Digital Government
Texas city tests two-way emergency comm platform
The City of Manor, Texas, is deploying a pilot platform designed to deliver location-specific alerts to residents during a crisis and allow them to send information back to emergency responders via smart phones.
Digital Government
21 years later, public safety networks still can't talk to each other
After more than two decades of development, the P25 suite of interoperability standards for public safety radio networks remains incomplete, House panel is told.
Digital Government
EHRs Not So User-Friendly
The usability (or lack thereof) of electronic health records is a key factor in their adoption, yet vendors do a poor job of systematically focusing on convenience of use throughout the development and testing of EHRs, concluded a recently released report.
People
GSA offers governmentwide platform for idea competitions
The General Services Administration seeks to make it easier for federal agencies to hold online competitions for innovative ideas.
Acquisition
VA said to fall behind on verifying veteran-owned businesses
Through April, the VA had verified only 14 percent of companies in Vetbiz.gov, a database of companies able to get set-aside contracts.
Digital Government
FISMA reform rides on defense spending's coattails
A defense authorization bill amendment seeks to improve federal cybersecurity by increasing oversight, improving standards and making compliance and security more attainable.
Digital Government
Gen Y Values Privacy
Younger Internet users are actually more careful about protecting their online privacy than their older counterparts, according to a new <a href="http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2010/Reputation-Management.aspx?r=1">study</a> by the Pew Internet and American Life Project.
Digital Government
Agencies to measure effects of science spending
The White House and two agencies will start collecting data on federal spending's effects on science.
Digital Government
Google browser targets federal market
Google is subtly increasing pressure on Microsoft with a new release of its Chrome browser. Government employees may now have a new alternative to Microsoft's Internet Explorer platform: Google has released a new stable version of its browser for Mac and Linux, bringing it out of beta for these two platforms.
People
Unions fight proposed pay freeze for feds
Unions and federal employee groups have their hands full working to turn back attempts in the House and Senate to freeze federal pay in fiscal 2011.
Digital Government
Outlook for Public Service Academy
GovLoop's featured <a href="http://www.govloop.com/profiles/blogs/govloop-project-of-the-week-13">project of the week</a> is the campaign to create a U.S. Public Service Academy, on par with the nation's military academies, to inject prestige into federal service and highlight the importance of government work. The post touts the need for such an institution, particularly as the government faces a serious shortage of public servants as more than 90 percent of the federal government's leadership becomes eligible to retire over the next decade.
Cybersecurity
Amazon talks cybersecurity in the cloud for feds
Nextgov discusses government managers' fear of losing control, data breaches and disaster recovery with Adam Selipsky, head of the company's Web services division.
Digital Government