USGS juggles data requests
SIOUX FALLS, S.D.—The Earth Resources Observation System Data Center here is struggling to meet the high demand for its archive of satellite remote sensing data. Global change researchers want historical imagery and related spatial data sets. "Our challenge is to make sure we preserve all that," said Stuart W. Doescher, program manager for systems engineering at the Geological Survey site.
It's worth it to upgrade to latest Illustrator version
Real-life requirements: Win9x or NT; Pentium II CPU; 128M of RAM; 100M free storage; CD-ROM drive; video card that can show 32-bit true color at 1,024- by 768-pixel resolution. Power Macintosh version available. Latest Unix version is 5.5 Adobe Illustrator has a reputation for being powerful but difficult. It has loyal followers, though many stopped following it at versions 6.0, 5.5 or even 4.1.
OPINION
Servers are ubiquitous in federal agencies. They're not just in cabinet agencies but also in the hundreds of independent agencies, boards, commissions, government corporations, congressional and judiciary agencies and other functioning units that comprise the broadly defined federal government. My research shows the number of servers hovers around 200,000, not counting—because I couldn't—those maintained by the National Security Agency, CIA and other classified agencies.
Web browsers will help steer IT course
GCN: Pacific Command is planning to build a brand new state-of-the-art command and control headquarters at Camp Smith. What are the details? BRYAN: We are building a new Commander in Chief of the Pacific Fleet (CINCPAC) headquarters that we will break ground on in 2000 and occupy in 2003. We're very proud of it. The
Cybervillains come under fire
The Defense Department plans to batten down the hatches on its networks with a new staff at the Defense Information Systems Agency. Defense Secretary William Cohen last month approved the creation of the Joint Task Force on Computer Network Defense to coordinate responses to cyberattacks on DOD systems. The task force will work out of DISA's Global Operations Security Center in Arlington, Va. Air Force Maj. Gen. John Campbell, DISA's vice director, will command a 24-person staff
Clinton's proposal identifies 2000 problem as No. 1 issue
How Clinton says he'll strengthen governmentwide management Manage the year 2000 computer problem Use results to improve program management Improve financial management information Protect critical information infrastructure Strengthen statistical programs Implement acquisition reforms Implement electronic government initiatives Dealing with the year 2000 problem tops the list of priority initiatives in President Clinton's fiscal 2000 budget proposal—even though the budget will take effect six months after
GPS overhaul will add signals for civilian use
The Clinton administration last month launched a six-year, $400 million initiative to modernize the Defense Department's Global Positioning System. The upgrade would add two new civilian signals to future GPS satellites to improve services provided to millions of non-DOD users worldwide. GPS is a constellation of 24 satellites developed, launched and maintained by the Air Force. The system gives users positioning, timing and navigation signals free of charge and helps guide airplanes, trains, ships, cars, tractors and
Users get Domino 5, but the boys in the back e-room get a bit more
This year the furry one got his fill of Mickey's minions, not to mention Lotus Development Corp.'s publicity antics. Next year he'll let his Web browser do the walking. The trade show paraded a pair of Canadian mountaineers who had scaled Mount Everest to plant Lotus' flag at the summit—and demonstrate the power of collaborative computing, naturally.
NATO calls for cooperative simulation effort
NATO member nations will begin to share information on virtual prototypes and simulation-based design. But representatives of the 15-member military alliance, attending a NATO conference on the subject recently in Silver Spring, Md., stressed the need for a cooperative effort of industry and governments to reduce the time and cost required to buy and test new equipment.
Army shores up servicewide ATM use by approving OmniSwitch for network
The Army has approved the OmniSwitch asynchronous transfer mode switch from Xylan Corp. of Calabasas, Calif., for its Common User Interface Transport Network after completing performance and interoperability testing at the Army's Technology Integration Center at Fort Huachuca, Ariz. CUITN will have dual ATM switches at the network core, linked over an OC-3 Synchronous Optical Network to routers. The Army switch tests simulated full-speed File Transfer Protocol, Telnet, e-mail and streaming video traffic of 3,000 users.
Some feds can't live without handhelds
Feds using handheld computers still make up a small installed base. Very small. But regular users can barely suppress their enthusiasm for these mighty mites. "I can't live without it now," said Tom Polak, systems administrator at the Geological Survey in Anchorage, Alaska, about his 3Com Corp. Palm III, the top-rated handheld in GCN's survey. "It's my alternate brain."
Dod Computing Briefing Book
Mae Day. Mae De Vincentis last month became the Defense Logistics Agency's executive director for information systems and technology. She was also appointed to the Senior Executive Service after 21 years of civilian federal service. In her new job, De Vincentis leads the directorate responsible for providing comprehensive IT strategy to DLA's Defense Logistics Support Command. Before joining DLA headquarters, she served as the director of operations for the Defense Supply Center-Philadelphia.
All critical government systems will be ready, Koskinen says
The government's year 2000 czar expects that 80 percent of federal mission-critical systems will be ready by the Office of Management and Budget's March 31 deadline. John A. Koskinen, chairman of the President's Council on Year 2000 Conversion, last month told House lawmakers that his council will set separate timetables for systems that are not ready by the OMB fix-it deadline.
IRS thinks it has the answer
The IRS has upgraded its Telephone Routing Interactive System to prepare 36 customer service sites for the year 2000 and handle a record number of calls this tax season. The service installed new hardware and software and ported 18 applications between June and November last year to avoid interference with its busiest season.
Advisory council lays groundwork for conference
The Industry Advisory Council of the Federation of Government Information Processing Councils has kicked off the planning for its 1999 Executive Leadership Conference. Agriculture Department chief information officer Anne Thomson Reed and GTE Government Systems market development manager Deidre Murray will be the co-chairwomen of ELC '99. Both women are active FGIPC participants and have worked on the conference program before. Reed was co-chairwoman of the ELC '98 workshops; Murray was vice chairwoman of this year's conference.
Computer training apps grow on Agriculture agency
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is hybridizing the way it does training. The Agriculture Department agency prefers to train employees in person, said Charlotte I. Miller, information technology training coordinator in Fort Collins, Colo. But the cost is high when the agency has to lease classrooms with networked computers, she said.
PROFESSIONAL CALENDAR
1-3 Marketspace '99 Conference. Atlanta. Contact Xplor International, 24238 Hawthorne Blvd., Torrance, Calif. 90505; tel. 800-669-7567. 8-11 MultimediaCom Conference and exhibition. Contact BCR Enterprises Inc., 950 York Road, Suite 203, Hinsdale, Ill. 60521; tel. 630-986-1432. 10-12 Year 2000 Business Continuity Strategies Conference. Atlanta. Contact the International Quality and Productivity Center, P.O. Box 401, Little Falls, N.J. 07424; tel. 800-882-8684. 15-18 FOSE '99 Conference and exposition. Contact Post-Newsweek Business Information Inc., 8500
Will digital signature buy draw any bidders?
The General Services Administration might have customers in hand for its digital signature project, but the Access Certificates for Electronic Services project is a procurement looking for contractors. Nearly a month after GSA issued the ACES request for proposals (see story, Page 14), few big-name vendors seem interested in vying for the project to create a governmentwide digital certificate service. At a recent preproposal conference, several vendors—even some big companies such as Electronic Data Systems Corp.—said
OMB and GITS Board offer pointers on PKI use
A new report outlines how agencies can use a public-key infrastructure and digital certificates to ensure that data transmitted online is legitimate. The report, Access With Trust, discusses both internal transactions within agencies and external data exchanges with vendors, state and local governments, and citizens. The report—from the Office of Management and Budget and the Government Information Technology Services Board's Federal PKI Steering Committee—is based on the notion that citizens should be able to do more of
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