Digital Government
HUD fights GAO's 'high-risk' label
The Department of Housing and Urban Development and several members of Congress are questioning the General Accounting Office's reasons for keeping HUD on the GAO's list of 'highrisk' agencies, specifically, and what criteria in general makes any agency highrisk. HUD has a history of organization
Digital Government
GSA taps Nextel for wireless comm
The General Services Administration's Federal Technology Service yesterday awarded Nextel Communications Inc. a contract, potentially worth several hundred million dollars, to support wireless communications across the government.
Digital Government
Congress considering withholding HUD funds amid reform criticism
Because of persistent information technology management problems at the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Congress is considering holding back as much as $227 million the agency has requested for new programs in fiscal 2000.
Digital Government
Reseller targets small buys
At a time when most computer vendors are targeting enterprise or agencywide opportunities, CDW Government Inc. (CDWG) is focusing on the smaller, daytoday purchases made by many federal employees. Large contracts or blanket purchase agreements are the more traditional sources of profit in the fe
Digital Government
Vendors stress ownership cost
Many vendors at last week's FOSE trade show and exhibition in Washington, D.C. marketed their offerings, new and old, as a means for federal agencies to bring down the overall cost of owning and managing IT products. Purchase price is still an issue, but from office software suites to servers, almo
Digital Government
Industry groups take past-performance complaint to OFPP
The Pentagon should consider changes to policies that currently prohibit the Defense Department from mounting a counter cyberattack if its computers are attacked, the National Research Council recommended in a report released today.
Digital Government
HUD removes walls between its databases
The Department of Housing and Urban Development has five program offices and more than 10 support offices, all of which maintain completely separate information systems. Any request for information that crosses office boundaries now takes days to fill, but the agency is testing a system that will f
Digital Government
Litronic nears deal to acquire Pulsar
Security systems vendor Litronic Inc. is close to completing a deal to acquire federal systems and services provider Pulsar Data Systems Inc., according to Litronic executives.
Digital Government
Feds find silver lining in Y2K struggle
Despite the havoc it has given federal managers, the Year 2000 problem may have better equipped federal chief information officers to handle future information technology problems, according to the CIO Council.
Digital Government
GSA will refresh online ordering through Advantage
Later this year the General Services Administration's Federal Supply Service will unveil the newest version of its online purchasing site, bringing faster searching and ordering capabilities to customers and better posting features to vendors. GSA Advantage has been online for almost five years, an
Digital Government
Air Force speeds awards for PCs, add-ons
Despite continuing opposition to its methods of evaluating and limiting bidders, the Air Force last week awarded blanket purchase agreements worth hundreds of millions of dollars to six vendors to provide the military service with information technology products and services. The Air Force's Standa
Digital Government
GTSI beefs up Web presence
Government Technology Services Inc. this week bolsters its presence online with a new electronic commerce function and a World Wide Web portal for federal information technology professionals. GTSI designed its new Web presence to be a separate segment within the company gtsi.com encompassing a
Digital Government
GSA preps security pacts
The General Services Administration's Office of Information Security last week released a request for quotations on a $250 million security services contract to help agencies protect their critical computer systems. The blanket purchase agreement is the basis for Program Safeguard, an OIS effort to
Digital Government
Financial group lays security groundwork
The financial industry group working with the Treasury Department on protecting the nation's critical systems has identified its top priorities and is beginning to carry them out.
Digital Government
HUD expands kiosk program
Less than a year after setting up its first computerbased kiosks to provide information to the public, the Department of Housing and Urban Development has decided to expand the project nationwide. Just as automated teller machines allow people to withdraw cash at all hours, the HUD kiosks, with a
Digital Government
Air Force awards key IT contracts
Despite its controversial strategy to use blanket purchase agreements in place of its information technology product and service contracts, the Air Force's Standard Systems Group today awarded BPAs worth hundreds of millions of dollars to six vendors covering a wide range of computer and networking gear.
Digital Government
Feds to expand critical infrastructure review team
Federal officials plan to expand the team of experts reviewing agencies' plans to protect their critical computer systems as ordered by President Clinton last year..
Digital Government
U.S. security effort could be as draining as Y2K
Federal agencies have spent more than a year diverting funds and staff for numerous information technology programs to fix Year 2000 computer problems. Federal security officials said yesterday that the same drain on IT budgets has begun as agencies attempt to comply with a presidential directive to protect their critical computer systems.
Digital Government
Compaq expands net services initiative
Recognizing the growing importance of the Internet and electronic transactions in daytoday business, Compaq Computer Corp. last week announced a new offering of network consulting and integration services. The Compaq Next Generation Network forms the basis of the company's vision for businesses c
Digital Government