Agencies will step up use of videos and photos on social networking sites
The federal government, keeping in line with President Barack Obama’s directive for a more “transparent" and open government, will soon be a staple on YouTube, Flickr, Vimeo and blip.tv, with similar plans in the works for social networking sites Facebook, MySpace and Ning.com, officials said Wednesday.
“We know that about every minute, 15 hours of video is uploaded to YouTube, and there’s about 50 million people that use Facebook,” said Martha Dorris, associate administrator of the General Services Administration's Office of Citizen Services and Communications. “That’s where the public is going to get their information, and they don’t necessarily always go to government Web sites.”
The timing of the announcement coincides with Thursday's first White House online town hall about the economy, where the president will answer some questions from the public, and the event will be streamed live on WhiteHouse.gov.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29882992/#storyContinued
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Monday, March 9, 2009
Obama names Kundra federal CIO
The administration’s newly appointed federal chief information officer, Vivek Kundra, said today he plans to make the massive volumes of government data that isn't sensitive available to the public through a new Web site, www.data.gov . With more data available to the public, he said more participant would be helping to solve the nation’s difficult challenges.
President Barack Obama today named Kundra, the former chief technology officer for the local government of the District of Columbia, to two posts; the federal CIO in the White House, and he will also be the Office of Management and Budget’s administrator for e-government and information technology, Kundra said in a teleconference with reporters after Obama's announcement.
Kundra said he plans to build on innovations from the previous administration but wants to move beyond e-government. As federal CIO, he will be focused on operations and effectively spending the $71 billion federal IT budget.
“I’m driving a transparency and open government agenda to make sure that the public has access to information and to government, and we rethink how the government interacts with the public in an information economy,” Kundra said. That view includes developing “an innovative path,” whether it’s borrowing from the private sector and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and applying them to the federal government and “changing the velocity at which we adopt new technologies,” Kundra said.
“One of things we plan to embark on is launching Data.gov, [the new site], which would democratize data and give data back to the public. The challenge -- whether it’s citizens, NGOs, [or] the private sector -- is to help us think through how we address some of the toughest problems in the public sector,” he said. Data.gov would publish data feeds of a vast array of data, he stated.
Kundra cited an example of the result of where publishing federal government information “fundamentally transformed the economy.” When the National Institute of Health, working with other world bodies, published the human genome project online, “it created a revolution in personalized medicine, where you ended up with 500 drugs created or in the pipeline of the" Food and Drug Administration, he said.
“We need to make sure that all that data that’s not private can be made public,” Kundra said. “What we should be thinking about is how do we begin with the assumption that the default be that we put information out into the public domain, and the second question is, what needs to be private and not the other way around,” he said.
http://fcw.com/Articles/2009/03/05/Kundra-federal-CIO.aspx
President Barack Obama today named Kundra, the former chief technology officer for the local government of the District of Columbia, to two posts; the federal CIO in the White House, and he will also be the Office of Management and Budget’s administrator for e-government and information technology, Kundra said in a teleconference with reporters after Obama's announcement.
Kundra said he plans to build on innovations from the previous administration but wants to move beyond e-government. As federal CIO, he will be focused on operations and effectively spending the $71 billion federal IT budget.
“I’m driving a transparency and open government agenda to make sure that the public has access to information and to government, and we rethink how the government interacts with the public in an information economy,” Kundra said. That view includes developing “an innovative path,” whether it’s borrowing from the private sector and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and applying them to the federal government and “changing the velocity at which we adopt new technologies,” Kundra said.
“One of things we plan to embark on is launching Data.gov, [the new site], which would democratize data and give data back to the public. The challenge -- whether it’s citizens, NGOs, [or] the private sector -- is to help us think through how we address some of the toughest problems in the public sector,” he said. Data.gov would publish data feeds of a vast array of data, he stated.
Kundra cited an example of the result of where publishing federal government information “fundamentally transformed the economy.” When the National Institute of Health, working with other world bodies, published the human genome project online, “it created a revolution in personalized medicine, where you ended up with 500 drugs created or in the pipeline of the" Food and Drug Administration, he said.
“We need to make sure that all that data that’s not private can be made public,” Kundra said. “What we should be thinking about is how do we begin with the assumption that the default be that we put information out into the public domain, and the second question is, what needs to be private and not the other way around,” he said.
http://fcw.com/Articles/2009/03/05/Kundra-federal-CIO.aspx
Billions in stimulus money seen for technology
As much as $100 billion in economic stimulus law funding may flow to technology companies for energy efficiency, broadband, electronic health records and education technology, according to an analysis by TechAmerica.
About half of the $100 billion will be distributed through state governments and agencies, said Olga Grkavac, the organization's executive vice president for the public sector. “We expect about $50 billion in federal and $50 billion in state technology spending,” she said.
States are beginning to organize to determine how that money should be spent, said Roxanne Gould, the senior vice president of state government affairs. In California, a task force intends to modernize 1,200 schools, initiate electronic health records and centralize information technology purchases under the law, she said. In Florida, officials are planning to expand fiber-optic computer networks for schools.
Ideally, the money should be sent to a balanced mix of contractor and non-contractor projects, short-term and long-term projects, with some through existing contracts and some through new contracts, said Christopher Hansen, chief executive officer of TechAmerica. It represents about 1,500 technology companies.
“We are in favor of distributing it with long-term benefits and short-term benefits,” said Hansen. Projects should be examined on a case-by-case basis to see what is most effective and provides the most value, he said.
TechAmerica was created from a merger of the Information Technology Association of America and the American Electronics Association.
About half of the $100 billion will be distributed through state governments and agencies, said Olga Grkavac, the organization's executive vice president for the public sector. “We expect about $50 billion in federal and $50 billion in state technology spending,” she said.
States are beginning to organize to determine how that money should be spent, said Roxanne Gould, the senior vice president of state government affairs. In California, a task force intends to modernize 1,200 schools, initiate electronic health records and centralize information technology purchases under the law, she said. In Florida, officials are planning to expand fiber-optic computer networks for schools.
Ideally, the money should be sent to a balanced mix of contractor and non-contractor projects, short-term and long-term projects, with some through existing contracts and some through new contracts, said Christopher Hansen, chief executive officer of TechAmerica. It represents about 1,500 technology companies.
“We are in favor of distributing it with long-term benefits and short-term benefits,” said Hansen. Projects should be examined on a case-by-case basis to see what is most effective and provides the most value, he said.
TechAmerica was created from a merger of the Information Technology Association of America and the American Electronics Association.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Obama takes up the cybersecurity mantel
The 60-day review of the government’s cybersecurity plans that President Barack Obama ordered earlier this month is expected to generate an overarching strategic framework to determine how best the government can assure the security of cyber space. The goal is to assess existing strengths and weaknesses and develop plans that cross agency boundaries and coordinate with Congress and the private sector.
Leading the review is Melissa Hathaway, who has been senior adviser and cyber coordination executive to the Director of National Intelligence and has played a leading role in coordinating the government’s Comprehensive National Cybersecurity Initiative.
The role of the CNCI, which the Bush administration created, is one of the primary questions for the Obama administration. In December, the Center for Strategic and International Studies’ Commission on Cyber Security for the 44th Presidency recommended that Obama create a new cybersecurity directorate in the National Security Council and establish a new White House office to manage cybersecurity. The Obama administration has announced plans to appoint a cyber adviser who reports directly to the president.
Amit Yoran, one of the cybersecurity experts who served on the CSIS panel, applauded the 60-day review, which he said would contribute to effective policy-making. He said it shows that the administration gives cybersecurity a high priority.
Yoran, a former director of the Homeland Security Department’s National Cyber Security Division and current chief executive of the network-monitoring firm NetWitness, said he does not expect Obama to abandon burgeoning projects that are showing promise. Among those begun by the Bush administration and well into the works are the Trusted Internet Connection initiative, in which agencies are working to reduce the number of gateways they have to the Internet, and the Homeland Security Department’s efforts to upgrade Einstein, it’s federal network-monitoring system.
The Obama administration has “the ability to stop this train in its tracks, [but] I don’t think that’s a probable occurrence,” Yoran said.
http://fcw.com/Articles/2009/02/23/Obama-cyber-review.aspx
Leading the review is Melissa Hathaway, who has been senior adviser and cyber coordination executive to the Director of National Intelligence and has played a leading role in coordinating the government’s Comprehensive National Cybersecurity Initiative.
The role of the CNCI, which the Bush administration created, is one of the primary questions for the Obama administration. In December, the Center for Strategic and International Studies’ Commission on Cyber Security for the 44th Presidency recommended that Obama create a new cybersecurity directorate in the National Security Council and establish a new White House office to manage cybersecurity. The Obama administration has announced plans to appoint a cyber adviser who reports directly to the president.
Amit Yoran, one of the cybersecurity experts who served on the CSIS panel, applauded the 60-day review, which he said would contribute to effective policy-making. He said it shows that the administration gives cybersecurity a high priority.
Yoran, a former director of the Homeland Security Department’s National Cyber Security Division and current chief executive of the network-monitoring firm NetWitness, said he does not expect Obama to abandon burgeoning projects that are showing promise. Among those begun by the Bush administration and well into the works are the Trusted Internet Connection initiative, in which agencies are working to reduce the number of gateways they have to the Internet, and the Homeland Security Department’s efforts to upgrade Einstein, it’s federal network-monitoring system.
The Obama administration has “the ability to stop this train in its tracks, [but] I don’t think that’s a probable occurrence,” Yoran said.
http://fcw.com/Articles/2009/02/23/Obama-cyber-review.aspx
Obama Names Online Staff
The White House announced the core of President Barack Obama’s online team today by making several appointments.
As Federal Computer Week previously reported, Macon Phillips is the White House’s director of new media and Katie Stanton is director of citizen participation. Cammie Croft will join the team as deputy new media director and Jesse Lee as director of online programs, according to White House officials.
Phillips served as director of new media for the presidential transition team. He developed Change.gov and oversaw the transition team’s online communications, White House officials said. Before that, he served as deputy director of new media for Obama’s presidential campaign and managed the daily operations of the campaign’s online program.
Croft was the new media rapid response manager for the Obama campaign. She oversaw efforts to integrate new media and communications, including managing the Fight the Smears Web site, according to the White House.
Lee worked in the new media department for the transition team doing online outreach and handled online communications for the Democratic National Committee during election season, White House officials said.
Before her White House appointment, Stanton worked at Google, where she was part of the team responsible for OpenSocial, Google Moderator and various election-related initiatives, officials said.
http://fcw.com/Articles/2009/02/23/Obama-names-online-staff.aspx
As Federal Computer Week previously reported, Macon Phillips is the White House’s director of new media and Katie Stanton is director of citizen participation. Cammie Croft will join the team as deputy new media director and Jesse Lee as director of online programs, according to White House officials.
Phillips served as director of new media for the presidential transition team. He developed Change.gov and oversaw the transition team’s online communications, White House officials said. Before that, he served as deputy director of new media for Obama’s presidential campaign and managed the daily operations of the campaign’s online program.
Croft was the new media rapid response manager for the Obama campaign. She oversaw efforts to integrate new media and communications, including managing the Fight the Smears Web site, according to the White House.
Lee worked in the new media department for the transition team doing online outreach and handled online communications for the Democratic National Committee during election season, White House officials said.
Before her White House appointment, Stanton worked at Google, where she was part of the team responsible for OpenSocial, Google Moderator and various election-related initiatives, officials said.
http://fcw.com/Articles/2009/02/23/Obama-names-online-staff.aspx
Navy To End 10-year Nework Outsourcing Deal
The Navy Marine Corps Intranet outsourcing contract comes to an end next year, and its pending expiration brings both relief and a looming unanswered question for the Navy.
Also in this report
CANES to consolidate shipboard networks
The relief comes because managing the critical and expensive system at arm’s length has been difficult, and the system's contractor has had a number of difficulties in meeting demand over the years. But while the Navy has sent clear signals that it will take a more active role in the ownership and hands-on management of NMCI’s successor, its not at all clear just how the Navy will accomplish that after the contract expires in September 2010.
Industry will still play a role in building and supporting the Next-Generation Enterprise Network (NGEN), though perhaps not using the sole provider model. The Navy is exploring the idea of breaking down network operations into different functional parts.
Navy leaders expect that retaking control will give them enterprise network services that are more responsive to their evolving administrative and warfighter needs than was possible with NMCI. As beneficial as it is, doing so will test the Navy’s ability to manage multiple but interconnected technologies and contracts, observers say.
When the Navy awarded the $9.9 billion NMCI contract to EDS in 2000, it gave the company a mandate to supply IT services to 700,000 onshore users, mostly in the United States. The Navy governed the contract by measuring the company’s performance in delivering those services.
It was a hands-off approach, and EDS — now a division of Hewlett-Packard — shouldered the burden of consolidating a continent’s worth of disparate networks and unequal technology maturity levels into a centralized whole.
But as information assurance and the threat of cyber warfare become more prevalent concerns, the Navy’s NGEN program office is examining ways to improve the service’s control over its network. The Navy estimates it will have an acquisition strategy for NGEN no later than the early summer, and the service is still far from issuing implementation details.
http://fcw.com/articles/2009/02/23/navy-ngen-and-nmci-transition.aspx
Also in this report
CANES to consolidate shipboard networks
The relief comes because managing the critical and expensive system at arm’s length has been difficult, and the system's contractor has had a number of difficulties in meeting demand over the years. But while the Navy has sent clear signals that it will take a more active role in the ownership and hands-on management of NMCI’s successor, its not at all clear just how the Navy will accomplish that after the contract expires in September 2010.
Industry will still play a role in building and supporting the Next-Generation Enterprise Network (NGEN), though perhaps not using the sole provider model. The Navy is exploring the idea of breaking down network operations into different functional parts.
Navy leaders expect that retaking control will give them enterprise network services that are more responsive to their evolving administrative and warfighter needs than was possible with NMCI. As beneficial as it is, doing so will test the Navy’s ability to manage multiple but interconnected technologies and contracts, observers say.
When the Navy awarded the $9.9 billion NMCI contract to EDS in 2000, it gave the company a mandate to supply IT services to 700,000 onshore users, mostly in the United States. The Navy governed the contract by measuring the company’s performance in delivering those services.
It was a hands-off approach, and EDS — now a division of Hewlett-Packard — shouldered the burden of consolidating a continent’s worth of disparate networks and unequal technology maturity levels into a centralized whole.
But as information assurance and the threat of cyber warfare become more prevalent concerns, the Navy’s NGEN program office is examining ways to improve the service’s control over its network. The Navy estimates it will have an acquisition strategy for NGEN no later than the early summer, and the service is still far from issuing implementation details.
http://fcw.com/articles/2009/02/23/navy-ngen-and-nmci-transition.aspx
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
