Special Report Archive -- GCN

Special Report Archive

	2012 Special Reports
	Special Report: Mobile Office Federal agencies are beginning to think big about the deployment of mobile technology. It’s not as if they have much choice, especially if they have adopted a bring-your-own-device policy. BYOD, which allows employees to use their personal mobile devices with agency networks, is leading to the rapid emergence of a mobile workforce. Once agencies allow employees to use their own devices, the race is on to put in place the policies, technologies and management strategies needed to get the full benefit of mobile technology — and avoid any potential pitfalls. Read or Download the Full Report Here
	Special Report: Information Sharing The demarcation line that separates the way government shares information within and between agencies is clearly Sept. 11, 2001. Though attitudes had been shifting before then, the shock of the terrorist attacks on the American mainland introduced a whole new level of awareness and urgency. The before-and-after pictures are stark contrasts. It’s nevertheless taking time for change to happen. Traditional views of data ownership have been difficult to overcome, complex policy and regulatory changes were needed, and there were stumbles along the way – not least the infamous Wikileaks dump of sensitive State Department memos – that threatened progress. Read or Download the Full Report Here
	Research report: Big Data Big Data is a big deal in local, state and federal governments. The avalanche of inputs from mobile devices and sensors is driving hardware, software and staff spending at all levels of government. According to a new survey conducted by the 1105 Government Information Group, most agency officials say that they need Big Data analytics to meet their mission goals. Yet while they see a myriad of benefits, survey respondents say they are challenged to predict the return on Big Data investments. In part their concern is over the substantial challenges of implementing Big Data initiatives, including infrastructure and data quality issues. Read or Download the Full Report Here
	Special Report: Mobile and Wireless More than half of agency managers say their employees can’t do their jobs effectively without their mobile devices. This is but one of the stunning findings in a new study of government employees' use of smart phones, tablets, laptops and other devices by the 1105 Government Information Group. The survey of 243 government officials and subsequent interviews with leading government mobility experts provide a wealth of detail about how mobile devices are being used, how agencies want to use them in the future, how budgets are likely to grow and how deployment challenges such as security can be resolved. Read or Download the Full Report Here
	Expert Q&A: Health IT While healthcare remains a contentious political issue, the need for a robust health IT infrastructure has become increasingly evident. One veteran of the industry explains the importance of health IT to the delivery of healthcare services, what emerging issues could have the most impact, and how technologies such as cloud, Big Data and mobile will affect the development of healthcare. Read or Download the Full Report Here
	Special Report: Cloud Services Agencies are hard at work getting their infrastructures ready to make a move to the cloud — if they haven’t done so already. Every agency had until June to identify three services that could be moved to the cloud. Meanwhile, tools such as the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program and the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s U.S. Government Cloud Computing Technology Roadmap are providing the strategies and guidance that agencies will need to be successful. Read or Download Full Report Here
	Expert Q & A: Cloud Computing Cloud computing has been a highly touted way for government agencies to gain efficiencies, cut costs and improve the delivery of IT services. Many agencies have already moved “low hanging fruit” such as email and collaboration tools to the cloud. Now the early hype is over, agencies are faced with much tougher decisions. Three cloud industry experts discuss what issues agencies face, what the business and cost factors are in moving to the cloud, and what best practices they can use to ensure a smooth migration. Read or Download Full Report Here
	Special Report: Converging Communications A swirl of advanced video, audio and data technologies promises an exciting future for how people in government agencies will talk and collaborate with one another. Converging existing systems into an IP network is essential for this and agencies don’t have much time, but it’s proving to be a slow process. Read or Download Full Report Here
	Special Report: Modernizing the Network As more and more new devices come online, agency networks are put under increasing pressure. Overhauling the network brings with it the opportunity to better protect and secure all the disparate network components. Here are some of the changes network administrators will make in 2012 and beyond. Read or Download Full Report Here
	Special Report: Cybersecurity The good news is that the frequency of attacks on government websites and networks is slowing, but the volume continues to grow. And just as government seems to be coming to grips with older types of attacks, new and far more sophisticated varieties threaten. With traditional techniques no longer enough to stop them, government is searching for new approaches. Read or Download Full Report Here
	Contract Guide: NITAAC Agencies trying to keep abreast of the latest advances in technology while also complying with White House mandates can find everything they need through NITAAC's three government-wide acquisition contracts. Read or Download Full Report Here
	Expert Q&A: Big Data A few parts of the federal government have used Big Data for years to analyze and solve problems, but advances in technology have opened it up to many other agencies. Three long-time players in the field explain what Big Data is, the advantages it brings for government agencies, what resources they need to employ it effectively, and what issues they will need to consider as they develop Big Data programs. Read or Download Full Report Here
	Special Report: Client Computing Client computing has evolved to ‘virtual client’ computing, enabling mobile access to an organization’s network resources for continuity of operations, telework, and greater overall mobility and productivity, and it is taking hold in both public- and private-sector organizations Read or Download Full Report Here
	Expert Q&A: Continuous Monitoring Managing risks to systems and data is now the way that government agencies are expected to handle the security of their IT environments, and continuous monitoring of threats and the effectiveness of security controls is key. Two veterans of the security field explain how the technology can be deployed to get the most from it, what the potential barriers are, and what affect other programs such as cloud and virtualization may have. Read or Download Full Report Here
	Special Report: Advancing Agency Infrastructure Agencies today face the need to handle rapidly evolving technologies, IT consolidation and the rising expectations of an increasingly mobile user base — none of which fits easily into the traditional way IT and communications have been managed. Whether they like it or not, agencies will have to re-examine and likely reconstruct their IT infrastructures. Read or Download Full Report Here
	Contract Guide: SEWP 2012 SEWP IV is an indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) GWAC offering a wide variety of advanced IT products and product-related services, including hardware and software, maintenance, warranty, installation, and product training, at fixed prices. All federal agencies can use the SEWP IV contract, which consists of 38 competed prime contract holders and includes 17 small businesses. Together, these contractors offer more than two million products from more than 3,800 manufacturers. Read or Download Full Report Here
	Special Report: Defense IT The keyword today is collaboration. With the need for real-time collaboration at an all-time high, the DOD putting the technology in place to make it happen. Read or Download Fulll Report Here
	Special Report: Cloud Computing Although agencies see future of computing in the cloud, they are discovering that implementation sparks even more budget questions and requires complicated calculations about efficiency. A thoughtful strategy is key. Read or Download Full Report Here
	Special Report: Data Center Strategies While industry pundits and vendors show off cool, futuristic technologies, there are some things that are ready for prime time now. Learn about four that can be implemented today. Read or Download Full Report Here
	Special Report: Network Modernization Wide-area network optimization boosts traffic across geographic distances. Although the primary tools have been around for a decade, agencies are increasingly turning to WAN optimization to speed the delivery of applications from a centralized data center to branch offices or for backing up data to an off-site facility. Read or Download Full Report Here
	Contract Guide: GSA Schedule 70 Federal agencies are increasingly turning to the General Services Administration’s (GSA’s) IT Schedule 70 Programs to address their technology requirements and comply with government mandates in areas such as cloud computing, data center consolidation, mobile computing, sustainability, and cybersecurity. Read or Download Full Guide Here
	Special Report: Information Sharing Despite pockets of resistance, the old stovepiped mind-set of agency data ownership is giving way, and all-important security efforts are shifting to accommodate access rather than deny it. Needed policies and regulations are appearing, but cultural and governance issues still need work. Read or Download Full Report Here
	Contract Guide: GSA Alliant The General Services Administration’s Alliant governmentwide acquisition contract (GWAC), though known for facilitating large, complex information technology (IT) projects, is fast becoming a popular vehicle for also helping agencies meet their cloud computing and other emerging technology needs. Read or Download Full Guide Here
	Research Report: Information Security Government executives expressed widespread concern about data leakage, whether caused by malicious actions or accidental missteps, according to an online survey of 209 executives, conducted by 1105 Government Information Group Content Solutions. In total, the survey conducted online in February, garnered 209 responses from public sector executives from organizations ranging from the Department of Defense to civilian federal agencies, to executives from state and local governments. Roughly a fifth of government agencies responding to the survey reported that external IT security incidents have increased in the past year. Read or Download Full Report Here
	Special Report: Big Data The increase in data volumes threatens to overwhelm most government agencies, and big data techniques can help ease the burden. But those techniques are not a silver bullet. They should be used judiciously, for specific needs, and there are times when the tried-and-true will do just fine. Read or Download Full Report Here
	The STAND: Data Center Modernization All government agencies now look to consolidate their data centers to save money and increase IT efficiencies, but how many understand that consolidation is just one step in data center modernization? And it’s in modernization where the real savings and efficiencies are found. Here, an industry expert explains what modernization involves, what agencies should plan for, and how effective modernization can shape agency IT strategies. Read or Download Full Report Here
	Special Report: Virtualization Surveys show that most federal agencies have already deployed server virtualization, and workloads on those virtual machines are expected to nearly double in the next four years. Problems such as legacy applications that can’t easily be re-engineered might act as a brake, but with budgets being squeezed, IT professionals feel they need virtualization to do their jobs. Read or Download Full Report Her
	Special Report: Rugged IT In an election year, no one really knows how threatened budget cuts will affect the demand for rugged IT. But government leaders say there’s a new emphasis on special ops forces operating around the world, which bodes nothing but good for the rugged, tactical systems they use. Read or Download Full Report Here
	Research Report: Cloud Computing As the benefits of cloud computing become clearer -- and deadlines for various mandates come closer -- government agencies are increasingly turning to the cloud, to the point that nearly four out of 10 respondents have adopted some form of cloud computing or are in the process of adopting it, according to a recent survey of almost 300 respondents. Read or Download Full Report Here
	Special Report: Unified Communications Today, unified communications (UC) is considered much more than integrated voice, e-mail and instant messaging (IM). Providing government workers with flexible and productive tools that allow them to work efficiently from any location has become increasingly important for all organizations. Read or Download Full Report Here
	The Stand: Cybersecurity The issues involved with cybersecurity have changed dramatically from those of just a few years. Cyberwar, advanced persistent threats and Stuxnet-like attacks are just some of new elements that have become a part of the attack lexicon. See, through the eyes of two tested industry veterans, what the nature of today’s cybersecurity realities are and what government should be doing about them. Read or Download Full Report Here
	Special Report: Collaboration Tools In 2012, the pace of advances in everything from cloud computing to social media, Internet video and mobility solutions is driving public-sector organizations to seek alternatives that will cost-effectively allow more employee mobility, telework and social media-driven collaboration. Read or Download Full Report Here
	Special Research Report: Data Center Optimization In general, federal agencies and departments opt for private clouds when sensitive or mission-critical information is involved. Private clouds are hosted on an agency's own dedicated hardware, and services and infrastructure are maintained on a private network. This increases security, reliability, performance and service. Yet like other types of clouds, it's easy to scale quickly and pay for only what is used, making it an economical model. Read or Download Full Report Here
	2012 PEO-EIS Catalog Read or Download Full Catalog Here
	Contract Report: GSA Connections II Connections II offers telecommunications infrastructure solutions that include – but are no limited to – four general solutions sets. This new approach is significantly different from the first Connections contract, reducing the confusion for agencies and contract holders. Read or Download Full Report Here
	Special Report: C4ISR The old way of fighting wars meant information was collected and pushed down the line through subordinates and, eventually, to the foot soldier. New doctrine makes the dismounted soldier the focus for both the collection and receipt of battlefield data, and an essential link in the tactical command network. Read or Download Full Report Here

	2011 Archived Reports
	The STAND: Data Center Efficiency Agency data centers are the biggest cost in government IT but given the explosive growth in data that needs to be managed and the ever-increasing demands for IT services, they are also the most important assets. Getting more out of their data centers in the most cost-effective way is a priority for agencies. An industry veteran explains what they need to do for that, and what potential roadblocks they should look out for. Read or Download Full Report Here
	Special Report: Infrastructure Optimization Users no longer need the IT team to research and purchase applications and infrastructure for them, especially if those applications and services are in the cloud. However, circumventing the IT team has its costs. Here’s how IT professionals can reduce the number of unapproved implementations. Read or Download Full Report Here
	Insights Special Report: Health IT Electronic health records are seen as the key technology for the adoption of health IT, but despite attractive incentives, the uptake of EHRs has been slow. Commitment to their use finally seems to be solidifying, however, giving confidence to government plans that call for transforming health care in the United States during the next few years. Read or Download Full Report Here
	The STAND: Teleworking An experienced industry hand takes a look at how well government agencies are prepared to meet new mandates for increasing the amount of teleworking the government employees are expected to do, why many of them fall short of such things as connectivity and security requirements, and what they can do about it. Read or Download Full Report Here
	Special Report: Information Sharing Disseminating information among agencies — which might be hundreds of miles away from each other and have completely different policies in place — can be tricky. A universal identification and access technology would help. Here’s where those efforts stand. Read or Download Full Report Here
	Special Report: Infrastructure Hardware Federal agencies are under a mandate to cut energy use at their various facilities. Taking 2005 as the base year, each agency is required to reduce energy requirements by at least 30 percent by 2015. That puts IT squarely in the crosshairs because the energy used to power government IT equipment is one of the biggest energy costs for agencies. Read or Download Full Report Here
	The STAND: Cloud Computing Moving to the cloud is no longer an option for government agencies. This in-depth Q&A provides unique insights into the government cloud migration by breaking down complexities and assisting agencies in the decision-making process. Read or Download Full Report Here
	Special Report: Cybersecurity The number and variety of incidents reported is growing, and a rash of high-profile breaches suggest that conventional defenses aren’t working well. The number of email-borne malware attacks has more than doubled in the last six months, indicating a more aggressive strategy by cyber criminals, along with a possible greater use of automation. Read or Download Full Report Here
	Special Report: Virtualization and Consolidation With the announcement in December 2010 of the Obama administration’s 25-point plan to reform government IT, data center consolidation has become a defined goal of federal government. That won’t be news to many agencies, but with aggressive targets now set, the question is how to get there. Read or Download Full Report Here
	The STAND: C4ISR Military effectiveness on the battlefield increasingly depends on C4ISR technologies to deliver accurate and real time information to warfighters, even while those technologies must operate in an ever-more complex environment. An industry veteran of this space explains what the challenges are and what¹s needed to meet current and future needs. Read or Download Full Report Here
	The Stand: Rugged IT Times are tough for IT markets in the federal government and for rugged IT the experience has been no different. But it’s recently seen a marked improvement in demand, driven by changes both in the way government users employ IT and in the kinds of advantages rugged IT provides for that. One veteran of the government market details why that is so, and why agencies are increasingly realizing the broader advantages rugged IT offers. Read or Download Full Report Here
	NASA 2011 SEWP Contract Guide When NASA officials created the SEWP IV government-wide acquisition contract (GWAC) four years ago, they were not necessarily thinking about cloud computing, but they included in the contract’s scope of work technologies that today are essential to the cloud, such as virtual computing and virtual storage. Read or Download Full Report Here
	Special Report: CHESS CHESS contracts and license agreements leverage the Army’s enterprise purchasing power, provide state-of-the-art technology and protect the LandWarNet. And with sales of $3.7 billion in fiscal 2010, the CHESS program is well on its way to achieving its vision of being the Army’s center of excellence for commercial IT acquisition. Read or Download Full Report Here
	GSA IT Schedule 70 Special Report The General Services Administration’s IT Schedule 70 is the government’s go-to source for IT acquisitions and is broadly recognized for its benefits of cost savings, time savings, selection, and built-in value. IT Schedule 70 is organizationally positioned under GSA’s Federal Acquisition Service (FAS) and Office of Integrated Technology Services (ITS). Read or Download Full Report Here
	Insights Special Report: IT Modernization During the past several years, the type and frequency of cyberattacks have changed dramatically. Today, organizations are subject to increasingly sophisticated intrusion tactics that are more destructive and malicious than before. Newer technologies such as cloud computing, social networking and the proliferation of mobile devices also have provided new opportunities for hackers to find and exploit vulnerabilities. Read or Download Full Report Here
	The STAND: Information Security See, through the eyes of one industry veteran, what information security means in the current dynamic scenario of threats and constant attacks on government networks, and what agencies need to focus on to make sure their vital information and data are well protected. Read or Download Full Report Here
	Special Report: Client Computing Client computing has evolved to thin-client computing, which facilitates mobile access to an organization’s network resources for continuity of operations, telework and greater employee productivity, and it is taking hold in the public and private sectors. Read or Download Full Report Here
	Special Report: Rugged IT The government market for rugged IT was thrown for a loop by the recent recession. Although demand is trickling back, deciphering the market's direction, prices and costs remains a murky process. Read or Download Full Report Here
	Special Report: Cloud Computing Cloud security still remains one of the main stumbling blocks for some agencies, even as they race to identify potential cloud projects. And yet, experts say, security in the cloud is becoming a nonissue. Here’s why. Read or Download Full Report Here
	Collaboration Tools Special Report Wikis, which are internal or external websites developed collaboratively, function as repositories of institutional information for companies and organizations. Users add to or edit wikis in a crowdsourced style, and anyone with permission can access them with a Web browser. Some might see wikis as yesterday’s news given the fact that they were first developed in 1994. However, as a collaboration tool, wikis can still provide significant benefits. Read or Download Full Report Here
	The Stand: Virtualization See, from the perspective of one federal IT veteran, what virtualization means for government and how agencies can get the most from their virtualization strategies. Read or Download the Stand: Virtualization Here
	Securing Government Systems Special Report Security professionals will tell you that compared with 10 years ago, government IT security practices are vastly improved. Back then, security was very much an ad hoc approach that varied greatly among agencies and for which erecting a firewall was considered state of the art, if security was considered at all. Read or Download Full Report Here
	DISA Program and Contract Guide 2011 In the past few months, the Defense Information Systems Agency has been involved in an unprecedented six simultaneous operations ranging from counter-insurgency support in Afghanistan to disaster relief missions in Japan. Each operation has validated the need for a global, resilient, and protected enterprise, which provides access to protected information and applications or web-based services to enable leaders’ effective decision making within a global environment. Read or Download Full Contract Guide Here
	Special Report: Network Infrastructure Intense budgetary constraints, the administration’s advocacy of data center consolidation, cloud computing, telework and a rush to adopt mobile computing throughout government are hastening the migration to unified communications solutions. Read or Download Full Report Here
	The Stand: Cybersecurity The issues involved with cybersecurity have changed dramatically from those of just a few years. Cyberwar, advanced persistent threats and Stuxnet-like attacks are just some of new elements that have become a part of the attack lexicon. See, through the eyes of three tested industry veterans, what the nature of today’s cybersecurity realities are and what government should be doing about them. Read or Download the Stand: Cybersecurity Here
	Special Report: Mobile & Wireless Take a look at any enterprise – public or private – and you’re sure to find a plethora of mobile devices including smart phones, tablets, and netbooks, and with good reason. Mobile access can enable employees, helping them to do their jobs more efficiently whenever and wherever they are. However, there are specific issues to take into consideration including security, management, and integration with existing cloud applications. Read or Download Full Report Here
	The Download: Cloud Computing The twin pressures of reduced budgets and the need for greater efficiency have led the federal government to strongly promote cloud computing as a solution whenever possible. In fact, the Office of Management and Budget in December 2010 declared that government now operates under a cloud-first policy, meaning that agencies must first try to incorporate some type of cloud computing into projects. Read or Download Full Report
	Special Report: Data Center Optimization The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) federal IT reform effort is the latest is a series of data center consolidation and cloud computing initiatives launched in the last year, including the Federal Data Center Consolidation Initiative (FDCCI), which was rolled into the new 25-point OMB plan. Read and Download Full Report
	2011 PEO-C3T Special Report The Program Executive Office for Command, Control and Communications-Tactical takes on the arduous responsibility of maintaining the U.S. military's technical dominance as enemies evolve and modernize with new technologies. Read or Download Full Catalog Here
	2011 GSA Alliant Contract Guide The General Services Administration’s Alliant governmentwide acquisition contract (GWAC) has generated more than $5 billion in sales during the last 12 months. Despite an initial slow start, the Alliant program for IT solutions and services has issued 132 task orders to 39 companies worth more than $6 billion through mid-March of 2011. Read or Download Full Report
	2011 PEO-EIS Catalog PEO EIS develops, acquires, integrates, and deploys network-centric knowledge-based Information Technology (IT) and business management systems, communications, and infrastructure solutions through leveraged commercial and Enterprise capabilities for joint and Army Warfighters. Read or Download Full Catalog Here
	Special Report: Unified Communications Unified communications (UC) is a notoriously hard term to pin down, but however you view it there’s no doubt that demand for it across government is starting to develop. Actual deployment may still be light, but activities that will eventually require it are gathering pace so the future for UC in government is bright.Read and Download Full Report (PDF)

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