An international effort by the Defense Department and the U.S. Navy is developing Web-based applications that will let allied navies share data in the fight against piracy on the high seas.
A new security certification allows federal agencies to use Red Hat's Enterprise Linux 5 with the KVM hypervisor on IBM systems for a variety of command and control and secure operations.
Voting is open for the International Space App Challenge.
Developer.data.gov is the latest in a growing list of communities designed to make practical use of the government's datasets.
The Defense Department's research agency seeks to build clusters of small spacecraft that work together and share information.
Microsoft is aiming to make its Windows and other tools interoperable with Apache Hadoop, a key framework for agencies pursuing big data.
The Environmental Protection Agency is the latest among more than 150 federal agencies converting their websites to the Drupal open-source content management system.
It's not one thing, but a mix of technologies that can let you make use of the exploding data generated by sensors, mobile devices and broadband. And it's in everyone's future.
The agency's Tournament Lab provides production-ready software to NASA and academic data to Harvard at bargain prices. And coders can cash in, too.
There always will be a need for internal staff members, but if the competitive outsourcing model catches on, their role could change.
Open-source projects at NASA will get a boost from a new agencywide online hub launched this week.
Open government should get a boost from an event being held this weekend in San Francisco, according to event sponsor Granicus Inc.
The Data.gov in a Box project with India aims to bring transparency to other governments, but the idea has its doubters.
A developer kicks up a debate over whether the longtime open-source champion Apache Software Foundation is past its prime.
Using open-source software can let organizations draw on a wide range of expertise, which can come in handy after a cyberattack, a State Department official says.
The Linux Foundation, along with Red Hat and Canonical, has staked out positions on the secure boot implementation, particularly the possibility that Microsoft will make it mandatory in Windows 8.
The new, all-purpose programming language for Web development may be intended to replace JavaScript, but it's meeting some early resistance.
The technology and malware exist to exploit mobile devices, but so far the payoff hasn't been worth it for criminals to go after smart phones, Symantec researchers say.
The at times troubled Electronic Record Archives project reaches across databases, data types and formats.
Statistics from a Web analytics company show that Chrome will likely pass Firefox in worldwide use by the end of the year.
LifeNet, developed at the Georgia Institute of Technology, links smart phones and other portable devices in the field from a single device.
The agency has submitted its label-based Accumulo software to the Apache Incubator, asking for developer contributions.
Traditional government IT acquisition projects have delivered well-crafted solutions to problems that were relevant months and even years ago.
Innovation doesn't create jobs -- less uncertainty about the economy does, former Federal Reserve System chief Alan Greenspan told a Washington, D.C., forum.
Without version numbers, how could users ignore how far behind they are?
Researchers at Sandia National Labs have developed Canary, an open software system that allows water utilities to detect and track natural and man-made contamination events.
Google says those companies and others have banded together to buy up thousands of patents that could be used for legal attacks against its mobile operating system.
A DHS-backed research group headed by Georgia Tech is studying new uses for open-source cybersecurity applications.
Google says its looking to develop the new version into a beta.
The Apache Software Foundation has accepted Oracle offer to oversee development of OpenOffice.org and expects to collaborate with another open-source office suite project, LibreOffice.
Company banishes developers' apps to keep Sony happy.
A series of federal security certifications for Red Hat's open-source operating system and two new cloud products offer developers a variety of options for designing and managing agency cloud applications.
The Defense Intelligence Information Enterprise represents a formal system of exploitation, analysis, production and dissemination of intelligence across the Defense Department and intelligence agencies.
Google Chrome has a business-friendly browser that offers network management features but strips away the superfluous.
Microsoft once again has drawn its legal guns on the Android open-source mobile operating system, taking aim at the creators of Nook devices.
NASA is set to host an open-source summit to discuss the challenges, policies and governance of the open-source community in relation to the space agency.
An uptick in malware masquerading as legitimate applications for Android phones indicates that the number of mobile users is approaching the critical mass necessary to draw the attention of cyber criminals, says a researcher at Symantec.
Should you build one in-house, tap the public cloud or let GSA broker a deal for you?
The choice is yours, but you better make it soon.
The Interior Department is testing Apple iPads for use in its various departments while federal agencies cast an eye on what kind of cost and employee efficiency can be gained by rolling out tablet devices as Research in Motion and Google start to bring major players to the market.
BlackBerry's PlayBook will run a new operating system designed specifically for tablet computers.
Gianugo Rabellino is a man on a mission, giving full attention to open source software and interoperability at Microsoft.
Get your cell phone ready for the next outbreak. Antivirus companies are starting to make products to protect smart phones before hackers can get a foothold, and the GCN Lab checks out three of them.
The Document Foundation has released LibreOffice 3.3, calling it the first "stable release" of the free, open source productivity suite.
Microsoft has highlighted some of its interoperability accomplishments reflected with the release of the open-source Drupal 7 content management system.
With a site powered by the open-source Drupal content management system, the administration sets a template for transparency.
The Droid X could break users of the need for a physical keyboard, and has a lot of other innovative features to boot.
For the first time, a NASA project -- Object Oriented Data Technology -- has been recognized as a Top-Level Project by the open-source flagship.
DARPA's BLADE program will put selective, software jammer/analyzers into soldier's gear.
Google's Chrome browser finished December with a worldwide market share of 10 percent of all Internet browser usage, according to Net Applications' NetMarketShare data.
An InformationWeek writer contends that, because tablet PCs have finally reached their tipping point, whatever that is, Microsoft is doomed, because many tablets don’t run Microsoft’s OS. If it turns out to be true, it would be quite ironic. But it won't happen.
Former FBI contractor alleges that agency had backdoors installed in the open-source OS to enable monitoring of VPNs that U.S. attorneys use.
A White House panel is recommending widespread adoption and use of Extensible Markup Language in health care to make it easier to exchange data.
GEM, an international open-source effort, could cut across economic lines and bypass international tensions to provide a global view of earthquake risks and damage potential.
The government's data center consolidation initiative, which should ramp up in January, could have an interesting ripple effect: A spike in the use of open-source systems.
Office productivity suites are beginning to resemble unified communication and collaboration tools, the GCN Lab discovers in its review of five new suites.
Microsoft has long been the standard among office suites, and Office 2010 is no exception.
EasyOffice Premium features all the relevant components of a decent productivity suite at a fraction of the cost of Microsoft Office, but there is a catch.
While it's not a full office suite, the new features and clean interface of Lotus 8.5 merit some recognition.
WordPerfect Office X5 is focusing on how interoperability with the Web can improve workflow.
Looking for a robust office suite that is professional and lacks any kind of bells and whistles? Then look no further than OpenOffice 3.2.
Software developers working with Microsoft products express their frustrations with the company in comments hidden in source code.
The city's BigApps 2.0 invites developers to compete to make the most of 350 of the city's datasets.
GAO is piloting a new online E-Report to accompany its familiar PDF products with the release of a study on slippages in NOAA's next-generation weather satellite program.
Microsoft has sued Motorola over its use of the Android mobile operating system in smartphones, alleging that patents held by Microsoft were violated.
Officials in Manatee County, Fla., recently revamped an aging website and technology infrastructure to more effectively interact with a growing and diverse population.
The new site, mymanatee.org, uses an open-source content management system from Magnolia.
A public/private partnership has launched Civic Commons, a website designed to let state, local and federal agencies share software they have developed.
The government's blue-sky R&D agency launches a new effort to reinvent the design and manufacture of defense equipment using computer aid and crowdsourcing.
The 10 projects selected for the 2010 GCN Awards, along with 10 honorable mentions, reflect the growing trends in government information technology toward open-source, cross-agency collaboration and transparency.
The Agriculture Department and the Marine Corps, citing cost, incompatibility and other issues, are replacing their SAP software with another vendor’s in specific divisions.
Open-source is a term typically associated with current software development, but Greg Crowe finds the precedent was set in the 19th century, with Louis Daguerre's pursuit of photography.
Matthew Burton tried to develop collaborative intelligence analysis software for the government, but was stymied by proprietary software and bureaucracy. Now he's ready to give it away.
Potentially game-changing IT initiatives abound at agencies. But the odds are that they'll produce only incremental rather than transformational change. That doesn't mean we should stop trying.
Microsoft used the occasion of the open source conference last month to advance its vision of an open cloud by breaking it down into four basic principles.
A defense analyst prepares to release open-source software for intelligence analysts.
Portland's TriMet transit agency is using open-source tools to provide customers with interactive maps and downloadable applications.
Government technologists may soon have a new way to address the complexities of managing IT: Lockheed Martin has introduced a new open source enterprise social networking tool, Eureka Streams.
The results of a survey published this week seem to indicate that early concerns about the fate of Java and MySQL in the hands of Oracle have abated, at least for the present.
In an effort to make it easier for Java developers to build applications for its Symbian-based mobile devices, Nokia is contributing the 2.1 version of its Java Runtime implementation to the open-source Symbian Foundation.
Microsoft reseases a set of technical documentation and tools that allow enhanced access to Outlook files by government agencies.
We recently had the ability to review the initial Beta of Red Hat 6.0 and found the improvements encouraging, to say the least.
Oracle announces new release of popular open-source database, MySQL Enterprise.
Agile software development has strong defenders, but Reality Check columnist Michael Daconta still contends that government information technology managers should be wary.
NASA's new CTO proposes a brave new universe for the space agency -- one in which officials will have to conquer their fears of open-source projects.
Whitehouse.gov has released the code for four open-source modules, adding to the ongoing Drupal project.
The GCN Lab reviews four flavors of Linux and finds that three are easy to use and two have extensive Microsoft compatibility.
Global Graphics’ gDoc Fusion document software can work with PDFs, using a rival format developed with Microsoft; gDoc Creator lets users view and convert files in multiple formats.
Competition among dominant players and the arrival of new disruptive technologies, such as 64-bit computing and IPv6, will break the back of the development community until a new direction emerges, says columnist Mike Daconta.
But as long as you stick to five general principles for selecting a database, you’ll be able to sift through the bells and whistles and find the right fit for your needs.
The burst of activity in Forge.mil suggests that government is not only learning how to embrace open-source software in applications once reserved for proprietary projects, but that open source is becoming an increasingly important resource for it, Editor Wyatt Kash explains.
The General Services Administration uses free software to provide federal agencies the means to host interactive online forums with the public as part of the Open Government Directive.
Oracle Corp. laid out its plans for integrating Sun Microsystems' software and hardware systems into its own product lineup, including the Solaris operating system, the NetBeans IDE and the MySQL database.
The GCN Lab’s Greg Crowe notes that the Open-PC's Linux-only approach could curtail its wide adoption.
Google CEO Eric Schmidt confirmed the company's position with respect to China and said its engineers have made the necessary fixes to prevent future attacks on its systems.
Google ups the ante in the smart phone frenzy with the Nexus One, a smart phone running the Android OS.
Google unveils long-awaited smart phone to challenge Apple's iPhone.
We select seven technologies that changed the game during the unofficial decade of 2000-2009.
Whether you are a geek bearing gifts or a FOG shopping for one, here are a few ideas on what might make an appropriate, memorable and possibly even valuable present.
Microsoft provided more details about its settlement with the European Commission (EC), pledging to implement a threefold approach to interoperability.
Microsoft confirmed on Tuesday that one of its software vendors copied code from a microblogging application called Plurk
Google is reportedly considering offering its own mobile phone based on the Android operating system as early as next year.
Apple needs to do a better job of policing its mobile phone applications, or competitor Droid could leverage that vulnerability into greater market share.
Technologists also discuss role in security, spurring innovation and how the industry can help lead the U.S. economy out of the recession.
The new Verizon Wireless Droid by Motorola is a phone that could really change the industry, and the way the federal government does its job.
The new open-source smart phone, the Verizon Wireless Droid from Motorola, offers feds almost limitless possibilities for apps to help them do their jobs.
The GCN Lab takes a look inside five mail servers and finds they all have their strengths and weaknesses — and Exchange still rules the roost.
The Army’s Maj. Keith Parker demos the Go Mobile kit to the GCN Lab.
Red Hat thinks it can apply NSA-level security to Windows from the outside.
Technology writers offer varied reactions to a study ranking the most secure Web browsers.
Survey assesses browser vulnerabilities, Web servers and other risk factors.
Microsoft said its Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool used to install Windows 7 inadvertently contained open-source GNU code.
Government agencies interested in building out privately-run internal clouds have a growing number of open-source tools to work with.
At least one transparency advocacy group says PDF, championed by Adobe, inhibits the easy re-use of data.
Reader reaction to our coverage of new Defense Department guidance that puts open-source software on equal footing with proprietary software has ranged from cheers to questions about whether the move will change anything.
The release of the Motorola Droid by Verizon Wireless has many reviewers touting it as the biggest threat yet to the popular Apple iPhone. Many observers also believe that the once written-off Android could outsell devices based on the BlackBerry, Microsoft Windows Mobile and Palm Pre platforms.
DOD has issued guidance that clarifies the use of open-source software.
New guidance from Defense Department acting CIO David Wennergren says DOD should consider open-source software on equal footing with commercial offerings.
With a development team of only seven programmers, Richard Nelson led the work to develop more than 50 applications. The agency then put the programs under an open-source license, which will allow other organizations to reuse, and even improve, the software.
When the applications DISA needed weren't available or were too expensive, support branch team members built the apps themselves.
Department of the Navy CIO Robert Carey is pushing to improve security across the department while promoting the use of Web 2.0 tools and open-source software.
Using open-source tools, Utah's Division on Finance created Web site that gives users drill-down access to the state's financial data.
The Defense Information Systems Agency is taking a new approach that could promote the reuse of its applications at other agencies by making its internal software open source.
The Utah Public Finance Web site has drawn praise for its ease of use, the volume of information it offers, and the low cost of its development.
USPS switched to Linux and upgraded its 15-year-old product tracking system by deploying it within the existing mainframe environment – running the legacy Cobol application through modernization software – without altering any lines of code.
The U.S. Postal Service upgraded its Product Tracking System in order to increase the number of packages the system could process, but information technology officials also had another goal: to reduce, by 50 percent, the cost per millions of instruction per second
USPS chose to deploy portions of the Product Tracking System on Linux, running the Cobol application through modernization software — minimizing the amount of code modifications required.
New version features more options for virtualization, more developer tools and new modifications to speed hardware performance.
Security Blanket will automatically lock down Web-facing servers that run Red Hat Enterprise Linux, CentOS or Sun Solaris.
If Microsoft is barred from selling Word, agencies would find alternative products and workarounds, observers say.
The Defense Information Systems Agency has released its Open Source Corporate Management System with hopes that other agencies and industry may reuse and further develop the software suite.
Agencies are wondering how a court's ruling banning Microsoft from selling Word will affect their procurement plans.
DISA wants to deliver on-demand, enterprisewide technology services across the Defense Department.
The Internet Systems Consortium, which maintains one of the most popular DNS servers, announced last week that an exploit already is in wide circulation for a vulnerability that can allow remote attackers to crash servers running BIND 9.
The supercomputer work will be used to provide a foundation for studying botnets.
Sun engineer Harry Foxwell lays out his case for what makes OpenSolaris a good open-source alternative to Linux.
UPDATED—A new version of the Defense Information Systems Agency's Forge.mil software development tool has been set up for use on the Pentagon's Secret Internet Protocol Router Network.
Open-source software continues to make inroads into the federal government, and a new organization to promote open-source applications has been established.
A side-by-side evaluation of static analysis tools for evaluating software for security flaws provides a benchmark for further research into the development of these complex tools.
The U.S. Postal Service is just one of several agencies that have found a place for open source software in their IT operations.
Postal Service IT officials have upgraded the service's 15-year-old mainframe system to handle more transactions and lower the cost of operating the system.
Google Chrome OS aimed for netbooks and lightweight, Web-based tasks.
Latest version of MapInfo's flagship software offers redesigned user interface and access to open-source database.
Environmental Protection Agency discovers that, despite a few glitches, Oracle business intelligence software can be shared across the entire agency.
The Homeland Security Department is funding a program that will help federal, state and local agencies better understand their options for using open-source software.
New version of the Unix OS features support for the Sun SPARC processor and the inclusion of the Project Crossbow network virtualization technology.
Agencies running more than 1,000 servers could save money and become more flexible with processor resources by building an internal cloud-computing infrastructure.
Microsoft has released new tools to further extend the compatibility and interoperability of Office Open XML document formats used in Microsoft Office 2007.
DISA's Forge.mil seeks to harness communities of developers to build and test software faster and accelerate the certification process.
The Sunlight Foundation has announced the winners of a recent contest for mashup-styled applications that reuse legislative data in ways that can better inform the public.
By embracing the ideals of community development, the Defense Information Systems Agency's recently unveiled Forge.mil repository fits perfectly into the net-centric operations.
It is often assumed that mostly volunteers develop Linux. But major information technology firms invest funds and employee time into developing the Linux operating system kernel.
VirtualBox is a cross-platform, open-source hypervisor that supports hosts ranging from Mac OS X and Windows to Solaris and 22 varieties of Linux.
Listening to federal CIO Vivek Kundra speak, two themes keep coming up: cloud computing and open government data. Both could help agencies do their jobs better, though both will require some upfront work.
The tool is designed to help developers classify, assess and ultimately prevent program crashes, especially as they relate to exploits running loose in enterprise processing environments.
The Unstructured Information Management Architecture originally was developed by IBM, and became an open source project of the Apache Software Foundation as well as an OASIS standard.
The Defense Information Systems Agency will open source a set of 50 programs collectively called the Corporate Management Information System that handle human-resource related functions.
Physics FlexBook is an experiment in open-source, Web-based textbook development and publishing that could help keep educational resources up-to-date.
MeritTalk, an online community for government IT, workforce and policy leaders concluded that the government can save $23.6 billion through open-source applications, virtualization and cloud computing.
Defense Department officials have launched a new Web site where developers can work on open-source software projects specifically for DOD.
The first high-performance computing version of Linux will get a security evaluation.
Sun Microsystems co-founder Scott McNealy says he has been asked by the Obama administration to prepare a paper on open source technologies and products.
The latest version of Red Hat Enterprise Linux also features new process tracing and encryption tools.
Moonlight, a clone of Microsoft's Silverlight multimedia browswer plug-in, delivered streaming video of President Barack Obama's inauguration for non-Windows computer users.
Virtualization, cloud computing, thin clients, open-source software and service-oriented architectures are among the technolgies government IT leaders will need to address this year, according to Sun's Bill Vass.
First kernel to offer full-fledged support of the EXT4 file system.
OpenSolaris 2008.11 comes with a number of new programs, as well as updates to existing features.
ISO/IEC has published the Office Open XML file format standard, formally known as ISO/IEC 29500:2008.
The Defense Information Systems Agency is using collaborative software from CollabNet as the foundation for the agency's Forge internal software development community.
The new Tomcat open-source application server better manages memory and input/output.
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center has started a new Web site for open source projects.
Ball Aerospace has released into open source its Opticks software, which analyzes remote sensing data.
The open source operating system contains "200 new features," improved installation and packaging, plus a few options for the desktop user interface.
A group of developers has signed a statement condemning binary-only Linux modules, which they argue can wreak havoc on Linux deployments.
The European Commission today cleared Oracle's $7.4 billion agreement to acquire Sun Microsystems, paving the way for the two companies to close the deal.
ProjectForge is helping DOD agencies adopt best practices for cloud computing.