Homeland watch | In brief
Instead of hardening all critical infrastructure, focus should be on ensuring continuity of essential systems, advises a recent report by former White House cyber czar Richard Clarke and the Century Foundation.
Buy Lines | Untying a knot in the acquisition lexicon
People in government and industry continue to confuse "assisted acquisition" with "direct acquisition" when talking about how purchase requests for items available under pre-negotiated contracts become purchase orders.
'We want them to approach us'
If RS Information Systems Inc.'s federal contracts were a remake of the movie "A Star Is Born," 1 Source Consulting Inc. would play the title role: the character who starts out in a supporting part but quickly is tapped to headline the show.
IT projects take a hit
Congress' willingness to consider gutting a program considered essential for government employees has industry and government officials wondering if lawmakers are targeting civilian IT projects for cuts in order to fund the war on terror.
Neither rain, nor snow, nor bird flu
Nicked by the recent rash of laptop thefts and natural disasters that cripple business operations, the federal government has renewed its push for agencies to beef up their telework plans.
Senate panel votes to delay Pass card
The Homeland Security Department's controversial Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative would be postponed for 17 months to June 1, 2009, under an amendment adopted by the Senate Appropriations Committee.
Schedule 70's rocky road
When any of the 12 bureaus that make up the Commerce Department need to order PCs or services such as programming, chances are their procurement officers will use the General Services Administration's Federal Supply Service's IT Schedule 70.
IP provider makes its move
Alan Rosenberg, Global Crossing's vice president of partnership development, and his U.S. federal team are focused on four areas to position Global Crossing for more government business, and ultimately to win more prime contracts.
Inside track
The Navy wants service-delivery services for the Marine Corps Enterprise Information Technology Center's Engineering Development Model.
Infotech and the Law | Broad liability protection under Safety Act final rule
More than two years after issuing its interim rules implementing liability protections for contractors under the Safety Act, the Homeland Security Department June 8 issued its final rule.
Homeland Watch
In their Secure Border Initiative proposal, Ericsson Inc. officials are touting their experience operating a wireless sensor and camera surveillance system they built along the 200-kilometer border of Norway and Russia.
Buy Lines | Government veers off course with EVM mandates
No one questions the value of earned value management as a project management tool for estimating how a project is faring on budget and schedule. But new mandates take EVM application to new levels, and raise questions about the mandates and the general direction of government procurement.
DHS indifferent to special acquisition rules: GAO
The Homeland Security Department has never used the streamlined acquisition authorities granted by Congress when the department was created 2002, according to the Government Accountability Office.
Integrator sought for House PeopleSoft implementation
The House of Representatives is seeking an integrator that will help complete the chamber's implementation of Oracle's PeopleSoft financial management software.
Democratic lawmakers allege abuse in federal contracting
The Bush administration is on a federal procurement binge, fueled by increasing mismanagement and corruption in such contracts, Democrats on the House Committee on Government Reform allege in a new report.
Justice reviews slow Anteon acquisition
Justice Department concerns over possible conflicts of interest have slowed General Dynamics Corp.'s $2.2 billion acquisition of Anteon International Corp., but company officials and analysts remain optimistic that the deal will get done this month.
Testimony: DHS wants tighter northern border
The United States wants to implement biometric border-crossing identification cards by 2008 to protect the nation against possible attacks by terrorists based in Canada.
Past is prologue for GD partners
Lynwood Owens is deep in discussions with a woman-owned 8(a) business that for the past seven years has worked with the U.S. Agency for International Development. The contract is coming up for recompete at year's end, and Owens, a program manager at General Dynamics Network Systems, sees a change in how the smaller company handles the contract: It would become the prime contractor to USAID, and the General Dynamics unit would be its subcontractor.
H-1B expansion draws support
The Senate's recent expansion of the controversial H-1B visa program is shaping up as one of the big political mosh pits of the IT world.
SEWP: It's on the money
NASA's SEWP IV contract could become the government's IT product purchasing vehicle of choice, surpassing General Services Administration schedules and other agency contracts ? so says not only NASA, but also companies on the SEWP III program and those planning to bid on its successor.
Almost There!
Help us tailor content specifically for you: