Datastream | The news in brief
Linda Gooden, who has run Lockheed Martin's Corp.'s IT business since 1997, will take over the company's $4 billion information and technology services unit.
Linda Gooden, who has run Lockheed Martin's Corp.'s IT business since 1997, will take over the company's $4 billion information and technology services unit.She will replace her boss, Michael Camardo, who is retiring.Starting in January, Gooden, 53, will be executive vice president of the IT&S unit, which primarily delivers services to government agencies. She will report directly to Chairman Robert Stevens.Gooden is a 26-year veteran of Lockheed Martin, rising through the company's ranks."Linda is an extremely capable leader who has demonstrated her ability to create value for our customers and profitable growth for our company and its shareholders," Stevens said in an announcement of the move.The Washington Post Company has agreed to sell its PostNewsweek Tech Media business unit to 1105 Media, the same company that bought Federal Computer Week earlier this year.Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.The tech unit comprises publications Washington Technology, Government Computer News, Defense Systems, Government Leader, their associated Web sites and assets, and the FOSE government IT trade show. Transition plans are in the works.State and local governments since 2002 have spent nearly $3.8 billion on electronic voting systems, but they still have a long way to go before e-voting generates an accurate, timely and secure voting process, said a new study from International Data Corp. Research Inc.The report, "Improving Voting System Investment, Credibility and Transparency," charged that although much of the e-voting equipment used in the 2006 election was new, a lack of strategic vision in selecting the technology means the new systems are as complex, unproven and controversial as the older ones.Texas' month-long experiment with border surveillance Web cameras is being touted as a success, with 221,000 people participating via the Internet, the state said.The Texas Border Watch Test Site operated for a month, closing Dec. 3. During the experiment, live video feeds from border surveillance cameras were made available on a Web site. Subscribers registered to view the footage and report suspicious activity.Telecom equipment maker Alcatel-Lucent has formed an independent unit named LGS to service the U.S. federal government's military and civilian agencies and departments.Based in Vienna, Va., LGS will bring together employees from Lucent's Government Solutions business unit, Lucent's Bell Labs Government Communications Lab and Alcatel Government Solutions Inc. Alcatel recently bought Lucent Technologies Inc. for $13.5 billion.The Senate's busy final week wrapped up with members extending through Feb. 15 the federal government's fiscal 2006 budget.The House and Senate approved a third continuing resolution that will keep agencies' spending at the 2006 levels for two more months.When Congress returns Jan. 4 for the 110th Congress and the Democrats take over control of the House and Senate, many of the bills will get another look.
Gooden takes over $4B Lockheed unit
Post sells tech publishing unit
Think long term for e-voting
Border watch Web site stays
New entry to fed market
Feds funded through Feb. 15
Interoperability is far and wide
More than two-thirds of emergency response agencies across the United States use some degree of interoperable communications, letting them talk directly with other agencies, said a new report from the Homeland Security Department's Safecom Program.
The report is based on responses from 6,819 agencies nationwide to the National Interoperability Baseline Survey. Agencies rated themselves on a 23-point interoperability scale that DHS developed.
GAO: NMCI misses its targets
The Navy-Marine Corps Intranet program has not yet achieved two strategic goals, despite spending six years and $3.7 billion to date on the project, said a new report from the Government Accountability Office.
After mapping the performance targets and data of NMCI contractor EDS Corp. to nine performance categories and strategic goals, GAO concluded that NMCI neither gives the Navy information superiority nor cultivates innovation.
GAO recommendations send the Navy back to the drawing board to redraw the original plan.
Fingerprint tech on rise
Great strides in technology as well as the transition to fully digital processing is behind a spike in the demand for automated fingerprint identification systems, according to a new study from market research firm Input Inc.
By 2010, annual state and local government spending on automated fingerprint identification system technologies will reach $160 million, with justice and public safety agencies spending $100 million, and other government agencies spending the remaining $60 million, Input said.
DOD wrestles with spectrum
More than a decade after the Joint Chiefs of Staff commissioned a study to examine radio-frequency spectrum use, the Defense Department continues to struggle with how best to manage it, what tools to deploy and how to ensure the equipment that troops rely on does not fail because of radio-frequency interference.
Better spectrum management tools are needed, and training is paramount to produce subject matter experts in the field of spectrum management, said Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Foley, the Army's director of architecture, operations, networks and space. He added that oversight from the acquisition community is insufficient.
Biden urges trust fund
Congress should set aside $53.3 billion over five years in a homeland security trust fund to fully implement the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission, said Sen. Joseph Biden (D-Del.).
Biden, who in January will take over as chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said in a statement that he will introduce legislation to create the fund. Financing will come from a partial rollback of tax cuts that Congress enacted in 2001 and 2003.
USPS gets tech expansion
The Postal Board of Governors has approved U.S. Postal Service plans for its Flats Sequencing System program to help letter carriers put mail in order before delivery.
The system will expand mail-sorting technology to flats from only envelopes. USPS tested the equipment earlier this year and will put it into preproduction at a mail processing facility in Dulles, Va., for one year starting in August.
Old data messes enforcement
Immigration and Customs Enforcement's database for tracking illegal aliens is riddled with outdated information, according to a new report from DHS Inspector General Richard Skinner.
Skinner found 322 records filed past deadline among 3,201 records examined in the Deportable Alien Control System database, which contains records of illegal aliens being held in detention facilities.
Acquisition framework goes live
The Office of Federal Procurement Policy will implement an acquisition framework developed by congressional auditors more than a year ago to give inspector generals and others better information when providing procurement oversight.
Congress has not been a fan of the program, continually putting provisions in spending bills that hinder, stop or require extra work by agencies to perform the competitions under Office of Management and Budget Circular A-76.
Linda Gooden will take over Lockheed Martin's $4 billion information and technology services unit.
Rick Steele
Post sells tech publishing unit
Think long term for e-voting
Border watch Web site stays
New entry to fed market
Feds funded through Feb. 15
Interoperability is far and wide
More than two-thirds of emergency response agencies across the United States use some degree of interoperable communications, letting them talk directly with other agencies, said a new report from the Homeland Security Department's Safecom Program.
The report is based on responses from 6,819 agencies nationwide to the National Interoperability Baseline Survey. Agencies rated themselves on a 23-point interoperability scale that DHS developed.
GAO: NMCI misses its targets
The Navy-Marine Corps Intranet program has not yet achieved two strategic goals, despite spending six years and $3.7 billion to date on the project, said a new report from the Government Accountability Office.
After mapping the performance targets and data of NMCI contractor EDS Corp. to nine performance categories and strategic goals, GAO concluded that NMCI neither gives the Navy information superiority nor cultivates innovation.
GAO recommendations send the Navy back to the drawing board to redraw the original plan.
Fingerprint tech on rise
Great strides in technology as well as the transition to fully digital processing is behind a spike in the demand for automated fingerprint identification systems, according to a new study from market research firm Input Inc.
By 2010, annual state and local government spending on automated fingerprint identification system technologies will reach $160 million, with justice and public safety agencies spending $100 million, and other government agencies spending the remaining $60 million, Input said.
DOD wrestles with spectrum
More than a decade after the Joint Chiefs of Staff commissioned a study to examine radio-frequency spectrum use, the Defense Department continues to struggle with how best to manage it, what tools to deploy and how to ensure the equipment that troops rely on does not fail because of radio-frequency interference.
Better spectrum management tools are needed, and training is paramount to produce subject matter experts in the field of spectrum management, said Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Foley, the Army's director of architecture, operations, networks and space. He added that oversight from the acquisition community is insufficient.
Biden urges trust fund
Congress should set aside $53.3 billion over five years in a homeland security trust fund to fully implement the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission, said Sen. Joseph Biden (D-Del.).
Biden, who in January will take over as chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said in a statement that he will introduce legislation to create the fund. Financing will come from a partial rollback of tax cuts that Congress enacted in 2001 and 2003.
USPS gets tech expansion
The Postal Board of Governors has approved U.S. Postal Service plans for its Flats Sequencing System program to help letter carriers put mail in order before delivery.
The system will expand mail-sorting technology to flats from only envelopes. USPS tested the equipment earlier this year and will put it into preproduction at a mail processing facility in Dulles, Va., for one year starting in August.
Old data messes enforcement
Immigration and Customs Enforcement's database for tracking illegal aliens is riddled with outdated information, according to a new report from DHS Inspector General Richard Skinner.
Skinner found 322 records filed past deadline among 3,201 records examined in the Deportable Alien Control System database, which contains records of illegal aliens being held in detention facilities.
Acquisition framework goes live
The Office of Federal Procurement Policy will implement an acquisition framework developed by congressional auditors more than a year ago to give inspector generals and others better information when providing procurement oversight.
Congress has not been a fan of the program, continually putting provisions in spending bills that hinder, stop or require extra work by agencies to perform the competitions under Office of Management and Budget Circular A-76.
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