The government’s newest social experiment

Acquisition

The government’s newest social experiment

Some lucky Feds and contractors get to take the government\'s official social network out for spin.

Federal News Network Staff

November 9, 2010 6:00 am

< a min read

Some lucky Feds and contractors get to take the government’s official social network out for a spin.

FedSpace is running as a pilot program with 180 users before it launches, according to a GSA executive.

“We are doing an alpha launch right now,” says Gwynne Kostin, co-director of GSA’s Center for New Media and Citizen Engagement.

FedSpace is expected to help workers use Web 2.0 tools and collaborate with shared workspaces, wikis and blogs.

“We are trying to build a skeleton, scaffolding platform of capabilities and collaboration, but not build a Cadillac for all agencies to use as the only collaboration tool,” Dave McClure, GSA’s administrator for Citizen Services and Innovative Technologies, tells Federal News Radio.

“We are trying to work out is build some basic capability and if agencies want to plug their own applications in the collaboration world on top of that, then it will be a win-win for everyone.”

McClure said FedSpace should be available by early 2011 for use by chief information officers, chief financial officers and any other communities who want to come together securely online.