Articles by John K. Higgins

The debate in the U.S. Congress over a comprehensive national cybersecurity program is wearing on, largely because of differences over the roles of government and business in protecting information technology Elsewhere, however, cybersecurity awareness and research projects are being launched through cooperative efforts. For example, the National ...

The U.S. government is worried about the improper release of federal information that finds its way into the electronic IT systems of all federal contractors. In a recent notice, the government said it was seeking comment from the business community on a proposal to tighten security related to the transmission of "non-public" information through the IT systems of contractors working for federal agencies.

As information technology innovation comes in rapidly evolving cycles, continuity and consistency remain important factors in managing change. The adoption of innovative IT calls for a certain amount of management stability to transition from old to new methods in productive ways. In turn, that stability depends on an organization's ability to provide orderly management succession planning and execution, especially in leadership positions.

Who doesn't stop twice to check out a letter from the Internal Revenue Service delivered in traditional snail mail paper form? Communications from the IRS or other federal agencies -- such as health information from the Centers for Disease Control, or consumer alerts from the Federal Trade Commission, are serious business "Across government, agen...

Many U.S. government agencies seeking to utilize cloud-based information technology have tilted to one of the most common IT functions as a beginning step -- email systems. Converting existing email operations to cloud-based platforms became much easier for all federal agencies on Aug. 30, when the General Services Administration awarded a set of IT contracts to 17 providers for cloud and related services...

What is the best way to market cloud IT services to the federal government? Any way you can....

It seems so easy and so simple. Federal agencies should put most of their efforts into their missions and use management tools which enable them to meet mission goals. One such tool is cloud technology -- an "on demand" option for information technology services In concept, the simplicity of using on-demand IT pretty much the way water comes from a...

Information technology security is an unending challenge for both the private and public sectors. Private sector firms have their own security protocols and commercial motivations to ensure security -- as well as the obligation to meet appropriate government regulations Federal agencies not only have to worry about operational difficulties that st...

Cloud technology appears to have taken the world by storm. The U.S. government is among those moving aggressively to the cloud, as federal agencies implement a White House generated "cloud first" policy that instructs agencies to give primary consideration to using the cloud for IT solutions Adoption of the cloud depends on a number of factors: ad...

How easy is it to sell a house, shop for a mortgage, select a mutual fund -- or even make a plane reservation? Sometimes it's not very easy: Mortgage offerings are numerous and complex, and choosing among thousands of mutual funds can be overwhelming Enter the broker -- or the travel agent. Brokers offer expertise and implementation services that ...

U.S. government agencies are trying to meet fast-track goals to improve the acquisition and management of information technology resources. In a government setting that inherently involves myriad checkpoints, protocols, policies, and an exasperating budget process, change does not come easily or quickly One exception could be the Environmental Pro...

The burgeoning market for mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets is not only affecting consumer use of information technology, but also having an impact on the private sector workplace, as employers see the value of mobile communications. The mobile IT market is clearly hot. Worldwide shipments of major brand smartphones increased by 50 p...

Good customer relations management involves a two-way process -- making sure that customers are consulted as well as targeted. In fact, it is far more likely that a vendor will hit the target if consumer input is part of the marketing process Two recent surveys have taken the measure of the ultimate federal agency information technology consumer: ...

The U.S. government's push to utilize cloud-based technology will eventually lead to some blockbuster contracts -- many well over US$10 million and others for even more than $100 million. Consider that just one contract in the current batch -- a cloud deal for email services at the U.S. Interior Department -- carries a price tag of $35-million Howe...

In the heyday of harvesting forests in the U.S., lumberjacks often used dynamite to break up clusters of timber that formed when thousands of logs were floated on rivers to market. In the last 18 months, the U.S. government has floated hundreds of pages of proposals into a river of policy "reforms," dealing with innovative information technology ...

The U.S. government is determined to find new and better ways of using information technology. As part of that effort, different approaches to IT contracting are in the offing for vendors providing hardware, software, consulting and other services, including social media and mobile device solutions One of the emerging IT management concepts is the ...

It starts in kindergarten. Three playground swings and 15 kids. The teacher introduces the concept of sharing the swings by limiting the time per child. Fast-forward 30 years and those same children are hugging their IT servers and programs and clinging to "their" silo stash of legacy equipment and software Now Federal CIO Steven VanRoekel and th...

Botnets represent a major security threat to e-commerce. The effectiveness of this malicious software has gone far beyond the realm of simple annoyance and inconvenience to a major global, technical and economic challenge The botnet security issue has become so difficult that federal agencies and the private sector have initiated a special effort t...

U.S. government agencies are looking everywhere they can to cut costs -- including the cost of information technology. Tight budgets will be the dominating factor in federal IT procurement over the next several years -- at least Yet in the face of budget discipline -- and even slightly projected declines in spending -- two venture capital companies...

Federal Cloud Adoption, Part 1: Lots of Baby Steps The U.S. government's pursuit of cloud-based technology has been characterized by a blizzard of policies, directives, technical studies, proposed contract vehicles and conferences. The federal "cloud first" initiative, requiring agencies to give priority consideration to cloud solutions for IT oper...