A cloud environment came to the rescue to expand capacity and speed up access for the National Archives and Records Administration this week as part of a contingency plan that can be used by any federal agency anticipating a big demand for huge amounts of data from the IRS to the Department of Agriculture.
This incident, spawned by the 1940 Census records release online April 2, underscores the importance and flexibility of cloud computing. Keep reading →
The workforce of the future will look more like an average teenager’s interaction with the video game “Modern Warfare” than the current office cubicles of today, according to a lively keynote speech at the FOSE conference Tuesday.
Thomas Koulopoulos, an expert on cloud computing and author of “The Innovation Zone” and “Living in the Cloud,” took his rapt audience through a series of exercises designed to lead them to the future workplace. That place, he said, will rely on collaboration rather than individual effort. Keep reading →
Tight budgets cannot be an excuse for lack of innovation. Rather, federal CIO Steven VanRoekel told the audience at the annual FOSE conference in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday that agencies have a prime opportunity to drive efforts to build a 21st century digital government.
I think we will see a catalyst effect by having FedRamp out there and driving this forward.” – Steven VanRoekel Keep reading →
This year’s 100 most influential executives in the government IT community were honored at a a gala tonight at the Grand Hyatt in Washington, D.C.
The Federal 100 Awards recognize government and industry leaders who have played pivotal roles in the federal government IT community and who “have made a difference in the way technology has transformed their agency or accelerated their agency’s mission.” Keep reading →
Gen. Keith B. Alexander, Commander, U.S. Cyber Command and Director, National Security Agency/Chief Central Security Service shares insights on leading for success in the mobile frontier and amid the rapid evolution of technologies and threats:
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In honor of Women’s History Month, Breaking Gov highlights women’s relatively recent breakthrough in the growing and increasingly crucial world of federal IT. This is the first of a three-part series on women in federal IT that reveals who these leaders are and how they’re making a difference.
Just 15 years ago, women were the exception in federal IT roles. In fact, at the time, men claimed every top federal technology job in government. Keep reading →
Federal Chief Information Officer Steven VanRoekel described his path forward for federal IT in a policy speech in Silicon Valley this October and again in the draft Federal IT Shared Services Strategy released just this month. He articulated a “Shared First” paradigm that will lead agencies to root out waste and duplication by sharing IT services, infrastructure, procurement vehicles, and best practices.
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This article originally appeared on GSA’s Great Government Through Technology blog.
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This is one in a series of articles highlighting Breaking Gov’s best stories of the past year. As we reflected on our 2011 coverage of innovation, technology and management amongst the federal agencies and workforce, this was among the stories that stood out as delivering key insight into the top issues facing today’s government community.
From his first public appearance to his recent move toward the commitment to close data centers, Steven VanRoekel has been busy since taking over the role as federal CIO in August from Vivek Kundra. Keep reading →
The Naval Special Warfare Group 4 (NSWG4) is responsible for development and testing of combatant craft and associated ordinance and equipment. The command is also responsible for the development and evaluation of operational doctrine, tactics and procedures. NSWG4 monitors and certifies the Combat Readiness of assigned craft and SWCC (Special Warfare Combatant Craft Crewman).
In the past, NSWG4 has had more than adequate numbers of craft, engines and spare parts. However, with today’s current demand for combat operations, security force assistance (SFA) and fiscal downsizing, NSWG4 had to develop a different business sustainment model to meet missions with fewer assets. This new model includes speeding up the procurement process for craft repairs and spare parts. By decreasing the ordering cycle time for repairs and parts, less craft and assets are required to meet continued customer requirements. Keep reading →
When someone says they shop at Costco, you can likely assume they are either: 1) a member of the public seeking lower cost options to everyday expenses 2) a member of the retail community seeking to apply margins to low cost products. Either way, shopping at Costco or any other wholesale warehouse seems to have become a means of survival for those weathering the last few years of the infamous economic “downturn” and a symbol of consumer adaptation.
In a federal technology-focused e-newsletter this week, I was humored by use of the term ‘Costco Federal’ when referencing the strategy and tactics some agencies are using to procure the latest IT products. While the popular wholesale warehouse chain is not, to my knowledge, currently competing for large government IT procurements, the term undoubtedly demonstrates a resounding anticipation of the need to “save money” as we enter the next fiscal year. Given the strained economy, coupled with the uncertainties of an approaching election year and headlines like “Budget austerity is coming — what should you do?” , I think it is safe to conclude that today’s IT purchasing decisions are being greatly influenced by a knowledge of the inevitable — budgets WILL be cut. Keep reading →