Smithsonian to get rewired

	The Smithsonian Institution is modernizing its telecommunication systems and needs new services, including conventional telephony, voicemail systems, cables for voice and data cable plants, and voice over IP for all its museums, facilities and offices.

Industry fights Dodd legislation

Opponents and proponents of offshore outsourcing ? sending U.S. jobs to foreign workers overseas ? aren't that far apart in their positions.

Doing Business With Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission<br>1801 L St. NW<br>Washington, DC 20507<br>(202) 663-4900

Working group offers 25 ways to better IT security

The Corporate Information Security Working Group penned 25 recommendations on steps the private sector can take to improve IT security. It created the list for Rep. Adam Putnam (R-Fla.), chairman of the House Government Reform Subcommittee on Technology, Information Policy, Intergovernmental Relations and the Census.

Buy Lines: Congress takes another dangerous step on offshoring

The tsunami known as offshoring, or worldwide sourcing, continues to roll. I suggested in this space two months ago that Congress tread cautiously before acting on this complex issue. But March 4, by a vote of 70-26, the Senate passed an amendment authored by Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) that prohibits performance overseas of work covered under a federal contract for goods or services, and of work covered under a state contract or grant that uses federal funds.

House committees agree on small-biz changes

The House Government Reform and Small Business committees have negotiated changes to several procurement provisions of legislation that reauthorizes the Small Business Administration, said Government Reform Chairman Rep. Tom Davis (R-Va.).

Ladner to leave Treasury

Drew Ladner submitted his resignation as Treasury Department chief information officer to President Bush. Ladner is returning to industry and will leave his post April 30. He became CIO in March 2003.

FBI to punish tardy contractors

The FBI will penalize its contractors if they miss deadlines on the Trilogy project to modernize systems agencywide, FBI Director Robert Mueller said. Trilogy is 21 months off track and will cost about $200 million more than the $379 million originally planned.

Feds to step up e-gov marketing

Working with the Washington nonprofit Council for Excellence in Government, federal managers will develop marketing plans for their e-government initiatives so more people will use the systems, said Clay Johnson, deputy director for management at the Office of Management and Budget.

Davis wants M&A hearings

The chairman of the House Government Reform Committee is calling for hearings to examine whether the current pace of consolidation among federal IT services contractors undermines the long-term health of the industry.

Infotech and the Law: Size matters under SBA's proposed standards

There are currently 37 size levels that apply to 1,151 industries and 13 subindustry activities in the North American Industry Classification System. Thirty of the standards are based on annual revenue (or "receipts"), five are based on number of employees, and two are based on other measures.

Brief: Justice looks for online research

The Justice Department is planning a solicitation for computer-assisted legal research. The online services should include computerized access to legal, news, public record and related databases. The system will be used with local area networks, the Internet and standalone telecommunications access.

Brief: DISA needs asset management

The Defense Information Systems Agency needs information technology asset management solutions. The agency released a request for information to collect data on establishing a centralized repository to store all asset-related data. Solutions should be commercial solutions that use industry best practices and can track assets.

Brief: AF wants weather UAVs

The Air Force wants unmanned air vehicles that can be used to gather weather data, specifically on tropical cyclones. They also would be used in areas such as hostile targets and arctic training ranges that are not accessible by other data collection means.

CACI to chase bigger deals

Systems integrator CACI International Inc. plans to compete for federal contracts two to three times larger than those it has won in the past, after it completes its acquisition of American Management Systems Inc.

Doing Business With U.S. Bureau of Customs and Border Protection

U.S. Bureau of Customs and Border Protection<br>1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW<br>Washington, DC, 20229<br>(202) 354-1000

FBI pledges to punish tardy IT contractors

The FBI will impose financial penalties on its contractors if they miss deadlines for rolling out the Trilogy project to modernize systems agencywide, FBI director Robert S. Mueller III today told a Senate subcommittee.

House committees agree on small-business procurement changes

The House Government Reform and Small Business committees have negotiated changes to several procurement provisions of legislation that reauthorizes the Small Business Administration.

Boeing taps Allen, Clifford for space

Boeing Co. has opened two new offices to support the administration's space exploration initiatives, the company said.

Buy Lines: Look before you leap into cultural change

The increasing emphasis on performance-based acquisitions and other results-oriented initiatives has sparked a need for cultural change in government and industry.