Oscar Morales likes to compare the early days of the federal e-rulemaking initiative to early use of online tax filing. The IRS' offering was slow to gain acceptance; now it is a time-saving tool used by millions of people and businesses.
The Defense Department has published amendments to its supplement to the Federal Acquisition Regulation, known as DFAR, as part of its program to transform defense procurements. Most of the changes are marginal, but the department also is moving many regulations out of DFAR and into a procedures, guidance and information manual, or PGI, that won't have the force of law.
Among the honorees for the Best New Technology awards to be given out this week at FOSE 2004 are products that address important government needs, from voice over IP and enterprise architecture initiatives to data security and network performance. These technologies, which solve challenges at a diverse pool of civilian and defense agencies, are the subject of an indepth look in this issue's lead story.
More details on the second version of the Homeland Security Department's enterprise architecture should become known over the next three months, a DHS official said earlier this month.
The Defense Department later this month will release two requests for proposals for pilot programs using its Business Management Modernization Program architecture.
More details on the second version of the Homeland Security Department's enterprise architecture should become known over the next three months, a DHS official said today.
As states rebound from three straight years of budget shortfalls, systems integrators are showing remarkable creativity in helping states stretch scarce dollars. Many are signing contracts that require less upfront funding by customers, and that generate additional revenue for the state. Although these approaches are not necessarily new, the demand for them is strong and growing.
The performance of all federal programs would have to be addressed at least once every five years under a bill introduced by Rep. Todd R. Platts, R-Pa.
Computas NA Inc., Sammamish, Wash., is developing a capital asset planning and business case model for its Metis Enterprise visual modeling toolset. The company plans to demonstrate a prototype at FOSE in Washington March 23-25. FOSE is produced by PostNewsweek Tech Media, parent company of Washington Technology.
Science Applications International Corp. wants you to know it has built a tent so big that the company hopes to fit 2,500 vendors?including competing systems integrators ? inside.
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.
The White House has identified 18 agencies that will not receive funding to upgrade their information technology systems until they fix security problems. "Agencies need to secure what they have," not layer new projects on top of vulnerable IT infrastructures, said <b>Karen Evans</b>, administrator for IT and e-government in the Office of Management and Budget.
<b>Michael Maggio</b> knew his company's wireless security product could be a winner if it caught the interest of a prime contractor in government IT. So the Newbury Networks Inc. president and chief executive officer trumpeted the ability of his company's WiFi Watchdog product to track wireless users. Maggio's marketing signals were picked up by no less than the second largest integrator, Northop Grumman. In a special report, Washington Technology found that Newbury's courting of Northrop Grumman is typical of how large integrators and smaller, specialized cybersecurity companies form partnerships.
Some companies get how to sell to the federal government. Some don't. "They don't help me understand how they can solve the business problems the department has," said <b>Mike Sade</b>, senior procurement executive at the Commerce Department. Those that get it, Sade said, have embraced the procurement reforms now guiding federal agencies. Washington Technology talked to companies at the top of their game in connecting with government and found out how they do it.
Government bookkeeping used to involve people in green eyeshades who painstakingly wrote transactions in heavy, lined ledgers. The eyeshades are gone, but not all the ledgers are, even in shops that long ago built mainframe accounting programs.
