Federal CIO Clare Martorana today previewed the goals of ongoing efforts and forthcoming direction from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on improving customer/citizen experience (CX) with the Federal government, and set the bar high for expectations for service improvements that will follow. […]
A new data center industry report from the Uptime Institute found that the data center industry has had to adapt to increasing complexity and challenges such as evolving efficiency and sustainability requirements, rising outage costs, the ongoing workforce shortage, and supply chain interruptions while also experiencing widespread growth. […]
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is hoping to improve the energy efficiency of U.S. data centers by updating its Energy Star certification for data storage products. […]
Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va. – long a prime mover in Congress for improving Federal IT operations – said at MeriTalk’s State Tech Vision virtual program on September 15 that he plans to push two key pieces of legislation this year that aim to help state and local governments improve their own IT capabilities. […]
State and local government rely heavily on Federal funding sources to advance their IT goals even in the best of times, and government and industry experts explained at MeriTalk’s State Tech Vision virtual program how expanded Federal government funding streams during the pandemic era can work to help pay for traditional assistance for social service and healthcare applications, plus IT modernization efforts targeted by Washington. […]
The Army released its COVID-19 vaccination plan this week, which requires active-duty units to be fully vaccinated by Dec. 15, 2021, and Reserve and National Guard units by June 30, 2022. […]
Despite a target deadline of March 31 for Federal agencies to complete half of their transitions to the General Services Administration’s Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions (EIS) communications services contract, less than 25 percent of Federal agencies hit that mark, according to data provided by GSA. […]
The Department of Homeland Security’s U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) organization is updating its business infrastructure architecture to provide lawful immigration in a secure digital manner, explained Robert Brown, Chief Technology Officer at USCIS, during an FCW webinar on September 14. […]
StateRAMP, the nonprofit formed earlier this year by leaders from state and local governments and the private sector to help state and local governments manage their third party supplier cybersecurity risks, has released the initial roster of its Authorized Vendor List (AVL). […]
The Army Futures Command’s Army Software Factory – established in 2020 with a goal of developing capabilities to create custom-built system applications for current and future U.S. Army systems – is ramping up its workforce with several cohorts already introduced to the program, a factory official explained at a September 14 virtual conference organized by FCW. […]
Closer working partnerships between Federal cybersecurity authorities and the private sector hold the key to improving the U.S.’s ability to fend off and recover from the increasing wave of cyberattacks against U.S. targets including those from nation-states like Russia and China. […]
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) said in a new report that it is mapping out IT modernization steps necessary to execute on a series of outside recommendations to improve agency functions, and will need additional funding to carry out that work. […]
The Department of Labor (DOL) is continuing to experiment with new and emerging technologies by testing out standards for privacy and security on a smaller scale before mass implementation. As a part of this effort, the agency’s Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) has established an Innovation Incubator to ensure the adoption of game-changing technology is fully operationalized, said Krista Kinnard, chief of Emerging Technologies at the OCIO for DOL, during an FCW webinar on September 14. […]
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced today the 50 members of the reestablished Communications Security, Reliability, and Interoperability Council (CSRIC), which will be co-chaired by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). […]
Federal employees have until Nov. 22 to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to new guidance this week from the Safer Federal Workforce Task Force. […]
The General Services Administration (GSA) has named Waldo Jaquith, a veteran technologist and former member of the Biden-Harris transition team, to be GSA Administrator Robin Carnahan’s senior advisor for state, local, tribal, and territorial government. […]
The Department of Defense (DoD) has practices in place to minimize the effects of funding that comes from a continuing resolution (CR), the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found, due to the agency starting 11 of the last 12 fiscal years under a CR. […]
A recent report by the Aspen Institute found that despite existing efforts to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), the cybersecurity field remains mostly homogenous among technical practitioners and policy thinkers. […]
The Pentagon announced that it is partnering with two Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to establish Centers of Excellence (CoEs) in Biotechnology and Materials Science. […]
The House Energy and Commerce Committee was still in the process late Monday of marking up its portion of the $3.5 trillion budget reconciliation bill working its way through the House, but at our deadline was making a big splash with $10 billion of proposed funding for supply chain security. […]
The Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) program provides subsidized broadband service for eligible households. However, the program is now facing a trust challenge in its awareness campaign and is aiming to overcome that hurdle, said Jessica Rosenworcel, the acting chairwoman for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), on September 13 at an Internet Innovation Alliance webinar. […]
In its annual update to Circular A-11, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) made significant changes to section 280, which focuses on customer experience (CX) and service delivery.
The new changes provide a new expanded definition for customer experience – one that includes equity and designates CX as a priority instead of a nice-to-have. […]
To ensure the future of U.S. air dominance and maintain a competitive advantage against adversaries, the U.S Air Force wants to use cognitive electronic warfare, artificial intelligence, and work through advanced systems integration. […]
The House Homeland Security Committee will mark up its portion of the legislative language for the $3.5 trillion reconciliation bill tomorrow, but the released text of the chairman’s amendment to the bill shows that Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., proposes to give the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) $856 million to fund various programs and operations expenses. […]
Crumbling bridges and leaky levees. Buckling roadways. Unsafe water pipes. Inadequate public transit. The list of U.S. infrastructure failings is both broad and deep. The United States is paying only about half of its necessary infrastructure bill, and the total investment gap has grown from $2.1 trillion over 10 years, to a current figure of nearly $2.59 trillion over 10 years, according to the American Society of Civil Engineers. As a result, local government leaders face staggering infrastructure requirements that local tax revenues cannot fulfill. […]
The Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) announced today that cybersecurity veteran Kiersten Todt will be the agency’s next chief of staff. […]
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Acting Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel released the agenda for the FCC’s upcoming September Open Commission Meeting, scheduled for September 30. […]
A bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced new legislation that would create a U.S.-Israel Artificial Intelligence (AI) Research and Development Center earlier this month. […]
The vital role of digitization in the ongoing effort to meet electronic records mandates is undeniable, Federal government officials agreed on September 9 during a Digital Government Institute webinar at which they discussed their agencies’ successes and challenges in improving the process. […]
Growth in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technologies is driving new demands across the Federal enterprise for secure storage and effective data management. Data is no longer just accumulated and stored. Teams rely on robust, timely data analysis to support daily operations and innovation. Secure storage, access, and management of data are critical to agency missions. […]