Digital Government
Editorial
The whole issue of encryption policy and software export licenses is fraught with controversy. The software industry, convinced that the current policy puts it at a competitive disadvantage, has been lobbying Congress hard to remove the restrictions. The intelligencegathering agencies argue just a
Digital Government
Agencies, Congress prepare for ITMRA
President Clinton signed an executive order last week outlining in broad strokes the responsibilities for chief information officers and rules for setting up 'interagency support structures' so that agencies can coordinate, exchange ideas on and set standards for information technology projects gov
Digital Government
I-NET lands $42.6M support services pact at USPS
The U.S. Postal Service has awarded a $42.6 million outsourcing contract to INET Inc. to provide information support services for the agency's headquarters. The sevenyear, fixedprice Computer Facilities Management pact is a consolidation of several contracts and task orders held by numerous vend
Digital Government
Image compression eases storage, transmission issues
Electronic distribution of still images and video is becoming easier, and there is no doubt it will be a vital part of future agency communications and computing systems. But technical and cost barriers have to be overcome first, and key to this is the continuing advance in compression technology.
Digital Government
EMC set to offer network file server
EMC Corp., already a leading vendor in the federal mainframe storage market, will continue evolving its product line this fall with a highly anticipated entry into the network file server market. Like its recently released Media Server, which handles images and video, EMC's new network file server
Digital Government
ROSTER
Richard Metrey of the Carderock Division, Naval Surface Warfare Center, recently received the Navy Superior Civilian Service Award. The award recognized Metrey for his work on interactive computer simulation and analysis, radar cross sections and infrared signatures. In addition, Metrey worked on f
Digital Government
JWID leader digs for 'gold nugget' technologies
Col. Rock Schmidt, director of the Joint Warrior Interoperability Demonstration (JWID) '96, promises this year's premier Defense Department demonstration of advanced communications and computer technologies will more than live up to a bit of superlative Army Airborne and Ranger slang "hooah," me
Digital Government
DOJ, Treasury to team on firearms tracking system
President Clinton last week signed a directive instructing the departments of Treasury and Justice to put into place a computer system to track the sale of guns used in crimes and to help prosecute gun traffickers who sell illegal firearms, particularly to minors. Under the Youth Crime Gun Interdic
Digital Government
FEDERAL BYTES
NASA's Scientific and Engineering Workstation Procurement (SEWP) has a 'mascot' of sorts a duck relaxing in a soup bowl. The Marx Brothers would have been proud. After all, 'Duck Soup' remains one of the Brothers' most famous films. We're not sure what the connection is between NASA and the Marx
Digital Government
Fingerprint work added to earlier IAFIS pact
Just weeks away from award, the FBI last month canceled its $25 million Fingerprint Image Capture System (FICS) contract, the last of five contracts that will make up the bureau's highprofile Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS). FBI officials said the contract was cancel
Digital Government
Panel cites lack of preparedness
Preliminary findings from a congressional survey indicate that most federal agencies have only just begun to develop plans to tackle the problem of reprogramming their computers to accept the Year 2000, prompting major concern among lawmakers about the possible consequences. The survey which was
Digital Government
FTP adds security to its TCP/IP suite
FTP Software Inc. today announced a new version of its Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol connectivity suite, which the company says is the first to support Microsoft Corp.'s Windows 95 and Windows NT 4.0 and also offer Pretty Good Privacy (PGP), a de facto standard for sending secure
Digital Government
Rapid-fire criticism hits upcoming FAST launch
As the General Services Administration last week announced a new acquisition program expected to produce $1 billion a year in sales, a group of small businesses and their congressional supporters attacked the agency for its decision to terminate the regional program that served as the model for the
Digital Government
Survival in competitive IT environment demands teaming deals
Having good, strong teaming relationships has never been more important in the federal information technology market than it is today, especially for smaller companies. Most of us understand this, but we've never really looked closely at why it is happening or at the longterm implications. A quick
Digital Government
New encryption plan to be tested in federal pilots
Vice President Al Gore last Friday announced a plan to encourage the widespread use of encryption that can be decoded by law enforcement with a court warrant. The move clarifies the emerging outlines of a new administration encryption policy. The vice president also announced that federal agencies
Digital Government
INTERCEPTS
Messaging wars. Microsoft has targeted the federal messaging market and plans to push its Exchange software heavily this year in an attempt to wrest IBM's Lotus Development Corp. from its 65 percent share of the market. Bruce Weber, Microsoft Federal's Exchange marketing manager, said the company p
Digital Government
GSI faults cost evaluation on DSSG
Government Systems Inc. said the Defense Information Systems Agency ignored its own evaluation criteria, which gave the most weight to price, in awarding a $2 billion network support contract last month to Boeing Information Services. GSI's charge is contained in a protest the company filed with th
Digital Government
Cordant, DynCorp up for sale
Consolidation intensified last week in the federal information technology market with Cordant Inc. and DynCorp seeking buyers. Cordant, a Reston, Va., integrator, reportedly has been conducting an auction, using the approach employed by PRC in its recent sale. Sources familiar with the discussions
Digital Government
MCI wins $35M VA phone deal
MCI has once again proven adept at obtaining federal telecommunications business that falls between the cracks of the FTS 2000 contract, winning a $35 million contract for operatorassisted longdistance services to patients and visitors to Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals. The award, annou
Digital Government