Digital Government

EDS collects Navy net services BPA

The Navy last week awarded a blanket purchase agreement (BPA) to Electronic Data Systems Corp. to provide local and widearea networking services to installations and commands across the agency.

Digital Government

FAA taps COMSAT for satellite comm

The Federal Aviation Administration late last month selected COMSAT Corp.'s Mobile Communications division to provide satellite communication services as part of the agency's Global Positioning System (GPS)based navigation programs.

Digital Government

PRC wins $46 million DIA deal

The Defense Intelligence Agency last month awarded a $46 million contract to Litton/PRC Inc. to modernize databases and related applications across the intelligence community and to bring new database technology into the field. The intelligence community like other components of the Defense Departm

People

GTE, PRC snag $674M support services contract

The Air Force last week awarded contracts to GTE Government Systems and PRC Inc. as part of a $674 million program to provide support services for information systems at 20 bases under the Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC). Under the MIS Technical Support II program the two contractors will fill ta

Digital Government

Lotus, Microsoft to lure feds with new 32-bit apps

The new generation of 32bit office application suites from Lotus Development Corp. and Microsoft Corp. featured prominently at the Comdex computer trade show this week will take the federal market by storm according to the vendors and their resellers. Lotus is using Comdex to introduce SmartSuite

Digital Government

It's Ada vs. the commercial world - and the lady's still slugging

Although Ada the Defense Department's chosen programming language does not have the market sizzle of some commercial languages its widespread use in weapons systems and missioncritical programs feeds a steady market for development and support tools. Ada's dominance in weapons systems and in aircr

People

Feeling at home at the Pentagon

Not many people can claim to have landed the ultimate job perfectly geared to their interests. Anita K. Jones director of Defense research and engineering can. 'If you are interested in science and technology policy if you want to make a difference at that level in the U.S. this is the best job

Digital Government

Informix shuffles federal unit; Hammersla departs

Informix Software Inc. last week folded its Vienna Va.based federal division into its commercial sales organization as part of a corporatewide restructuring. As part of the reorganization Edward Hammersla III executive director of Informix's federal operations has left the company. Under the new c

Digital Government

Setting an agenda for the 2nd term

Despite the departure from Congress of several strong champions of procurement reform vendors and government managers believe that the new leaders of congressional oversight committees will continue on the path of the last several years and will push for agencies to adopt commercial business practi

Digital Government

Report suggests DOD limit Ada use

The National Research Council has recommended that the Defense Department roll back its longstanding often unpopular mandate requiring the Ada programming language and reserve it for use only in weapons systems and other warfighting software. The recommendations are part of 'Ada and Beyond: Softwar

Digital Government

NAS moving toward all-digital technology

The Federal Aviation Administration anticipating more crowded skies in the years ahead is considering how it may make a wholesale move to more efficient digitalbased communications throughout the National Airspace System. For several years the FAA has been exploring the use of data link technology

Digital Government

ARS seen as answer for `reasonable' program goals

The Federal Aviation Administration hopes it has solved a decadeold problem with defining modernization requirements by creating the Air Traffic System Requirements Service abbreviated ARS and putting at its head a former air traffic controller. Neil Planzer director of ARS believes the new organi

Digital Government

OMB directive seeks more bang for IT bucks

In what some observers called a shot across the bow the Office of Management and Budget last week put agencies on notice that information systems must meet strict new criteria to receive continued funding. In a memo dated Oct. 25 OMB director Franklin D. Raines called for agency and department head

Digital Government

Compaq unveils new midrange model

Compaq Computer Corp. this week will introduce the successor to its popular ProLiant 1500 network server a machine designed to offer new levels of performance and scalability for departmental network users. The ProLiant 2500 which runs on single or dual Pentium Pro 200 MHz processors will boost per

Digital Government

CA, Cheyenne join software ops

Systems management vendor Computer Associates International Inc. added storage security and communications products to its portfolio with the acquisition earlier this month of software vendor Cheyenne Software Inc. In a deal valued at $1.2 billion CA has offered to purchase all outstanding shares o

Digital Government

FAA denies Wilcox protest

In the first major test of its selfstyled Acquisition Management System (AMS) the Federal Aviation Administration this month denied a protest filed by Wilcox Electric Inc. against the award of a contract to Hughes Aircraft Co. for development of a satellite navigation system. The protest stems fro

Digital Government

DOD adopts simulation standards

The Defense Department looking for more of a return on its investment in modeling and simulation technology has established a basic technical architecture to which all present and future simulation projects must conform. By its own estimate DOD spends billions of dollars each year building maintain

Digital Government

JIVA holds multiple deals for IT firms

Federal contractors have multiple procurements to look toward as the Defense Intelligence Agency lays out plans to deliver on its proposed Joint Intelligence Virtual Architecture during the next 10 years. JIVA discussed publicly for the first time last month will provide the defense intelligence co

Digital Government

SGI offers updated products

Silicon Graphics Inc. this week will introduce new technologies to improve performance and scalability across its product line ranging from new entrylevel workstation products for graphicsintensive computing to a new generation of supercomputers. The announcements include the new entrylevel O2 w

Digital Government

DSB report: DOD must speed outsourcing

A Defense Science Board (DSB) study released last week calls for the Defense Department to move aggressively to outsource most DOD support activities and identifies the data centers as 'an attractive early candidate." The 'Report of the Defense Science Board Task Force on Outsourcing and Privatiza