Acquisition Policy

  • The memo is part of a broader effort to improve authentication to computers and buildings across government using secure identity cards. The White House also is close to finalizing the National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace. President Obama could sign the strategy this winter.

    November 05, 2010
  • Agencies are laying the foundation for the use of cloud computing in the government. Officials are marking their progress in smaller steps instead of big strides.

    November 05, 2010
  • The White House wants common security requirements for agencies in the cloud. So GSA is rolling out FedRAMP. They say it will provide security authorizations and continuous monitoring of cloud systems.

    November 03, 2010
  • The Army has filled two of its highest acquisition jobs. Heidi Shyu has been appointed principal deputy assistant secretary for acquisition, logistics and technology. Scott Fish is its new chief scientist.

    November 03, 2010
  • OFPP is holding these meetings with large agencies to understand how they are meeting the Obama administration\'s acquisition goals. The sessions are similar to the TechStat sessions, but they\'re not at the program level. OFPP also is finalizing rules around multiple award contracts and schedule bidding.

    November 03, 2010
  • Agencies can take a lesson from the General Services Administration\'s newly announced telepresence plan aimed at saving money and the earth. GSA discussed recently their $18 million plan to build what they call virtual meeting centers within 11 of regional headquarters offices and four headquarters offices in the Washington-metro area. Agencies with their own telepresence capabilities can interoperate with the new GSA virtual centers with the proper technical set up. Bob Lesino, GSA spokesman tells InformationWeek, agencies need to be able to deliver and receive 1080p video resolution and support H.323/H.264. The idea behind telepresence moves video teleconferencing to another level. GSA touts the technology behind the centers, boasting \"live, face-to-face, immersive meeting experiences.\" Each room is expected to have high-definition video and advanced audio equipment. \"You will feel like you are making eye contact [with the other person], [you will] feel like you are sitting across the table from them, almost as if you can pass the person a cup of coffee, \" said Martha Johnson, GSA administrator. \"As the federal government\'s workplace solutions expert, GSA is exploring new ways to create a more efficient, cost-effective, and sustainable government for the American people. This includes incorporating innovative and collaborative technologies like virtual meeting centers to create seamless connections around the world. Availability of virtual meeting technology will help launch our government to the next level of productivity.\" The goal is for GSA to become a model for technologies that enable a mobile workforce, she added. The whole point of telepresence is to make it easier to get the job done. And saving time and money is part of that equation. \"The cost of travel is not just the price of a plane ticket. You have to factor in the sheer wear and tear of travel on people, \" said Johnson. The centers will be available for use by all agencies at a fixed hourly rate. The network will let any subscribing agency meet with counterparts in Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Chicago, Kansas City, Fort Worth, Denver, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington, as well as with counterparts in other telepresence networks nationally and internationally. The centers will also be made available to stateside military families so that they can meet virtually with service members overseas. AT&T will develop and manage the virtual network through a task order under GSA\'s Networx Enterprise contract. Once the network is operational, agencies will be able to order and schedule virtual meeting sessions through a secure Web portal as well as through a valet that will be available around the clock. Johnson said the first of the virtual meeting centers will be operational in early 2011.

    November 02, 2010
  • The DorobekINSIDER presents at 2010 Excellence in Partnership Awards.

    November 02, 2010
  • Faster, smaller, hipper, and even more efficient, teleworkers are morphing into mobile workers.

    November 01, 2010
  • Host Mark Amtower discusses the SmartPay program with David Shea, Director of the Office of Charge Card Management, Federal Acquisition Service, General Services Administration. November 1, 2010 (Encore Presentation)

    November 01, 2010
  • Bob Tompkins, Partner, Patton Boggs joins host Larry Allen to discuss federal contracting opportunities for small businesses. November 2, 2010

    November 01, 2010
  • Anyone attending the recent ACT-IAC Executive Leadership Conference in Williamsburg, Va., can tell you there was some great information on the future of cloud computing in government being announced and discussed at the event. This includes the news that the General Services Administration has issued a notice on FedBizOpps.gov for e-mail-as-a-service under the software-as-a-service platform. An industry [...]

    November 01, 2010
  • The GSA Office of Small Business Utilization has turned to a small business for help understanding small business needs. Federal News Radio speaks with Jiyoung Park, GSA Associate Administrator for Small Business Utilization.November 2, 2010

    October 29, 2010
  • A coalition of businesses, associations and citizen groups rate members of Congress on how they voted on bills that promote or hurt private sector companies and forces industry to compete with the government. But some experts say the business coalition is taking a too narrow view of what the government does.

    October 29, 2010
  • There\'s a push to expand the use of tools designed to give federal Web managers a better idea of just who is using agency websites. The goal is to improve the Web experience for citizens.

    October 29, 2010