People

MUMPS to be retained for VA VistA system -- for now

Ending months of discussion, the top IT official at the Veterans Affairs Department came down in favor of retaining the MUMPS computer language for VA's electronic health record system.

People

Agency innovation contests hampered by questions about legality, fairness

The Obama administration has been promoting agencies using prizes and contests to spur innovation, but those competitions are raising concerns about fairness and intellectual property rights, according to a new report.

Modernization

White House attention nudges e-archive toward completion by September 2011

The National Archives and Records Administration is putting its electronic archive project on track for completion in a year after the program landed on a White House list of high-risk projects.

Digital Government

Industry anticipates MUMPS decision on VA's VistA modernization

Industry members have strong opinions on whether the Veterans Affairs Department should retain VistA's existing computer language is it becomes modernized

Modernization

HHS offers widget for identifying health insurance choices

The Health and Human Services Department has an online widget to help people identify the health insurance plans are sold in their states.

Digital Government

Bedbugs invade file cabinets at SSA offices

The Social Security Administration offices in Queens, N.Y., are under siege from bedbugs.

Modernization

Agencies told to avoid links to political sites

Federal agencies with a presence on Facebook and Twitter must be careful not to link to any political Web sites, according to new guidance.

Digital Government

State, local health IT spending projected to be $10B by 2015

Spending on state and local health information technology systems is expected to rise by 19 percent during the next five years, according to market research firm Input Inc.

Digital Government

DHS manager slammed by IG for aiding relative

A Science and Technology Directorate manager violated ethics policies by plotting to deliver agency-funded software to a relative, according to an audit by the DHS inspector general.

People

White House targets 26 high-risk IT programs for fixes

Federal CIO Vivek Kundra said the goal of a high-priority IT project list is not to kill the projects, but to turn them around as quickly as possible.

Modernization

3 federal sites have top customer satisfaction

A recent survey highlighted the best and worst scores for customer satisfaction among federal departmental and portal Web sites.

Digital Government

National Guard Bureau tells what not to write on Facebook

The National Guard Bureau is giving advice to guard members on what to write -- and not write -- on social media sites.

Modernization

NASA makes 3G iPhone available to employees

NASA has added 3G iPhones to its Outsourcing Desktop Initiative list that makes the devices available to employees.

People

California starts statewide telehealth network

The California Telehealth Network will link 800 facilities statewide.

Digital Government

VA sees problems in open-source development for VistA

The Veterans Affairs Department is evaluating whether to put VistA on an open-source development path.

People

White House preparing agency IT project hit list

The White House plans to publish a list of high-risk IT projects in need of rescue as part of the Obama administration's effort to rein in $20 billion of annual IT infrastructure spending.

Modernization

Congressman charges White House with publishing 'propaganda' on Recovery.gov

Republican Rep. Darrell Issa is accusing the Obama administration of misusing federal Web sites to advance the president's political agenda.

Modernization

Dozens of federal agencies check in at Foursquare

The Foursquare geographic social media site is chock-full tips for visitors to federal buildings.

Digital Government

Bolden comments on employees, contractors at NASA IT Summit

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden spoke at the first-ever NASA IT Summit at the Gaylord National Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland.

Modernization

GSA Web site to host agency competitions

The General Services Administration has created a new Web-based platform for federal agencies to hold challenges and share ideas about innovation.