All for one

The Bush administration's 24 cross-agency e-government initiatives are paving the way for greater collaboration and information sharing among federal, state and local governments, officials said.

No quick fix here

Debate about public-private job competitions is heating up on Capitol Hill as lawmakers await an independent report recommending improvements in conducting the competitions.

Capital Roundup

The House of Representatives March 20 approved 421-0 a bill that would allow increased telecommuting among private-sector employees doing work for the federal government.

IT grows in Defense 2003 budget request

The Department of Defense last week released initial details of its fiscal 2003 budget request for information technology and national security systems. The details show the Defense Department will remain an aggressive implementer of information technology.

House OKs telecommuting for federal contractors

The Freedom to Telecommute Act, allowing increased telecommuting among private-sector employees working for the federal government, was unanimously approved.

Army techie joins Beetle Bailey crew

An Army information technology officer will sign up with Gen. Halftrack and the Camp Swampy crew this week. The new character in the 52-year-old Beetle Bailey cartoon strip will debut at the FOSE 2002 trade show at the Washington, D.C., Convention Center.

House OKs bills streamlining acquisition, helping IT workers

The House Government Reform Committee approved three bills that would reform the acquisition process and aid information technology employees in the public and private sectors.

The long and winding road

Chances are good that only a close acquaintance or family member, perhaps two, know how you handle your money, what you go to the doctor for, and what landed you in jail for a night when you were 18.

Juggling act worries federal CIOs

Senior government officials are putting a higher priority on electronic government than they did a year ago, but they are walking a tightrope to balance the twin tasks of developing e-government and beefing up the security of their IT systems, recent studies show.

Cybersecurity alliance gains momentum

Membership in the National Cyber Security Alliance has more than doubled in its first month.

Engineered Support Systems to acquire Radian

Engineered Support Systems Inc. announced it intends to buy Radian Inc. for $42 million in cash and company common stock.

SAS Institute to buy ABC Technologies Inc.

SAS Institute Inc. announced it will acquire ABC Technologies Inc. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. ABC Technologies will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of SAS.

Davis introduces info security management act

Rep. Tom Davis presented a bill that would permanently reauthorize the Government Information Security Reform Act of 2000.

Lawmakers present IT work force, acquisition act

Two congressmen introduced legislation to improve how the government purchases and uses information technology by extending a pilot program that uses simplified acquisition procedures, establishing an exchange program for public-private IT managers and preventing federal contractors from being penalized for using telecommuting.

Commerce One execs buy govt. unit, form new company

Three executives of Commerce One's e-government division and three institutional investors have negotiated a $9 million buyout of the operation. The firm, now called Aquilent, will officially open March 4.

Study: Global high-tech biz shows slight growth

The industry grew less than 4 percent between 2000 and 2001, from $2.3 trillion to $2.4 trillion.

Help wanted

Scientists and engineers at military laboratories have helped develop vital technologies such as the global positioning system and radar.

High-tech training program on ropes

The Bush administration wants to end a grant program aimed at training U.S. high-tech workers, and instead is proposing that in fiscal 2003, the program's funds be redirected to help foreign workers gain permanent employment status.

Capital Roundup

The Small Business Administration's reviews of subcontracts offered to small firms do not effectively ensure that small businesses get the biggest possible share of $77 billion in subcontracting awards under the Small Business Subcontracting Program, Sen. Kit Bond said Feb. 20.

Redesigned FirstGov site debuts with e-gov strategy report

Vice President Cheney unveiled a redesigned FirstGov.gov Web site at a White House press conference Feb. 27. The redesign is one of the administration's first high-profile accomplishments in its efforts to expand Web-based government services. The relaunch of FirstGov starts the deployment of the federal e-government strategy.