Digital Government
DOD reconsiders Java strategy
The Defense Department has scaled back a proposal to abandon further development of Unixbased client applications under its Common Operating Environment program and instead may focus on Java to reduce the number of platforms requiring support, sources said. While still carving out a major role for
Digital Government
Silence of protesters' bark signals new era
In a wellknown Sherlock Holmes novel, the great detective solves a crime based on a dog that did not bark. The dog normally would have been expected to bark, and the fact that it did not do so during the night of the crime gave the detective key information for the case. In the federal information
Digital Government
Feds await new Pentium
PC vendors anticipate a high level of government interest in the Pentium III processor, which Intel Corp. launched last week in a media blitz that promises desktop users clock speeds of up to 550 MHz and more agile delivery of video and other multimedia files. Agencies involved in videointensive a
Digital Government
Finding the right handheld computer
For computer power on the go, you can find alternatives that are compact, lightweight and affordable. From palmtop devices to near notebooks, today's handheld computers meet the needs of most mobile government executives. Handheld refers to machines that vary dramatically in cost and function.
Digital Government
Set-Asides
Financial software sked restrictions lifted The Office of Management and Budget has approved a plan that would allow federal agencies to buy financial management software from the open General Services Administration Federal Supply Service schedule rather than the mandatory Financial Management Sys
Digital Government
Software snafu slowed key data during Iraq raid
Concerns about the accuracy of data provided by critical Defense Department computer systems during the recent bombing of Iraq delayed updates of critical logistics information by up to eight hours and ignited a twoweek search for the source of the problem. The problem stemmed from one of the data
Digital Government
Bill seeks to double FY 2000 budget to fight child porn
A House bill introduced this month would double the Customs Service's budget to expand a lab and provide more information technology training for agents to investigate child pornography on the Internet. The bill, introduced by Rep. Nick Lampson (DTexas), would authorize $20 million over the next f
Digital Government
For insurance, only signed forms count
A recent court case illustrated the importance of making sure that you have properly designated the beneficiaries of your life insurance policy. The case involved a deceased U.S. Postal Service employee whose family members fought over who was entitled to his life insurance. Former USPS employee Pi
Digital Government
HDS introduces high-endfault-tolerant mainframes
Hitachi Data Systems Corp. today announced a line of mainframe systems targeted at large enterprises that require a high degree of fault tolerance. The Hitachi Skyline Trinium, which at 3,200 million instructions per second (MIPS) has twice the processing power of its predecessor, is the first Syst
Digital Government
Popularity a mixed blessing at Education site
The Education Department's World Wide Web site offers a plethora of data and tools for students, educators and other parties interested in U.S. schooling at all levels. But this may be a case where the demand for information exceeds an agency's level to provide it, according to a recent study. In t
Digital Government
Vendor to offer training via Internet
Distancelearning vendor PBS The Business Channel plans next month to kick off the first in a suite of training courses that it will deliver over the Internet directly to federal and commercial users' desktops. Currently, The Business Channel, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Public Broadcasting Se
Digital Government
Web bridges Gulf for families, troops
BAHRAIN Whatever role the World Wide Web may play in the battlefield of the future, U.S. forces in the Persian Gulf have turned the Web into a powerful tool for communicating with family and friends and getting a taste of home. Military personnel have found that the Web is an ideal medium for kee
Digital Government
GSA online training targets contract staff
The General Services Administration's Federal Acquisition Institute (FAI) Online University last month unveiled its Contracting Officer Representative (COR) Mentor program, which is composed of selfdirected courses designed to train federal employees to work on the technical staffs of contracting
Digital Government
Coping with digital recordkeeping
Responding to court rulings mandating that the government maintain its digital documents in electronic form, federal information technology managers are moving electronic records management (ERM) to the front burner. But as agencies start looking for ways to maintain a digital record of agency busi
Digital Government
It's time to set boundaries on info warfare
For most of last year, the Pentagon articulated the need for a new type of warfare called information warfare battles that would be fought in cyberspace. Indeed, last fall the Joint Chiefs of Staff declared that cyberspace was as critical a battlefield as land, sea or air. Though few who are wel
Digital Government
Adobe enriches Acrobat for workflow apps
A new version of Adobe Systems Inc.'s Acrobat software will allow users to electronically sign documents in Portable Document Format so they can be used in an automated workflow. Agencies use Acrobat to distribute documents in their original file formats. Users with Acrobat readers can read text do
Digital Government
Horn reports feds make headway on Y2K
A House Republican who follows federal agencies' progress in fixing their computers for the Year 2000 bug, today gave a more optimistic view of the federal government's ability to have computers fixed before the new millennium.
Digital Government
BTG and GTSI one year later
BTG Inc. and Government Technology Services Inc. have signed agreements that reduce BTG's ownership in GTSI and transfer the responsibility of government contracts fully to GTSI, including warranty service responsibility.
Digital Government