People

Free app can help first responders identify chemicals

The National Library of Medicine has created software for handhelds that can help first responders identify substances found following a hazardous-material incident.

People

OMB: 2004 was a good year for e-gov

The Office of Management and Budget is studying how to effectively use technology to enhance crisis management.

People

Three agencies missed the E-Travel boat

Three agencies have until the end of the month to explain why they did not meet a Dec. 31, 2004, deadline to award E-Travel contracts.

People

Oversight board: IRS ’06 budget will curtail IT efforts

The president’s fiscal 2006 budget for the IRS would shortchange business systems modernization just as the agency has notched some successes after several problem years, a new independent report says.

People

DHS, HUD take first swing at HR service providers

The Human Resources Line of Business is getting its first guinea pigs.

People

Users less pleased with federal sites

Federal Web sites are meeting fewer of the public’s needs, according to the latest American Customer Satisfaction Index.

People

Philadelphia Free-for-all

Brotherly love isn’t the only thing heating up Philadelphia these days. Just ask the city’s CIO, Dianah Neff.

People

IRS extends e-services to more tax preparers

Tax preparers that file five or more returns electronically a year can make use of the tax agency's e-services, services previously restricted to preparers that filed 100 or more returns.

People

Advisory panel recommends more federal R&D spending

The Presidential IT Advisory Committee has recommended a sharp increase in federal spending on cybersecurity R&D, with a focus on fundamental, long-term solutions to security challenges.

People

Justice, OMB programs named semifinalists for innovation award

Justice’s Global Justice XML Data Model and OMB’s Program Assessment Ratings Tool are among 10 semifinalists for Innovation in American Government awards.

Modernization

Navy taps RGS for business process management, IT services

The Navy has hired RGS Associates Inc. to provide IT and other services across the Chief of Naval Operations division.

People

Rep. Davis takes aim at privacy officer requirement

The chairman of the House Government Reform Committee has introduced a bill to repeal the provision requiring every federal agency to name a chief privacy officer.<@SM>

People

GSA draft reorganization plan to be released in May

The General Services Administration says it will complete the first draft of its plan to merge the Federal Supply Service and the Federal Technology Service in two months.

People

Another view: E-passports need security upfront, not later

The State Department is committing one of the classic IT blunders with its proposed rules for electronic passports—focusing only on functionality and ignoring security when implementing a new technology.

Modernization

IBM, Sun unveil utility computing services

IBM Corp. and Sun Microsystems Inc. have launched on-demand computing services where customers submit work to the companies and pay by the computer cycle used.

Modernization

Boost IRS funding to avoid system collapse, Oversight Board says

Funding for agency business systems modernization should be significantly higher to avoid a catastrophic collapse of archaic legacy systems, according to a new report.

Modernization

Army to issue RFP for ITES-2S contract later this month

The Army is expected to release a request for proposals for its $20 billion IT Enterprise Solutions-2 Services contract by the end of the month.

People

New ID standard is just the first of two-part plan

The debate over specifications for federal and contractor employee identification cards did not end with the Commerce Department’s release of the Personal Identity Verification standard late last month. Locked in a small room somewhere are federal and industry experts discussing technical details for biometrics, card interfaces and encryption requirements.

People

GSA assessing charge card contractors’ security policies

GSA will review the security policies of the SmartPay contractors after Bank of America revealed it lost the records of 1.2 million federal employees.

People

OMB to study consolidation of IT security functions

OMB will investigate whether some federal IT security functions could be provided centrally by agencies or commercial vendors.