Digital Government
IG questions DOD awards
Defense Department contracting officials have engaged in 'questionable' procurement practices, costing taxpayers millions of dollars in higher prices and denying some vendors a fair opportunity to be considered for DOD contracts, according to a report released this month. Between fiscal 1995 and fi
Digital Government
Net tool key to Hubble project
In order to keep up its steady flow of spectacular space imagery, the Hubble Space Telescope ground system requires a lot of behindthescenes network service the equivalent of 120 Ethernet networks linked together over a highspeed backbone to support the myriad of people involved with the p
Digital Government
Same as it ever was
The juxtaposition of two stories on last week's front page one about a failed Interior Department modernization project and the second about a flagging Federal Aviation Administration modernization project again reminds us that procurement reform alone cannot ensure the success of any major fed
Digital Government
CTA looks beyond Y2K
It is no secret that there is a looming business problem for federal systems integrators, whose business grew considerably thanks to Year 2000 remediation projects. The question they face is what to do for an encore, assuming they have done a good enough job to seek repeat business. Officials at Co
Digital Government
USDA site speeds research to the Web
Access to what is probably the largest collection of free online publications relating to forestry research is a click away on the World Wide Web site of the Agriculture Department's Forest Service Southern Research Station. The station uses its site, located at www.srs.fs.fed.us, as a way to showc
Digital Government
Radio shortage compromises crew safety
In the midst of doubling its air armada operating in Kosovo, the Defense Department is experiencing a 'critical shortage' of survival radios used by aircraft crews to call for help, according to internal DOD documents. This shortage, which resulted from design problems with the radio, including a s
Digital Government
SGI recasts market image
Silicon Graphics Inc., known for the last 17 years primarily for its highend 3D graphics computers, last week launched a new strategy aimed at educating customers on the full breadth of products it offers. Although the legal name of the company will remain Silicon Graphics Inc., the company plans
Digital Government
Intercepts
MONOPOLY MONEY. Acquiring wellsituated property is the theme of the Monopoly board game, and it's starting to look as if it is the key factor in the sale of Boeing Information Systems, the integrator arm of the aircraft company that hasn't distinguished itself recently in the hurlyburly battle fo
Digital Government
National Governors' Association Reports on E-Commerce
Looking to promote the growth of electronic commerce, 44 states have passed laws or regulations that support the use of electronic signatures in digital transactions, according to a study released today by the National Governors' Association.
Digital Government
GSA: New financial schedule due by fall
The General Services Administration last week outlined the transition to new financial management software contracts when the current mandatory schedule expires in September. The Financial Management System Software (FMSS) schedule, held by GSA's Federal Technology Service, has been under fire from
Digital Government
Help-desk automation grows up
Once a standalone internal support application for managing calls from users, helpdesk automation tools have matured into products that can serve as central repositories of vital information for tracking information technology assets and managing network performance. Along the way, the software h
Digital Government
Net service shields Web users in Yugoslavia
Those fortunate enough to still have Internet access in Kosovo and other regions of Yugoslavia now have a way to send email and to access U.S. governmentsponsored radio broadcasts without the threat of being identified and prosecuted by Yugoslav security authorities. Anonymizer Inc., a provider o
Digital Government
NIH awards four networking pacts
The National Institutes of Health on Thursday awarded four networking contracts that together are worth up to $100 million over the next five years. These awards complete a trio of procurements to modernize and support the agency's computing infrastructure. The winning vendors Digicon Corp., Inte
Digital Government
High-tech classrooms need boost
Teachers and students told a congressional educational panel last week that great strides have been made toward integrating technology in the classroom, but more support from policymakers and teachers will be necessary to make American classrooms truly hightech.
Digital Government
'Melissa' a sign of problems to come, panelists told
The government's encounter with the widespread 'Melissa' macro virus late last month should serve as a warning to agencies without adequate system security practices in place, government officials told a House subcommittee last week. Melissa is a 'symptom of broader information security concerns ac
Digital Government
Hoodwinked on outsourcing
This administration is playing fast and loose with the lives of federal employees through its efforts to downsize government. It has undertaken this effort based on the assumption that outsourcing creates a more efficient and less expensive government. In fact, federal managers have no way of deter
Digital Government
Rep. pushes for National Y2K Test Day
Rep. Harold Ford Jr. (DTenn.) last week introduced a bill that would require federal agencies to conduct a widescale, endtoend test of key computer systems to determine if they are prepared to handle the Year 2000 computer date change.
Digital Government
Two vendors look for breakthrough in federal market
Several vendors offering products that focus on specific agency needs instead of wideranging solutions have entered the federal marketplace since the beginning of the year, and each is finding ways to tackle the problem of gaining awareness in a notoriously tough market. Cognet Corp., which starte
Digital Government
Federal IT community 'gives something back'
The federal information technology community is becoming more civicminded, if a recent series of charity events serves as an indication. The industry has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars this year through blacktie gala receptions, silent auctions and a fashion show. Recipients of the givin
Digital Government