Standardized procedures to respond to national, regional and local emergencies may soon be the rule for all levels of government, according to Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge.
The Defense Department in February proposed publishing 14 new rules in the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement to streamline the acquisition process.
Federal IT and command and control contract awards of more than $1 million totaled $6.7 billion in January 2004, a decline from January 2003. But contract awards likely will increase soon, according to a report from Reston, Va.-based research firm Input Inc.
The federal government's proposed $10 billion Networx telecommunications and networking program could get a dramatic makeover following a General Services Administration review of industry complaints and suggestions.
The Defense Department this week proposed publishing 14 rules in the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement that would streamline the acquisition process.
The first enterprise software agreement under the GSA SmartBuy program provides six agencies with deeper volume discounts and gives vendor ESRI guaranteed licenses.
Now that the government's efforts in constructing a physical infrastructure in Iraq are under way, it is moving toward erecting a communications and information architecture in the country.
Commercial spending for research and development has increased substantially in recent years. For every federal dollar invested in this area, business now invests about $2. As a result, the private sector now plays an increasingly important role in developing new technologies and influencing acquisitions for some of the most critical federal programs.
Jane Lopez used to spend a lot of money shipping federal grant applications overnight and making multiple paper copies of them. Lopez cut those costs in December when she submitted an application to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration and became the first to submit an application through the governmentwide grant application portal, Grants.gov.
	The Federal Identity and Credentialing Committee released guidelines for developing interoperable federal identification systems based on smart cards.
	The Energy Department's national laboratories should tighten security over classified projects, including advanced computer research, according to a recent audit report of activities at the Sandia, Los Alamos and Oak Ridge National Laboratories.
	Rep. Todd Platts plans to introduce legislation this month that will require agencies to evaluate program performance regularly. Platts, R-Pa., is chairman of the Government Reform subcommittee on government efficiency and financial management.
	The U.S. Agency for International Development is planning to issue an RFP for a Bolivian Administration of Justice project that will implement criminal system reform. 		
	The Marine Corps needs contractors with products designed to support certification and recertification of rifle marksmanship coaches through computer-based training tools.
	The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division at St. Inigoes, Md., wants a contractor to provide development, systems engineering and integration, software support and life-cycle support for various communications, electronic, IT and command and control systems.
