When Mars Curiosity landing spiked online traffic, NASA was ready

Officials at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory used Amazon Web Services to stream video and images from the landing, knowing they could shut it down afterward.

Shawn P. McCarthy

Why rebuilding your architecture from scratch could be the best bet

Cloud computing, virtualized IT, an information-consuming public and demands from to do more with less are forcing agency IT shops to rethink their approach.

4 tips for making the leap to unified computing

Alaska's enterprise architect offers tips for overcoming migration hurdles to deploying so-called fabric or unified computing.

Unified computing makes Alaska smaller, faster, more secure

A private cloud based on unified computing technology has turned Alaska's IT unit into a versatile services provider for the state.

They send sensitive data to cloud, even if they don't trust security

A survey of managers finds that a majority have little or no knowledge of how their providers protect their data.

NCI gets agile in developing mobile website

IT leaders decided against responsive design, at least for now, but embraced agile development.

Many gov IT managers unsure about cloud strategy, study finds

Government organizations spending on cloud computing tend to be those that have dealt frist with foundation issues such as enterprise and services-oriented architectures, according to the IDC Government Insights report.

How one agency followed its users onto the mobile Web

The National Cancer Institute's website wasn't mobile friendly, but that didn't stop visits via mobile devices from increasing fivefold in six months.

Cloud mapping tools to aid first responders during disasters

Esri's GIS public information maps will be made accessible on Microsoft's cloud-based disaster portal.

If agencies could tap World of Warcraft

People have spent 6 million years of man-hours playing World of Warcraft. NOAA's Eric Hackathorn wonders: "What if we put that effort towards something real?"

Some feds view IT as a cost, not an opportunity

Just 56 percent of federal executives said IT helps support their daily operations.

Census API opens data to developers

The bureau's first public API will let developers make use of Census statistics, and let people and local governments make use of the apps developers create.

Topic Resources

  • Transforming Agency Networks: Modernize to Meet Today’s Demands

    Network infrastructure modernization is on the wish list of many agencies due to growing demand for bandwidth and improved IT service delivery. But modernization requires money – which is in short supply these days. Register for this webcast to hear about these issues through survey results sourced by public sector IT leaders and business decision makers.

  • The Power of Cloud: Driving Business Model Innovation

    Although cloud capabilities offer numerous opportunities to drive business innovation, its potential beyond technological capabilities remains virtually untapped. Read the white paper to learn more about the benefits of cloud-enabled business models in promoting sustainable competitive advantage.

  • Special Report: Best Practices for Meeting Big Data Challenges

    Big data is a top priority for CIOs, but few know exactly what it is – and what it can help their organizations achieve. As the creation of data has multiplied recently, IT organizations are left wondering how to manage those data stores while at the same time being asked to help the business side of the house innovate, cut costs and improve end-user satisfaction. Download this special report for in-depth articles on meeting the challenges you face as you take on "big data."

  • Special Report: The Efficient Data Center: Optimization

    The old notion of a data cennter--a building full of servers that can be expanded at will as the demand to host applications increased--is gone for good. The new environment, defined by perpetual budget constraints but still increasing user needs, requires data centers that deliver more computing power but also cost less to run and take up less space.

  • Government Cloud Collaboration Services: Collaborate More Easily and Effectively While Reducing IT Costs

    Like many organizations, federal agencies can drive progress through social collaboration. Read the solution brief to see how secure, scalable, cloud-based solutions can help your agency collaborate socially without any extra cost, complexity or compliance concerns. See how these tools can also help enable better decisions to be made faster.