Digital Government
Commerce Commits to small biz
In a move aimed at diverting more federal information technology contracts to small businesses, the Commerce Department last week released a solicitation worth as much as $1.5 billion for a governmentwide information technology support services contract for small businesses. Commerce unveiled late
Digital Government
Online budget benefits from Starr report
The Government Printing Office has updated its GPO Access World Wide Web site with the president's proposed $1.8 trillion budget for fiscal 2000, carrying on a tradition that began in 1995. But thanks to last year's online release of the Starr report, GPO has put more computing power behind the sit
Digital Government
U.S., Russia form Y2K nuke center
The Pentagon has reached an agreement to set up a joint warning center with Russia to help avoid an accidental launch of nuclear weapons that could result from system malfunctions caused by Year 2000related computer problems. The Defense Department intends to provide Russians working in that facil
Digital Government
IG slams FAA data link costs, sked
Another key component of the Federal Aviation Administration's program to modernize air traffic control is off track, according to a Transportation Department inspector general's report released late last month. The inspector general projects that Controller/Pilot Data Link Communications (CPDLC),
Digital Government
Gondola trial highlights role of cockpit IT
The highprofile trial of the Marine Corps pilot whose jet clipped a ski lift cable in the Italian Alps has ignited a debate on Capitol Hill about information technology failures in the jet's cockpit that many experts believe played a key role in the accident, which killed 20 people.
Digital Government
Why can't agencies buy on credit?
In my latest column on shareinsavings contracts [FCW, Feb. 22], I referenced the prohibition on government contracting in advance of appropriations. The following questions are related to that topic: What is a contract in advance of appropriations? Why is it prohibited? Why can't government agenc
Digital Government
How We Tested: Benchmarking SQL Server
Or sister company, InfoWorld Consulting Services, ran the benchmark tests on SQL Server 7.0 using InfoWorld's enterprise database model. The database contained about 20G of data and 38 tables. The tests consisted of online transaction processing (OLTP) and Decision Support System (DSS) tasks. We tested at three workloads: light, moderate and heavy.
Digital Government
Letters to the Editor
Making the rules In reference to Steven Kelman's OpEd piece 'Silence of protestors' bark signals new era' [FCW, Feb. 22], just because two large companies have not protested awards to other companies does not mean that procurement changes are a success. The federal government not only sets the rul
Digital Government
EPA to create central IT modernization fund
The Environmental Protection Agency plans to establish a central information technology fund that eventually will provide $30 million a year for systems modernization projects.
Digital Government
BMC acquires New Dimension
BMC Software Inc. today announced plans to buy New Dimension Software Inc
Digital Government
HUD expands kiosk program
Less than a year after setting up its first computerbased kiosks to provide information to the public, the Department of Housing and Urban Development has decided to expand the project nationwide. Just as automated teller machines allow people to withdraw cash at all hours, the HUD kiosks, with a
Digital Government
Entevo unveils tools for directory migration
Startup company Entevo Corp. last week unveiled additions to its product suite designed to help users migrate to Microsoft Corp.'s Active Directory product and simplify crossplatform directory management. Entevo's DirectManage product suite is aimed at easing the shift toward directorycentric co
Digital Government
Commerce group to release key-recovery draft plan
A group in the Commerce Department expects to release soon a draft standard on key recovery, a system that enables users to recover encrypted data through a socalled back door should they lose their key.
Digital Government
How we tested HTML conversion software
We decided not to perform formal speed tests on these HTML conversion tools. This was done for two reasons. First, the programs were not capable of dealing with the same sets of legacy file formats, so it was impossible to assemble a single meaningful set of test files. Second, because HTML conversion is generally a chore performed by a Webmaster or systems administrator rather than by end users, small differences in processing times are not critical.
Digital Government
VBA establishes IT-based training support
The Veterans Benefits Administration last month awarded blanket purchase agreements to Computer Sciences Corp. and Interactive Media Corp. to support its information technologybased training programs. Under the BPAs part of the VBA's Training and Performance Support Systems (TPSS) program and po
Digital Government
Clinton Administration to Develop Y2K Contingency Plans
The Clinton administration announced that it will develop contingency plans to keep federal/state social programs operational in case stateowned computers fail because of the Year 2000 computer problem.
Digital Government
Roster Change
Tony Trenkle has been named director of electronic services at the Social Security Administration, replacing John Sabo, who recently retired from government. Trenkle is currently director of the General Services Administration's Electronic Commerce Office. He begins work at SSA on March 15. Bill G
Digital Government
Intercepts
ASD/C3I MAIL CLERKS? Art Money, the longterm senior civilian official acting as ASD/C3I, pleaded with Rep. Stephen Horn (RCalif.) to think twice before he issues any more Year 2000 report cards to the Pentagon. Money told Horn, who has spearheaded House probes into the Year 2000 bug, that the hig
Digital Government
Marines to build enterprise net
The Marine Corps last month kicked off an 18month, $226 million project to develop a worldwide, highspeed network and a new approach to delivering and managing network services. A ceremony held last month at the new Marine Corps Materiel Command, Albany, Ga., marked the initial phase of the Marin
Digital Government