SRA contract award could be shot in the arm for NIH

In a move that could help the country's medical research agency save more lives, the National Institutes of Health is set to upgrade its IT systems.

Minding the money

Look out ? with budgets recovering from years of hardship, and delayed projects getting back on track, the state and local government finance and administration market is expected to generate some substantial heat in 2006.

Report: Minority businesses need greater access to capital

Minority-owned businesses are thriving despite limited access to venture capital, loans and the federal marketplace, according to a report released this week by the ranking Democrat on the House Small Business Committee.

California switches to listening mode

P.K. Agarwal, who returned to public service as the director of California's new Technology Services Department in September, has a message for the private sector: The department has an open mind about any and all ideas from the IT industry.

Input hires veteran state government consultant

Thom Rubel, former META Group vice president of government strategies, is joining the Input Consulting Group.

Anteon wins Air Force patient safety program deal

Anteon International Corp. won an $18.5 million, five-year contract with the Air Force Surgeon General to establish and operate a patient safety systems support and data analysis program at 34 Air Force sites around the globe.

USPS re-ups Nortel PEC Solutions for automated business mail system

Nortel PEC Solutions Inc. of Fairfax, Va. has won a $21 million, one-year contract extension with the U.S. Postal Service to provide service, support and continue working on development of an electronic postal system.

Communications International wins Fla. county radio deal

Communications International Inc. has won a $10 million contract from Flagler County, Fla., to install a new interoperable public safety radio communications system that will work in many different disaster and emergency situations.

Defense Department taps BBN Technologies for language translation work

BBN Technologies of Cambridge, Mass., has won a $16.4 million contract from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency to develop a system that will transcribe foreign languages and computer encoded text directly into English text for military personnel.

NASCIO brief offers communications interoperability model

A research brief published recently by the National Association of State Chief Information Officers highlights the interoperability problems facing federal, state and local officials during a disaster, and offers a map toward improved communication.

CGI inks New York public housing outsourcing deal

Administrative responsibilities for more than 76,000 public housing units in New York state will be turned over to CGI Group Inc.

CompuDyne inks public safety deal with California city

Police officers in Burbank, Calif., will be spending more time fighting crime and less time filling out paperwork because of a new public safety IT system the city has contracted with CompuDyne Corp.

In the homestretch

After months of careful preparations using a new bid process, Virginia has awarded one mega outsourcing deal and is on the verge of announcing another to two technology powerhouses.

Small businesses win big bucks on NetCents

In just one year, the Network-Centric Solutions program has brought a windfall of $429.7 million to the eight prime contractors allowed to bid on the work.

States continue steady spending on tax, revenue projects

State and local government spending on tax, revenue and collection systems will grow by more than $200 million from 2006 to 2010, according to a report released this week by the market research firm Input Inc.

Dell inks Tennessee server deal

State government agencies in Tennessee looking to upgrade their computer system infrastructure will turn to Dell over the next 12 months to provide standards-based servers under a new contract.

Small Business Index numbers fall to 8-year low

High health care and energy costs coupled with the regional devastation caused by recent hurricanes are creating a poor climate for small business growth, according to a study released today by the House Committee on Small Business.

Maximus wins pair of Medicare Part D appeals contracts

The Health and Human Services Department has enlisted Maximus Inc. to conduct appeals for the Medicare prescription drug coverage program.

Viisage protests Digimarc's $30 million Texas contract

Viisage Technology Inc. has filed a protest against rival Digimarc Corp.'s five-year, $30 million contract in Texas to add biometric features to the state's driver's license.

Survey: States need tighter project management practices

To ensure greater success for government IT projects, project management practices must be disciplined and adhered to by the agencies and stakeholders, according to a study by the National Association of State CIOs.