The General Services Administration has hooked a big one for SmartBuy, its enterprise software licensing program. IBM Corp. software including Rational, Informix and DB2 are now available through the vehicle.
The General Services Administration made it official yesterday, setting a one-time fee of $2,500 for vendors and the public to receive a direct, continuous feed from the new Federal Procurement Data System-Next Generation via Web services.
The Office of Management and Budget is requiring agencies to use one of three approved shared-service providers for public-key infrastructure and electronic-signature services.
In the coming year, the Office of Management and Budget wants to see major improvements in systems security and the quality of the business cases agencies submit.
The General Services Administration will re-establish a governmentwide working group to evaluate telecommunications security and draft standards. The effort is part of GSA's Multitier Security Profile Program to package security services for agencies.
The General Services Administration will release this week a nationwide audit that details its review of all Federal Technology Service customer service centers.
Before signing to use the General Services Administration's procurement services, agencies will need to answer a simple question: Why can't this buy be performance-based?
Roughly 30 agencies are working on 45 programs that may use share-in-savings contracts, but the former head of federal procurement is trying to put the brakes on the use of the buying method.
The new 9/11 Intelligence bill requires agencies to do a better job of including cybersecurity in the planning and acquisition phases of systems development.
The Chief Financial Officers Council will take responsibility for approving financial software for government use, under a shift by the Office of Management and Budget.
Robert Dix, staff director for the House Government Reform Subcommittee on Technology, Information Policy, Intergovernmental Relations and the Census, will leave Capital Hill after Jan. 1.
Joiwind Ronen, executive director of the Industry Advisory Council and the American Council for Technology, announced she will step down next year as soon as a replacement is found.
The Office of Management and Budget plans to name Richard Burk of the Housing and Urban Development Department as the government's next chief architect, replacing Bob Haycock, who left in April.
