DataStream

By John MakulowichAttorney General Janet Reno announced a new "Cybercitizen Partnership" between the Department of Justice and computer-related industries aimed at fighting online crime and ensuring security. "We cannot allow cyberspace to become the Wild West of the information age," she said at a March 15 policy summit convened in Washington by the Information Technology Association of America.Reno announced three initiatives that are set for launch in the coming months. The first, an educational and media campaign, targets youth with messages about the appropriate use of computers and the Internet, pointing out that privacy and security are as important online as in the physical world.The second initiative, an exchange program between law enforcement and the computer industry, calls for industry personnel to share their expertise in system security with the government while learning how the government is responding to cyberterrorism and cybercrime. For its part, the government intends to send staff to work in industry to learn about infrastructures.The final initiative is the creation of a directory that can serve as a Yellow Pages of the computer industry. The purpose is to provide law enforcement and industry with a listing of computer professionals who, for example, could offer assistance designing a more secure system or serve as an expert witness for testimony.Among the directory categories, which are weighted heavily in the security area, will be vulnerability analysis, intrusion detection, firewalls, authentication tools, virus protection, access controls and encryption.XXXSPLITXXX-Showcasing a new business classification scheme called the North American Industry Classification System, the Census Bureau March 16 released preliminary data of the 1997 Economic Census. It replaces the Standard Industrial Classification, begun 60 years ago. NAICS has 1,170 U.S. industry classifications, including 358 new and 390 revised industries. As a result, the economic census includes for the first time the measurement of information, high-tech support services and entertainment sectors. "Our new system of measurement is organized the way our economy is organized," said Kenneth Prewitt, director of the Census Bureau. Among the findings of the 1997 Economic Census: •The nation's information sector, including publishing, motion pictures, broadcasting, telecommunications and information and data processing services, generates 3.2 million jobs, a $135 billion annual payroll and $642 billion in receipts at 115,000 locations.•The professional, scientific and technical services sector — which includes scientists, engineers, architects, programmers and designers — generates 5.4 million jobs, a $233 billion annual payroll and $609 billion in receipts at 622,000 locations.•The computer and electronic manufacturing sector generates 1.7 million jobs, a $71 billion annual payroll and $431 billion in shipments at 17,000 locations. •The top five manufacturing subsectors by shipment value are transportation equipment ($578 billion), computers and electronic products ($431 billion), food ($425 billion), chemicals ($418 billion) and machinery ($272 billion).XXXSPLITXXX-May & Speh Inc., Downers Grove, Ill., will manage Chicago's data center under a five-year contract worth $31.5 million that is now being negotiated, said Elizabeth Boatman, the city's chief information officer.May & Speh, purchased in September 1998 by Acxiom Corp., Conway, Ark., was selected over IBM Corp., Armonk, N.Y., for the project.Under Boatman's leadership, Chicago has outsourced about 95 percent of its IT functions to industry. XXXSPLITXXX-Government Technology Services Inc., Chantilly, Va., wants to make its new Web site the Yahoo! for government buyers.More than a place for agencies to shop for computer products, its Web site offers links to everything from federal job openings and procurement information to the latest sports scores. GTSI also is offering agencies custom-built Web sites for online purchasing, following on the heels of Dell Computer Corp.GTSI officials hope to move the company's many transactions worth less than $5,000 online and free up the sales force to focus on bigger deals.XXXSPLITXXX-OAO Corp., Greenbelt, Md., has formed an alliance with Electronic Data Systems Corp., L3 Communications, Oracle Corp. and the University of Arizona to pursue the Army's $600 million Total Engineering Integration Services contract, OAO officials announced March 12.Opponents are expected to include Boeing, Computer Sciences Corp., Litton-PRC, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and Science Applications International Corp.A request for proposals for the Army contract consolidating several IT projects is expected in April, with a final RFP coming in June. An award to at least three teams is expected by October.XXXSPLITXXX-Bellcore, the telecommunications subsidiary of Science Applications International Corp., unveiled a new voice, video and data convergence strategy along with a new name — Telcordia Technologies.The company, which switched its name earlier this month, will be pushing new products to telecom providers that allow voice, video and data to be transmitted over the same network. The name change was required under a purchase agreement stemming from Bellcore's acquisition by SAIC in 1997.With 6,000 employees and more than $1 billion in 1998 revenue, Telcordia will remain headquartered in Morristown, N.J. XXXSPLITXXX-A new scholarship program is providing $1 million annually to train Washington-area employees to become Microsoft Certified Systems Engineers.Appu Kuttan, president of the non-profit National Education Foundation, Alexandria, Va., said the organization will offer $2,000 scholarships to 125 students each quarter to offset the costs of attending the NEF's CyberLearning University. Microsoft provides the software, and Northern Virginia Community College issues continuing education units for the training.XXXSPLITXXX-CACI International Inc., Arlington, Va., is quickly earning back the investment it made when it bought QuesTech Inc. for $42 million in November 1998. Since closing the deal, CACI has won about $29 million in new defense and intelligence business, most of it extending into 2002 and 2003.QuesTech of Falls Church, Va., gave CACI added capabilities in signal and information processing, electronic and information warfare design and analysis and information security and assurance.But the company is still looking for more acquisitions, said J.P. "Jack" London, CACI chairman and chief executive. "We have a team of people with proven [acquisition] experience," London said.XXXSPLITXXX-GTE Government Systems of Needham, Mass., has joined the Security Research Alliance, a new industry group collaborating on research, education and the pursuit of funding for new information security technologies.Cisco Systems, Lucent Technologies, Network Associates and Sun Microsystems formed the alliance in late January. The group plans to hold what it's calling the "Crystal Ball Symposium" April 20 as part of the Internet Security Conference in San Jose, Calif.