ownership

PC prices have been dropping during the last several years but not the burdensome cost of PC administration. That situation is changing however with industry vendors now offering a slew of software packages designed to ease what is now popularly known as the 'total cost of ownership.' Total cost of

Digital Government

Insurance group to help feds weather budget cuts

In response to congressional budget cuts for agencies conducting environmental research the insurance industry has invested in information technology so that the National Hurricane Center can continue to research violent storms. The industry last month formed the nonprofit Insurance Friends of the

Digital Government

Nonprofits get one-stop shop for federal info

Vice President Al Gore this month unveiled the U.S. NonProfit Gateway Web network which is the administration's latest Internet project to deliver federal information to citizens. With a few minor exceptions the NonProfit Gateway is a wellorganized guide to the sometimesburiedbutalmostalwaysv

Digital Government

Industry Watch

Unisys names Weinbach chairman Unisys Corp.'s board of directors last week elected Lawrence A. Weinbach as chairman president and chief executive officer. Weinbach former managing partner of Andersen Worldwide succeeds James A. Unruh who announced his intention to step down earlier this year. Weinb

Digital Government

Federal Bytes

An idea man Wondering what sort of a manager Dennis Fischer the incoming FTS honcho will be? Is he an innovator open to new ideas? Does he appreciate the diversity of agencies' needs and the challenges of deploying new technologies? A presentation Fischer gave at the recent CardTech/SecureTech smar

Digital Government

OPM rethinks strategy for retirement system

After abandoning a nearly decadeold effort to develop a computer system to manage the federal government's retirement systems the Office of Personnel Management last month completed a review of what services a revamped system should support. OPM undertook the review this past spring months after i