Digital Government
CheckPoint opens federal office to sell firewalls
Internet firewall provider CheckPoint Software Technologies Ltd. opened a federal office to pursue network security opportunities. The Israeli company hired David Steinberg, former vice president of federal systems at Bay Networks Inc., as federal region manager and opened an office in Alexandria,
Digital Government
Bill seeks Year 2000 compliance
Rep. John Tanner (DTenn.) is considering introducing legislation that would require businesses and individuals exchanging electronic information with the federal government to be Year 2000compliant. The legislation would have the effect of setting a standard for how companies and individuals repr
Digital Government
New Warp version to be voice-enabled
In September 1966, Gene Roddenberry and NBC introduced a novel concept to the American TV audience: A "space opera" called "Star Trek" debuted, and with it came a vision of our technological future. One concept "Star Trek" introduced was the idea of interacting with the computer by voice. In
Digital Government
OPM's claims rules: `dumb and dumber'
Remember the dumb interim rules the Office of Personnel Management issued last year regarding resolution of disputes over health insurance claims? Well, OPM has finalized those rules and made them even dumber. To recap, in 1995 OPM issued interim regulations that said that if a federal worker was u
Digital Government
GIS helps link Grand Canyon's ecosystems
In a project conducted this spring to replenish the Grand Canyon's river beaches and habitat for endangered fish, the Bureau of Reclamation used geographic information systems (GIS) to begin measuring for the first time how the many different components of an ecosystem are linked. In March and Apri
Digital Government
HCNS puts security funds near half-billion mark
Defense Department spending on information security could hit more than half a billion dollars between now and 2001 as a result of language inserted into the 1997 Defense authorization bill by the House Committee on National Security (HCNS). The committee also included what it called "substantial
Digital Government
Atlanta to test people, traffic systems
Athletes from around the world will not be the only ones gathering in Atlanta this summer to test their prowess in the centennial Olympics. Numerous federal agencies are using the Olympic Games as an opportunity to test new computer systems designed to ease the strain that an estimated 2 million vi
Digital Government
The voices of America and other countries
A recent press release touted the Voice of America's new World Wide Web site. Nothing unusual about that lots of federal agencies have Web sites. What made this press release different was the glaring absence of the VOA Web site address. This is not the first time. Once before, when the VOA sent
Digital Government
Vendors add Pentiums, desktops to Army pacts
ORLANDO, Fla. Vendors vying for a piece of the $300 millionplus Army PC market kicked off the summer selling season last week, introducing upgrades to all the key standard contracts managed by the Army's Small Computer Program (SCP). The vendors unveiled the new product lineups at the SCP's sem
Digital Government
SMS revamps jukebox line, introduces modular units
SMS Data Products Group Inc. has overhauled its jukebox line with the recent introduction of modular, upgradable units that can be daisychained, rackmounted or operated in standalone mode. The new Millenia Series, offered at the same price point as the company's older NETower line, features a me
Digital Government
Contract-a-year plan boosts PC competition
ORLANDO, Fla. The Army has decided to dramatically ratchet up the competition for its standard PC contracts and plans to award a new twoyear contract every year, according to officials of the Army's Small Computer Program (SCP) office. The new procurement policy will apply to all future desktop
Digital Government
TRW tool targets fed research community
TRW Inc. last week unveiled a new software package that allows researchbased organizations to quickly search and collate huge amounts of information stored in databases throughout the world. TRW's InfoWeb Architecture, which is based on similar technology TRW developed for an intelligence agency i
Digital Government
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
A PTT Alternative This letter is in response to J. Timothy Sprehe's column, "Presidential Technology Team deserves everyone's attention" [FCW, March 4]. As reported in an earlier FCW and other news sources, the concept of the Presidential Technology Team includes civil servant information technol
Digital Government
CA tests Unicenter release
Computer Associates International Inc. last week began full field testing of CAUnicenter The Next Generation (TNG), a muchanticipated release of its systems management platform that is expected to be widely adopted by the Defense Department and other agencies. Although CA has not yet announced pr
Digital Government
GAO faults management of `best practices' at Customs
The Customs Service has not managed its systems modernization programs in accordance with "best practices" for deploying information technology, the General Accounting Office reported this month, but the agency still has time to correct its mistakes to ensure these projects succeed. In a letter t
Digital Government
HP to broaden TAC-4 offerings
The Navy soon is expected to approve a broad technology refreshment of HewlettPackard Co.'s Tactical Advanced Computer4 (TAC4) workstation contract. In addition to offering price/performance increases with new workstations, servers and graphics technology, the contract update will give Navy user
Digital Government
INDUSTRY BRIEFS
Industry group proposes waiver of COTS laws The Council of Defense and Space Industry Associations (CODSIA) is proposing that the government waive more than four dozen procurement laws when purchasing commercial products. Under the newly enacted Federal Acquisition Reform Act, the Office of Federal
Digital Government
Current rules hamper states' FTS 2000 use
A representative from Maryland's House of Delegates last month contacted General Services Administration chief David Barram about the state's potential use of the FTS 2000 contract but was later told that GSA lacks the authority to offer longdistance services to state and local governments. Delega
Digital Government
DOD nixes noncompliant-gear buys
The Defense Department plans to cancel the purchase of new computer equipment and software that is not Year 2000compliant, according to a recent directive. Saying the Year 2000 problem "requires immediate attention," Emmett Paige Jr., assistant secretary of Defense for command, control, communic
Digital Government