Digital Government
'Cyber-radar' will alert feds to CPU break-ins
The Defense Information Systems Agency is finalizing plans for a 'cyberradar' system that would link more than 30 sites throughout the Defense Department and various law enforcement and intelligence agencies to beam realtime reports on computer breakins to a central location. The Automated Intru
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Letters to the Editor
AMS cuts WAAS cost growth Your Aug. 25 editorial ['Reinvention can't prevent WAAS woes'] links cost growth in the WideArea Augmentation System (WAAS) with the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) acquisition culture. One has nothing to do with the other. Far from contributing to WAAS' cost grow
Digital Government
SMAC Data Systems wins string of federal PC deals
SMAC Data Systems Inc. in recent weeks has captured a string of federal PC pacts the latest return on the company's 20monthold investment in a PC manufacturing strategy. SMAC last week announced a $462 000 award to supply 200 workstations and multiprocessing servers to the Elkton Federal Prison O
Digital Government
Roster
Col. Dean Ertwine this month took on the new position of deputy for systems acquisition at the Army's CommunicationsElectronics Command. In the newly created job Ertwine will manage the development acquisition testing and fielding of major systems and programs assigned to the command. Ertwine prev
Digital Government
Accepting responsibility for Year 2000
Another week another Year 2000 story. At least that's the way it seems and the news is never good. A report released by a House committee last week tacked another $1 billion onto the estimated Year 2000 fix for federal government computer systems. This week Congress handed out a report card showing
Digital Government
Users gripe about NT, Exchange
Key network and computer personnel in at least one major Air Force command have filed a letter of complaint with the Air Force's inspector general over a decision to make the Microsoft Corp. NT operating system and MSExchange messaging software a servicewide standard. The letter written by personn
Digital Government
USPS starts Desktop Post Office project
The U.S. Postal Service this month released details on a program that would let small and homebased businesses prepare packages for mailing and pay for postal services over the Internet. USPS released to six prequalified vendors a request for comments for its Desktop Post Office (DTPO) which will
Digital Government
SGI to debut NT product next year
In another stage of a long sweeping transformation of its technology offerings Silicon Graphics Inc. sometime next year will introduce its first workstations based on Microsoft Corp.'s Windows NT operating system and Intel Corp. processors. The move to Windows NT is part of SGI's larger strategy to
Digital Government
Feds signal deepening Y2K crisis (Part 2)
Although many agencies assume new PCs will be Year 2000compliant the Nuclear Regulatory Commission recently discovered that an order of 600 highend computers failed to pass its test and the group is now working with its contractor on an upgrade. Most agencies are focused on testing older computer
Digital Government
Rubin fights IRS reform bill
Treasury Department Secretary Robert Rubin last week told the House Ways and Means Committee that any changes to the management of the Internal Revenue Service may result in a setback for the agency's agenda part of which is its current plan to increase its use of electronic filing of tax forms. De
Digital Government
Intercepts
* Influencing IT21. That's what a combined Lotus Oracle and Sun Federal lobbying battalion has tried to do since CINCPACFLT Adm. Archie Clemins issued some rather 'Microsoftian' interim standards this March. This lobbying effort including a pitch to Sen. Daniel Akaka (DHawaii) finally produced so
Digital Government
ATM switch headlines new Lucent net wares
Lucent Technologies Inc. last week announced the forthcoming release of a series of datanetworking products including a core Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) switch that was scheduled to be shipped to the Energy Department's Sandia National Laboratories late last week. Dave Schriftgiesser Lucent's
Digital Government
GIS maps out approach for 'democratization' of government data
Geographic data that has long been in the purview of the federal government is slowly finding its way into the public domain as agencies and vendors take advantage of the Internet CDROMs and other pervasive technologies. Observers in the geographic information systems (GIS) industry peg the federa
Digital Government
Industry Watch
Microsoft delays Win 98 Microsoft Corp. last week said it will delay the launch of Windows 95's successor but the company released to manufacturing a new version of Windows NT designed for missioncritical servers. Microsoft said it now plans to ship Windows 98 in the second quarter of 1998 as oppo
Digital Government
Acquisition reform: Some progress, more to be done
President Clinton and Congress ushered in a new era in federal contracting last year by fundamentally revamping the way the government buys goods and services. The legislation shepherded by exSenator and current Defense Secretary William Cohen (RMe.) and former Rep. William Clinger (RPa.) promis
Digital Government
Court approves DT V pact; two share small-biz portion
After a yearlong legal dispute the Air Force opened the smallbusiness Desktop V contract held by International Data Products Corp. but also awarded a contract to Dynamic Decisions Inc. The Air Force originally awarded the contract to IDP only but DDI filed a protest that started at the Small Busi
Digital Government
CACI maneuvers to buy networking-services company
CACI International Inc. is negotiating to acquire Government Systems Inc. a Chantilly Va. networkingservices firm that could become CACI's largest purchase in terms of revenue. CACI an Arlington Va. information technology services firm disclosed the acquisition discussions last week but the compan
Digital Government
Draft SOW outlines advanced traffic-control system for ships
The Coast Guard released a draft statement of work last month for a new system that is designed to reduce the number of vessel accidents in ports and busy waterways by providing ships with uptotheminute data on traffic conditions on the water. The Ports and Waterways Safety System (PAWSS) would
Digital Government