Digital Government

IT Procurement, Happily Ever After

If Aesop were writing today, he might spin a cautionary tale about the selection of electronic health records. The moral? A proprietary system that looks like a golden goose may turn out to be a costly pile of sour grapes. Or something like that.

Cybersecurity

Navy's World Class Cyber Command

When it comes to cybersecurity, the U.S. Navy is way ahead of its time, says Alan Paller, director of research for the SANS Institute, where I work as managing editor.

Acquisition

SBA now will give grades, not colors

SBA has revised its annual Small Business Procurement Scorecard format to help clarify grades.

People

New lifeline for the poor and underprivileged arrives via mobile health

Because of White House involvement, Text4baby is probably the most high-profile example of mobile health. Its success is likely to give more attention to a health information technology approach that has been in development for at least three years and is on the cusp of expanded federal regulation.

Modernization

Need precedes the deed of moving to the cloud

NOAA's use of cloud computing for the National Weather Service's Web site could be a model for other agencies.

Acquisition

Clarity is key to avoiding icy government-industry relationship

Daniel Gordon, administrator of the Office of Federal Procurement Policy, is trying to clarify the guidelines for government contractors. For industry executives, getting his attention is as important as hearing what he has to say.

People

What's on Sonya Thompson's bookshelf?

The deputy assistant director/chief information officer of the Federal Bureau of Prisons shares her current favorites.

Modernization

Recommended reading

The truth about cell phones and airplanes; office technology and the multitasking illusion

Modernization

What you need to know about storage in the cloud

Because new data centers might not be an option to accommodate future government data growth, cloud storage services might provide an answer.

Modernization

Cloud storage: Interest, but little action now

What are your plans to adopt pay-per-use hosted storage from service providers such as Amazon Simple Storage Service, EMC Atmos, Nirvanix, Planet or AT&T?

Acquisition

New media means smarter contracting for GSA

Developments in the field of collective intelligence could juice the General Services Administration's acquisition business, according to new GSA Administrator Martha Johnson.

Modernization

Army impressed by initial test of next generation radios

A central part of a plan to modernize brigades, radios will link units so they can transmit broadband data, including imagery.

Digital Government

Agencies to get more nuanced marks on small business contracting

Moving from a stoplight system to letter grades will increase clarity and transparency of score card, according to SBA.