Agile development is high on the CIO Council's list of priorities, driving improved technology outcomes through swift technology development cycles—but it's not just about development. Acquisition plays a key role in the process, as underlined in both the 25-Point Plan and the accelerated timelines of the Cloud First and Shared First initiatives. The acquisition process has always been critical to meeting the needs of the technology work...

The AFCEA Bethesda Government-Wide Initiatives Excellence Awards recognizes individuals or groups whose contributions in information technology have significance beyond their organization. These contributions represent achievements that advance business and citizen interaction, leading to improved effectiveness, cost-savings and leadership that meet national priorities and serve as a model of excellence government-wide. The awards will be pres...

Law enforcement and national security depends on adaptation—adaptation to the economy, adaptation to technology and adaptation to criminal methodologies. As budgetary cutbacks become commonplace in the Federal government, creativity in new technology initiatives must take precedence as agencies are increasingly expected to do more with less. Law enforcement agencies and officers will need to use new tools, including, data analytics, secu...

The budget has become more than just a battleground for agencies and IT shops, it’s become an issue of national debate. The result: a $1.2 trillion cut to federal spending over the next decade. With no agency or department off-limits, initiatives like data center consolidation, cloud computing and mobile government become even more important. But to be successful in this new environment, agencies will need to consider more than individua...

AFCEA Bethesda is excited to move this year’s Fourth Health IT Day to its new venue at the Mayflower Reniassance Hotel in Washington, D.C. Health IT Day is expected to bring together more than 600 senior-executives and IT professionals from across industry and federal agencies such as the Department of Health and Human Services, the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of H...

25-Point Plan: What’s Next in IT Management Reform in 2012 In April, Federal Chief Information Officer Vivek Kundra gave an update on the 25-Point Plan to reform information technology. During that update, it was noted that seven objectives had already been delivered and all but two were on track including reducing duplicate data and consolidating data centers. As the new Federal Chief Information Officer takes over the top IT post, how...

In the last ten years, the number of data centers has more than tripled. With the mandated consolidation policy put into effect in February 2010, departments are beginning to follow recently developed roadmaps for shrinking server farms. The aim of this consolidation policy is to reduce IT costs, lower energy consumption, occupy less real estate, strengthen IT security and expand the use of cloud computing. While there is no set timeline to co...

The Federal government invests $70 billion per year in information technology. This might seem like a sizeable amount to go around; however, government agencies are constantly challenged to do more with less, and they are learning ways to be nimble and deliver additional services with fewer resources. The Administration’s Open Government Directive signaled the reemergence of IT innovation and the Web as a platform for collaboration and c...

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act promised $19 billion for Health IT. Since then, electronic health records and health IT management have emerged as a major component of the healthcare debate. As industry struggles over the costs and benefits of health IT, many government agencies have surged forward---leading the way, from the Department of Veterans Affairs to the Department of Health and Human Services. AFCEA Bethesda’s Healt...