People
Open Government conference roundup
The Open Government and Innovations conference, held in Washington, D.C., last week, featured lively dialogue and debate on a variety of topics, including social media, acquisition reform and health care information technology.
People
Military health records project set to expand
A Defense Department pilot program designed for easy access to medical files could propel government and military recordkeeping into the 21st century, a CIO said.
Acquisition
Vet-owned firms grow but still short of goals
Spending with service-disabled, veteran-owned contractors has grown for five years, but is still short of mandated goal.
Modernization
DOD to launch Web 2.0-intensive site
The new Defense.gov site will feature greater use of new technologies, appeal to younger Web users, official says.
Acquisition
Small bites, greater expertise produce speedier acquisitions
Procurement experts say there are numerous steps DOD officials could take to increase the odds that acquisitions will deliver the expected results in a timely and cost-effective fashion.
People
Who's on First?
Key IT and acquisition jobs remain unfilled in the Obama administration and even the rumormill is strangely quiet.
People
DOD is top source of 2009 Rising Star award winners
The Defense Department seems to have a knack for either attracting or nurturing rising stars in the field of information technology.
Modernization
Voice over IP builds bridge to the future of DOD comms
The lessons of VOIP are helping expand and combine rich communications and collaboration on military networks.
Modernization
GAO: Better management needed for e-health project
The Defense and Veterans Affairs departments are making progress on electronic health records interoperability, but the project's management needs to be improved, the Government Accountability Office said.
People
Congress tries to improve defense acquisition
A defense task force said the acquisition process is too cumbersome and slow to keep up with the fast-pace evolution of information technology systems.
People
DOD seeks to balance outsourcing, in-house expertise
The Defense Department needs systems engineers who have a deep understanding of the IT systems in their charge, although they don’t need to actually write the software lines of code, an official said.
Modernization
Military seeks to marry communications, collaboration networks
The lessons of VOIP are helping expand and combine rich communications and collaboration on military networks.
People
Army IT exec weighs in on the service's technology programs, challenges
Gary Winkler, Army program executive officer for enterprise information systems at Fort Belvoir, Va., discussed a number of current initiatives, including the Logistics Modernization Program, in a recent interview.
Acquisition
Defense bill: Contractors would feel the hurt if feds are injured
If a contractor is found at fault for causing injury to a government employee, DOD must prohibit any award fee.
Cybersecurity
Cyber Command: So much still to know
Defense and cybersecurity experts have lots of questions about the scope and operations of the military's newest command.
Modernization
Social media: Threat or revolution?
In this era of social media and online social networks, the old phrase “loose lips sink ships” has become outdated — the new game in town is transparency.
Cybersecurity
Cyber command in urgent need of strategy, military leaders say
At the same time, the increasing complexity of cyberspace and ongoing workforce issues remain pressing challenges, adding urgency, military leaders said, for the new command to articulate its strategy soon.
Acquisition
DOD’s use of services contracts gets congressional scrutiny
The fiscal 2010 National Defense Authorization Act seeks greater oversight of services and speedier ways to buy information technology.
Cybersecurity
Cyber Command: Observers worry about unintended consequences
The size and importance of DOD’s military operations have caused some observers to wonder about how big an effect the Cyber Command might have outside its own domain.
Cybersecurity