Government IT | InformationWeek Blog

WhiteHouse.gov Drupal Detractors Get Buggy

michael.hickins@gmail.com — Oct 30, 2009 03:27 PM

The news that WhiteHouse.gov relaunched this week running open source Drupal software raised eyebrows and hackles among knee-jerk anti-Obama types and a small cadre of ignorant bloggers.

New iPhone App Gives 24x7 Swine Flu Coverage

mmcgee@techweb.com — Oct 28, 2009 12:45 PM

Swine flu is permeating everywhere these days--not just the virus, but news about it. But if you're still not getting your fill of H1N1, Harvard Medical School has released a new iPhone app that provides real-time updates while you're on the move.

DOD Says Yes To More Open Source

syegulalp@techweb.com — Oct 28, 2009 11:29 AM

Open source in the government and military isn't a new thing; governance is one of open source's biggest target markets, so to speak. It's still all the more heartening to hear the Department of Defense come out strongly in favor of open source, and to recommend using more of it whenever possible.

Can Open Source Software Save Democracy?

michael.hickins@gmail.com — Oct 26, 2009 03:19 PM

Voting machines and their foibles were catapulted to the top of public consciousness during the 2000 Presidential election, but have gone largely unnoticed in subsequent elections, which is a good thing. The possibility that a widespread glitch could affect a close national election, and the potential for this to undermine democracy, cannot be overstated.

H1N1 A National Emergency: Bring On The E-Records!

mmcgee@techweb.com — Oct 26, 2009 02:57 PM

President Obama has declared a national emergency in respect to H1N1. This gives hospitals more leeway in setting up emergency operations to respond to the rising swine flu pandemic. Wouldn't e-medical records systems come in handy now?

Hospitals Serving Poor Lag In Healthcare IT

mwagner@techweb.com — Oct 26, 2009 01:03 PM

It's no surprise that hospitals which serve predominantly poor patients are lagging in implementing healthcare IT. However, it's a cause for concern that the federal stimulus program might not be up to the task of closing that gap, according to federally supported researchers.

FCC Gets Net Neutrality Boost

michael.hickins@gmail.com — Oct 20, 2009 12:57 PM

Prominent tech companies and individuals associated with the creation of the Internet (although not Al Gore) are filling new Federal Communications Commission chairman Julius Genachowski's inbox with letters in support of his proposed network neutrality rules.

The Custom URL Shortener

nhoover@techweb.com — Oct 16, 2009 04:44 PM

My first thought when I saw that the federal government had created its own URL shortener was: what a waste of time and effort. The more I think about it, the more I wonder why other large organizations with popular Websites haven't done this for their links.

San Francisco Opens Government Data

mwagner@techweb.com — Oct 15, 2009 12:10 PM

San Francisco is opening up government data to third-party application developers, who are jumping in with applications that track information on public transportation, recycling centers, and local crime.

Healthcare Reform Bill Means HIPAA Changes, Too

mmcgee@techweb.com — Oct 13, 2009 04:59 PM

The healthcare reform bill that passed a key Senate committee today contains several health IT related provisions. Among them are new rules regarding HIPAA, including a proposals allowing the periodic update of HIPAA standards, and fines to health plans that don't comply to HIPAA "operating rules" by April 2014.

State Department Awards Social Networking Grants

mwagner@techweb.com — Oct 12, 2009 12:36 PM

The State Department plans to award up to $5 million in grants to expand the use of social networking in the Middle East and North Africa to drive citizen engagement and civic participation. The pilot program is part of a long-term effort to help bring democracy to the region, with a preference toward using existing technologies and social media platforms.

Old Media, Not Internet, Driving Healthcare Debate: White House Advisor

mwagner@techweb.com — Oct 8, 2009 12:20 PM

The healthcare debate in the America has been driven by cable news and other old media, rather than new technologies, according to White House Senior Advisor David Axelrod, adding that cable news networks focused on a small number of angry people at town hall meetings in August, and ignored the larger debate.

Think You Have Swine Flu? Take A New Online Test

mmcgee@techweb.com — Oct 7, 2009 03:58 PM

You've got a cough and a fever--and haven't had your flu shot yet. Could you possibly have H1N1? Microsoft has launched a new website to help you assess whether you've got swine flu.

Astronaut Tops 1 Million Twitter Followers

mwagner@techweb.com — Oct 7, 2009 12:43 PM

The group of people who've left the Earth is a small, select club. Now, one of those people has joined a club that's a lot less important but still interesting. Astronaut Mike Massimino joined the group of people with more than 1 million followers on Twitter.

IT Industry Supports Healthcare Reform But Is Divided Over Details

mmcgee@techweb.com — Oct 7, 2009 08:19 AM

As President Obama and Congress hash out healthcare legislation, the IT industry has its own views about healthcare reform. That includes the industry overall supporting a public option to lower healthcare costs, but at the same time worrying that reform will grow government too large, according to a new survey.

U.S. Government Set To Clamp Down on P2P Networks

george@georgehulme.com — Oct 6, 2009 12:37 PM

You've probably heard the horror stories around private and confidential files being exposed via peer-to-peer network sharing. Federal lawmakers are now stepping up their efforts to keep sensitive data from inadvertently leaking to the public.

Defense Department Loves Social Networking Again

mwagner@techweb.com — Oct 1, 2009 01:37 PM

The Defense Department's on-again off-again romance with social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook could be on again big-time if it adopts the policies suggested in a draft memo on "Internet-based capabilities." Troops and their families would be permitted to use public social networking sites, and military brass would be directed to keep an eye on Internet developments to watch for new opportunities and threats.

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Tenacity Matters In E-Medical Record Projects

mmcgee@techweb.com — Sep 30, 2009 04:08 PM

E-medical record projects aren't for the faint of heart. The conviction of a strong leadership team and a solid vision of the project's goals are keys to successful deployments. Just ask the folks involved with the EMR rollout at Fletcher Allen Health Care in Vermont.

A New Generation Of Internet Lawmakers

mwagner@techweb.com — Sep 29, 2009 08:14 PM

I'm still stuck in the 90s when I think about elected officials using the Internet. Back in the 90s, elected officials had never even touched the Internet. They thought it was a sewer of child porn and terrorists, and their only reaction to it was to try to control it--or make it go away. Until recently, I thought of lawmakers as still being as naive as they were back then. But a brief conversation with Rep. John Culberson shattered my preconceptions.

Google's Dataliberation.org a Public Policy Blow for Freedom

jf@feldman.org — Sep 25, 2009 08:03 AM

I'll admit it, I was raised paranoid. So, part of me is highly suspicious of Google when the IT world seems like a bunch of crazed lemmings leaping to ADOPT GOOGLE'S SEXSAH NEW OFFERINGS RIGHT NOW. But Google, despite the fact that it is a Massive Empire, may well be the real deal when it comes to understanding what smart CIOs need. And frankly, they may be contributing to reversing a terrible public policy trend.

Federal Government Wrestles With Crowdsourcing Problems

mwagner@techweb.com — Sep 22, 2009 01:06 PM

The problem with letting everybody contribute ideas to an open forum is that everybody does. White House-led open government initiatives are learning that lesson, as forums set up to let American citizens contribute suggestions for government actions are being hijacked by potheads, conspiracy theorists, and anti-Scientologists.

Dell's Acquisition Of Perot Helps Healthcare Push

mmcgee@techweb.com — Sep 21, 2009 02:39 PM

Dell's $3.9 billion acquisition of Perot Systems will help fortify Dell's pursuit of new customers in the healthcare industry, a sector that's been getting a lot of attention from Dell--and its competitors--in recent months.

University Of Texas Moving Into Second Life

mwagner@techweb.com — Sep 21, 2009 10:46 AM

The University of Texas launched a year-long, state-wide initiative to use Second Life in the curriculum for all 16 of its campuses, experimenting with using the platform as a means of providing innovative, low-cost undergraduate instruction involving students, faculty, researchers and administrators.

Marines' Social Media Ban Bad For Morale

mwagner@techweb.com — Sep 18, 2009 12:24 PM

The Marine Corps' ban on Twitter, MySpace, Facebook, and other social media could hurt morale more than it helps security, a public policy researcher said. "The ban is at odds with realities of the 21st-century military," said Chris Bronk, a research fellow at Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy.

Obama Opening Door To Technology Innovators

michael.hickins@gmail.com — Sep 18, 2009 10:15 AM

Big businesses like Verizon and AT&T might be gnashing their teeth about the Obama Administration's policies and priorities, but small businesses and innovators should be rubbing their hands with glee.

Amazon, Others Will Develop Government Clouds, Too

jpfoley@techweb.com — Sep 17, 2009 09:48 AM

Google, wisely, showed up at the U.S. government's cloud computing announcement this week with a plan to offer cloud services tailored to the needs of government agencies. You can bet that Amazon, IBM, Microsoft, Salesforce, and other cloud providers will follow suit.

Health IT Is Part Of Senate Committee's New Healthcare Reform Bill

mmcgee@techweb.com — Sep 16, 2009 05:41 PM

The Senate Finance Committee today released a mark-up version of its new healthcare reform bill. The America�s Healthy Future Act has several technology provisions, including a proposal for bonus payments related to health IT programs.

Government Cloud Likely To Start Slow

nhoover@techweb.com — Sep 16, 2009 03:58 PM

The federal government's new cloud computing "storefront," apps.gov, has garnered a lot of hype. However, it'll take time and effort to actually gain traction as well. Apps.gov, meet FISMA and cultural resistance.

Vendor Offers 'No Excuses' Guarantee For Docs To Get Fed's Rewards

mmcgee@techweb.com — Sep 15, 2009 03:49 PM

The federal government's definition for "meaningful use" of health IT won't be finalized for several months. But that's not stopping EMR software and business services provider Athenahealth from guaranteeing clients that they'll be getting their health IT stimulus checks from the feds.

Filtering Government 2.0

michael.hickins@gmail.com — Sep 14, 2009 04:09 PM

We're apparently not quite sure if too much citizen intervention in our government's life is a good thing or not, to judge by Anand Giridharadas's piece in this weekend's New York Times Week In Review.