Digital Government
Connecticut Rep. Questions EDS Deal
Connecticut Speaker of the House Moira Lyons (D) recently sent a laundrylist of questions about the state's billiondollar deal now pending with Electronic Data Systems Corp. Among Lyons' concerns are cost savings, privacy, contractor past performance and payment issues associated with the deal.
Digital Government
Two key FAA programs still plagued by problems, IG says
Although the Federal Aviation Administration has made progress in its multibilliondollar modernization effort, two key programs continue to experience problems, the Transportation Department's inspector general told a Senate panel yesterday.
Digital Government
Updated IT could stem Medicare fraud, abuse
A top investigator at the Health Care Financing Administration today told a House subcommittee that the Medicare program remains vulnerable to fraud, waste and payments of unnecessary benefit payments.
Digital Government
B-2 passes first real-world test
The $2 billion B2 stealth bomber, criticized last year for deficiencies in its onboard command and control systems, flew its first actual combat missions this week, successfully bombing targets in Yugoslavia despite poor weather.
Digital Government
Aerospace Expeditionary Force highlights DOD efforts to support operations with IT
Despite being involved in simultaneous military operations in Iraq, Bosnia, Macedonia and now Yugoslavia, the Department of Defense this week discounted concerns about the high tempo of late and cited the Air Force's new Aerospace Expeditionary Force concept as one of the measures it is taking to lessen future burdens.
Digital Government
IT key to FBI mission, director tells Senate
FBI Director Louis Freeh told a Senate committee today that investing in technology will be key to fulfilling the agency's mission next year.
Digital Government
GSA taps Nextel for wireless comm
The General Services Administration's Federal Technology Service yesterday awarded Nextel Communications Inc. a contract, potentially worth several hundred million dollars, to support wireless communications across the government.
Digital Government
Interior joins elite federal Y2K compliant club
The Interior Department announced today that all 90 of its missioncritical systems are Year 2000compliant, several days before the governmentwide Year 2000 deadline.
Digital Government
DOE preps next ASCI buy
The Energy Department is preparing to issue a request for proposals for a new supercomputer that can calculate 30 trillion floatingpoint operations per second (teraflops), which would be three times more powerful than any system currently being used.
Digital Government
Congress considering withholding HUD funds amid reform criticism
Because of persistent information technology management problems at the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Congress is considering holding back as much as $227 million the agency has requested for new programs in fiscal 2000.
Digital Government
DISA picks three for DISN pact
The Pentagon awarded contracts to AT?#038; T Government Markets, MCI WorldCom and Sprint Communications Co. as part of a $600 million program to provide lowspeed network services throughout the United States.
Digital Government
Comparison shop for health plans online
The Office of Personnel Management last week kicked off a plan to build an Internetbased system to help government employees nationwide choose a health plan by comparing the numerous options available to them. As envisioned, federal employees who participate in the Federal Employees Health Benefit
Digital Government
Federal Bytes
Y2K SEMANTICS. People always are asking Sen. Robert Bennett (RUtah), chairman of the Special Committee on the Year 2000 Technology Problem, whether everything will be all right come Jan. 1, 2000. It seems he has a stock answer, which he shared with attendees at a policy summit held by the Informat
Digital Government
Small-business decline hurts federal IT
The Defense Department's decision last month to temporarily suspend the 10 percent price evaluation adjustment for small and disadvantaged businesses (SDBs) because DOD exceeded its 5 percent SDB business goal in fiscal 1998 may indicate that small and minorityowned companies are getting their fai
Digital Government
Intercepts
SPECTRUM WARS. Vice President Al Gore announced with great fanfare this year the administration's financial and policy backing for two new civilian frequencies on Global Positioning System satellites scheduled for launch early in the next century. But according to reports I picked up last week at t
Digital Government
House panel told a dash of Y2K fear not all bad
The Clinton administration is close to calling victory in its battle against the Year 2000 bug, but some experts told Congress today that the federal government should not be so assured and should show more concern about potential problems.
Digital Government
Letters to the Editor
Finding federal jobs Having worked in federal service for many years, and being a highly skilled IT professional (especially in ecommerce and eservice areas), I'd like to comment that feds have no way of identifying people with these valuable skills ['Panel: Changes can lure IT labor,' FCW, March
Digital Government
CPI change is hurting retirees
The Labor Department this year changed its main consumer price gauge, the Consumer Price Index, and that change eventually will knock a couple of tenths of a percentage point off the official annual rate of inflation. Unfortunately, that means federal and privatesector retirees, whose pensions are
Digital Government
Coast Guard calls for audit of logistics system
Citing concerns about cost overruns and slow progress, the Coast Guard's chief information officer has ordered an internal audit of an information technology system being developed that would help it manage and maintain its ships and boats. The Fleet Logistics System is intended to aggregate for th
Digital Government