Digital Government
GAO to Navy: Get control of your Year 2000 efforts
In the latest of a string of reports criticizing the Defense Department's efforts to address its Year 2000 problems, the General Accounting Office took aim at the Navy with a searing indictment of the service's Year 2000 management and oversight controls. In a report released last week, 'Defense Co
Digital Government
Smartronix toughens Panasonic laptop
Although the solid magnesium case of Panasonic's CF25 laptop makes it unusually tough, some military users are taking its ruggedization a step further with the assistance of startup hardware and software designer Smartronix Inc. Smartronix, based in California, Md., is providing users with extra
Digital Government
Electronic payments lag as deadline looms
With the deadline for agencies to make all payments electronically just less than six months away, less than 40 percent of the payments the government makes to the private sector are done electronically, the Treasury Department reported last week. The Debt Collection Improvement Act of 1996 mandate
Digital Government
Hard Bodies
If you need a notebook computer that can take a littleor a lotof abuse, consider buying a ruggedized model.
Digital Government
Don't shortchange infowar
For the most part, Congress has properly responded to crises involving information technology. But last month's decision to gut the Defense Department's fiscal 1999 information warfare budget was the technological equivalent of Congress shooting itself and the nation in the foot. In their respe
Digital Government
Police Check Out Faster, Friendlier Investigative Tools
Det. Doug Garrett, a crime analyst with the city of Kent, Wash., earlier this year investigated a crime ring suspected of auto theft, mail theft, forgery and drug trafficking.
Digital Government
City Adds Telecom to Basic Service Menu
A booming number of Americans regards telecommunications as more of a necessity than a luxury, but is your Internet connection truly as essential as clean water? Is cable TV as valued as sewer services?
Digital Government
Facing Your Year 2000 Liability
Fears that Year 2000 bugs will interrupt vital state and local government services are daunting enough for most information technology professionals working on the datechange problem.
Digital Government
IRS reform legislation bolsters modernization effort
Tucked inside the Internal Revenue Service reform legislation approved by the Senate last week are provisions aimed at keeping the agency on track to modernize its computer systems. The measure, the most sweeping reform of the tax collection agency since 1952, focuses mainly on revamping the IRS to
Digital Government
Is There Cash in Your Conduit?
As telecommunications competition heats up, many communities will be faced with an onslaught of street construction.
Digital Government
Treasury CIO in FTS 2001 talks
The chief information officer at the Treasury Department is contemplating sending a letter to the General Services Administration expressing his reluctance to participate in the governmentwide FTS 2001 longdistance network before 2000. Jim Flyzik said last week that his primary concern for the ne
Digital Government
Industry Watch
Five vendors nab $135 million Navy contract The Space and Naval Warfare Command in San Diego last month awarded contracts to five vendors totaling more than $135 million for engineering and technical support services to the Navy's submarine and satellite fleet. Spawar made the awards under the Prec
Digital Government
Enterworks expands data integration tool
Middleware vendor Enterworks Inc. last month announced a new release of its Virtual DB data integration software that expands the range of tools the product works with, including Microsoft Corp.'s Windowsbased database tools. Virtual DB is an 'information generation' tool that lets users build a u
Digital Government
Letters
The contracting process Steven Kelman is rightly concerned that the government could lose the benefit of multiple taskorder contracting due to directed solesource ordering [FCW, May 11]. Presumably, users direct the order because contracting personnel would otherwise purchase undesired items. (De
Digital Government
FAA modernization under fire again
Air traffic controllers at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport last week charged the Federal Aviation Administration with reneging on promises to include them in the development of a new air traffic control system, which is scheduled for installation at the airport next March.
Digital Government
GAO blasts bomber's IT
The General Accounting Office reported last month that problems with the command and control systems used aboard the Air Force's costly stealth bomber contributed to a list of deficiencies that limit the aircraft's ability to carry out bombing missions, a conclusion some experts said is inaccurate.
Digital Government
NTSB gives accident details; Senate offers virtual tours
Numerous federal agencies use the World Wide Web to give the public access to research that an agency has conducted. The National Transportation Safety Board is one agency that has posted information that any person who travels by boat, train, plane or automobile would be interested in: all acciden
Digital Government
Tech-deficient managers, new work force
At a recent conference, I ran into Ken Hoffman, a savvy longtime information technology manager at a major federal agency. We are more or less the same age (at least to judge from appearances), but as a techie, Ken is much better than I at having a feel for how IT is changing our lives. Ken noted t
Digital Government
Fedwire
White House unveils training plan The Clinton administration last week announced a program to increase the government's use of information technology tools for training federal employees. The National Economic Council and the Office of Science and Technology Policy, under the direction of the admin
Digital Government