Government IT

Does your BlackBerry stress you out?

Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:59:58 -0500

It's time to admit that you are tied to your BlackBerry. You may be on vacation, but it's on. You may be taking a nap on a Saturday afternoon, yet it is still by your side. It's the reason that BlackBerrys have been called "Crackberrys." Perhaps every CIO ought to give it a second thought before handing out a BlackBerry to every IT employee. Do they really need it? Can they work without it? Blackberry addiction has caused problems both on the worksite and off. Maybe it's stressing you out. Maybe it's keeping your workers from giving 100 percent to their jobs.

But there are some ideas that you can use to keep BlackBerry usage under control. In Canada, for example, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC), a government agency, has issued a directive to employees banning them from using BlackBerrys for work related matters at night, during weekends and on holidays because workers' work/life balance is being thrown off balance.

In Chicago, the general manager at the Sheraton Chicago recently cracked down on his own BlackBerry use. "If you really get addicted the way I was, it's a problem," said Rick Ueno, general manager of the Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers. "I would wake up in the middle of the night to get a drink of water and have to check my messages. I'd check [the BlackBerry] at traffic lights and everywhere else." Ueno decided to retire his Blackberry because it was stressing him out. Now he finds that he is more creative at the workplace. It might be time to do your employees a favor. Make them at least partially BlackBerry free and see what happens at your workplace. And let us know if it works wonders for you or if your workplace is still the same pressure cooker it has always been.

For more on shaking the Blackberry habit:
- See this CIO Magazine article

More tech news from the FierceCIO network:
> Microsoft pledges interoperability again. Article
> AOL ending Netscape support. Article
> The wireless price wars begin. Article

Congress gets a 'D' on tech legislation

Thu, 20 Dec 2007 06:59:59 -0500

It was a very tough year for IT legislation in Congress. Only a few bills were passed to help the technology industry, and plenty of others never made it off of wishlists and into the halls of Congress. "This Congress so far has a record of neglect on technology issues," said Rep. Bob Goodlatte, whose party lost its majority in the November 2006 elections. Even though Congress failed to act swiftly on technology issues, Kevin Richards, the federal government relations manager for Symantec, which makes IT security products, said it is too early to judge lawmakers from one short session. "I think we have a lot of interest [from lawmakers], and this has the potential to be a tech-friendly Congress," Richards said.

Despite the overall lack of legislation, here are two success stories. First, Congress passed the America Competes Act (short for the America Creating Opportunities to Meaningfully Promote Excellence in Technology, Education, and Science Act). It earmarked $43.3 billion for research and math and science education programs. Second, Congress approved a free-trade agreement with Peru before recessing in December, a piece of legislation that is "imperative" for tech vendors, said Sage Chandler, senior director of international trade for the Consumer Electronics Association. The motto from Capitol Hill: Stay tuned. More is yet to come.

For more on legislative issues:
- See this Computerworld Article

Ban on Internet taxes

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 06:59:59 -0400

If you think the government is trying to reach into the pockets of every Internet user, think again. The U.S. House of Representatives took the first steps to extend an Internet tax moratorium for four years, even though the tech industry wants to permanently bar state and local governments from taxing Internet access. The issue is a hot one because governments are always looking for ways to raise money. And what better way than going after the growing use of the Internet? The U.S. House of Representatives has voted to extend an Internet tax moratorium for just four years, despite calls from the tech industry to permanently bar state and local governments from taxing Internet access. The House voted to pass the Internet Tax Freedom Act Amendments by 405-2 this week. The proposal would extend the moratorium on Internet access taxes and other taxes unique to the Internet until November 2011. But don't breathe a sigh of relief yet. The Senate still has to pass the same measure. And the House bill narrows the definition of Internet access, allowing state and local governments to tax Internet-related services such as VoIP.

For more on net taxation:
- see this Infoworld article

IPv6: How much will it cost?

Tue, 04 Sep 2007 06:59:58 -0400

The U.S. Office of Management and Budget is hanging tough with its mandate to start rolling out IPv6 across the entire federal government by 2008. The estimated cost for the U.S. government's transition to IPv6 is pegged at approximately $25 billion over 25 years. Last week, defense contractor Lockheed Martin announced that it would roll out IPv6 on and between ten locations of its Global Vision Network, spanning from California to the United Kingdom. The new protocol is expected to be up and running by next month. It turns out that many early adopters are finding the transition to IPv6 to be relatively simple because the new protocol is already supported by all current operating systems and the majority of current routers. As a result, the basic upgrade is relatively painless and cheap for almost everyone except the operators of fast networks that use slightly older routers, according to an article in Ars Technica. Still, there are some challenging areas that need to be overcome, including tough issues with certain firewalls and load balancers.

For all the details on IPv6:
- read the article in Ars Technica

IBM and PWC settle federal kickback suit for $5.3M

Mon, 20 Aug 2007 06:59:59 -0400

After three years of litigation, IBM and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) separately paid fines that added up to $5.3 million, in order to settle a broader set of DOJ lawsuits stemming from multiple whistle-blower allegations that systems integrators (like PWC) have been inappropriately diverting contracts to technology vendors (like IBM). But wait a minute…aren't IBM and PWC one and the same company? Didn't Big Blue buy the consulting arm of the venerable accounting firm in 2002 to strengthen the IBM Global Services presence and to create the type of "synergy" that would optimize the technology group's visibility, insight and access to clients, especially in the lucrative and recession-proof federal IT market? The answer, of course, is yes, so it should not come as a surprise that there are some intimate linkages among the parties concerned. Nevertheless, PWC-turned-IBM Global Services consultants are not supposed to cherry pick technology providers when they are ostensibly offering clients independent advice on how to build next generation IT infrastructures. But it is a complicated situation for all concerned. And the confusion is rooted in the fact that all large vendors view systems integrators as a channel into the federal IT sector. There are all kinds of alliances (most of them well documented and promoted) among systems integrators and technology providers who serve government agencies. If the government is going to outsource the management of these complex technology programs, then it must be aware that it is dealing with a web of business relationships that are already established in the market. Beyond IBM/PWC, the broader DOJ suit targets Accenture, HP and Sun. In settling, IBM denies any wrong-doing.

Read coverage of the IBM/PWC development:
- see the article Computerworld

The role of the CTO

Tue, 22 May 2007 20:01:39 -0400

While the role of CIO is fairly well-defined, the role of CTO is less so. Individual organizational requirements and cultures determine CTO roles. Some CTOs report to the CIO and some don't, but either way, a synergistic relationship between the two is necessary for success. One type of CTO is an infrastructure line manager, responsible for data center operations, desktop and network management and information security. This type of CTO reports directly to the CIO. A second type is the "elite CTO," who has a small staff of technology experts who focus on limited-scope technology projects. A third type is the traditional visionary, who functions as an enterprise technology advocate and problem-solver. The fourth type is the "disruptive visionary", who tries to create leading-edge IT capabilities quickly for strategic mission advantage. This type of CTO is rare. No matter what type of CTO you have, however, they must be chartered with specific goals, tailored to prevailing or aspirational cultures and accountable for outcome-based results.

Learn more about CTOs:
- read the article at Government Computer News

ALSO:
- read this on how the lines between CIO and CTO are blurring
- and this on the role of the CTO

Data incidents impact nearly 50M citizens

Sun, 12 Nov 2006 19:01:36 -0500

Anyone tracking tech and business news the past year is well versed in the increasing volume of data thefts and losses. But many will be surprised to learn the actual victim impact: Over 49 million U.S. citizens have been alerted in the past three years that their personal data has either been lost or compromised, according to a new study from Harris Interactive. The government and public sector leads the pack in the data incidents, as 48 percent of effected citizens were informed of a data issue by a government agency. Financial companies accounted for 29 percent of incidences while private companies reported a further 12 percent. The good news is that 81 percent of people have not experienced any financial or credit impact.

For more on the extent of data losses:
- read the report at TechWeb

Better cyber security law needed

Thu, 19 Oct 2006 20:01:35 -0400

A former presidential assistant and Homeland Security Council director is pushing for Congress to take action in thwarting IT-related security breaches, saying that it's not only a serious threat to individuals' confidential data but could also impact the country's economic growth. Paul Kurtz, executive director of the Cyber Security Industry Alliance, says that a comprehensive law is needed to make a difference.

For more on the push for a better federal security law:
- read the column at BusinessWeek

Fed Web sites fail to provide satisfaction

Sun, 08 Oct 2006 20:01:37 -0400

While there are a few shining stars in the federal government's Web site galaxy, most government agency sites are falling short--failing big time to provide users what they need. The current American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), which measures satisfaction with the quality of goods and services in the United States, reports that the 18 federal sites that achieved a satisfaction score of 80 or above are clearly in the minority. It seems 30 federal sites ranked below 70--meaning there's lots of room for improvement.

For more on how federal Web sites are faring:
- read the news at Public CIO

Get ready for the IPv6 transition

Thu, 05 Oct 2006 20:01:36 -0400

The debate over whether to go to IPv6 is moot--the new focus on when, not if, the transition to the new Internet protocol will begin. While the technology got a tremendous show of support on the federal government level when the Department of Defense declared its love for the standard three years ago, not much has happened in the technology's adoption into the enterprise. Yet outside the U.S. the shift to IPv6 is moving much faster with China as a leader in building a new Internet based on the protocol. Pundits expect the U.S. to catch up fast given new advancements in hardware, telecommunications and software. That's why the time is now for CIOs to start mapping out upgrade plans so that they are ready for the shift.

For more on getting ready for IPv6:
- read the article at CIO

Also: Prepare yourself for IPv6. Article