e-Lessons Learned

On September 22, Vivek Kundra, the federal CIO, announced the launch of Apps.Gov, a website offering governmentally approved cloud computing applications, in the hopes of phasing out the government’s current, more expensive and difficult software. Cloud computing software is a model in which software is distributed virtually, instead of being installed individually on PCs or local servers. The storefront will be run by the General Services Administration, and consists of a variety of business applications, productivity software, and much more.

Even though Kundra admits that this will be a gradual process, he appears confident that the plan will increase government efficiency and allow the government to “buy smarter” during these difficult economic times. The reduced prices and energy efficiency that this website offers, affords the federal government the same benefits of technological advances that private citizens enjoy daily.

The unveiling was attended by the executives of companies offering these cloud computing services, including: Google, Microsoft, Adobe Systems, Facebook, and Vimeo. All of the executives showed great excitement at the prospect of gaining the U.S. government as customer.

This development is consistent with the Obama administration’s dedication to updating the government’s technology systems, which in turn should greatly reduce the enormous budget of federal I.T. (which has been estimated to be $75 billion).

To learn about Cloud Computing and what it means, click here.

During his September 8 school speech, President Obama sternly warned teenagers about what information they post on the internet, specifically on their Facebook pages. He went further to recognize that mistakes are a natural part of the maturation process, but warned that publicizing (via online postings) these lapses in judgment is a permanent decision that is sure to have negative consequences in the future.

These statements coincide with the rising number of employers who examine an applicant’s Facebook page before making a hiring decision. In the future, this number can be guaranteed to exponentially increase and result in lost employment opportunities and terminations as a result of offensive or distasteful content on one’s social networking page.

Since the beginning of his presidential campaign, President Obama has managed to use technology successfully, especially social media sites, by connect to young adults in a way that no other candidate has. Ever since his victory, President Obama continues to make technology a top priority, using it to increase government transparency, and most recently to reach out to the public in a more immediate and personal way. Two main examples of President Obama’s Administration making effective use of the power of the internet, include the launch of the website “Reality Check” and the CDC’s use of social media sites.

Continue reading »

This past Tuesday (June 30), U.S. CIO Vivek Kundra formally launched the new U.S. Federal IT Dashboard at the Personal Democracy Forum 2009 in New York City. This greatly anticipated website provides citizens with greater transparency involving government spending, something that many Americans have been asking for in recent years. This increased ability for public scrutiny will likely result in greater accountability and responsibility when it comes to the spending of the country’s $40 billion budget for federal technology projects. This enormous budget has helped secure the federal government as the largest single buyer or technology in the world. The website tracks all federal technology projects, offering a detailed descriptions of each, up-to-date evaluation reports and contact information for each project’s manager.

At the unveiling Kundra exuded enormous confidence and excitement about the project, explaining “[N]ow, for the first time, the entire country can look at how we’re spending money and give us feedback. We’re going to tap into some of the best ideas and the best thinking.”

Kundra and his team even took the project a step further when they utilized the popular online video site YouTube to further advertise the dashboard, tapping into the site’s millions of viewers. This short video includes an introduction to the dashboard, an explanation of its goals, and a basic explanation how it should be used. Clearly, this website and its accompanying video are a good model that others in the IT sector should emulate. The increased transparency and approachability of these projects is sure to result in positive feedback; with proper execution, the generated response could bring substantial financial profits to private IT.

The site is sure to be a success and has led many to speculate that similar dashboards for education and/or military spending may be launched in the near future.

Americans have voted and the numbers are in. According to a recently published report by Pew Internet and American Life, Americans prefer internet access, by a landslide, over having a cell phone or cable TV. The reason: Many surveyed found internet access to be comparable to necessities such as electricity and running water. Those questioned also explained that the internet allowed them to remain connected with their communities and have access to economic opportunities.

John Horrigan (author of the report) comments: “[W]e found that broadband is now in the ‘must keep’ category for Americans, even when economic times are tough,” affirming that Americans are both psychologically and economically committed to their broadband. During these tough economic times, 22% of those surveyed cutback/cancelled their cell phone plans and 22% cutback/cancelled their cable TV service over the last 12 months; while only 9% did the same for their internet service. While it may seem counterintuitive as broadband becomes a larger part of peoples’ daily lives, its monthly cost is rising. The national monthly average for broadband is currently $39, an increase from last year’s average of $34.50.

Yet, according to figures released by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and published by BusinessWeek, “the US ranks 15^th among the developed countries in broadband deployments per 100 people.” How is this possible? Scott Wallsten (VP at Tech Policy Institute in Washington) shares some insight, claiming that these figures are flawed because of the way they are calculated.  Per capita analysis, in this case, fails to consider various household sizes, which gives countries with smaller families (as in Northern Europe) a distinct advantage.

As rioters continue to protest the recent election in Iran, the Iranian government’s internet blockade has becoming increasingly stringent, threatening to rival that of China’s. Currently, CNET.com reports that Facebook, MySpace, Flickr, the BBC, and YouTube websites have been blocked, controversial keywords are prohibited, and numerous blogs have been restricted. As Iranians searched for ways to coordinate actions amongst themselves and communicate with the outside world, they found an answer in an unlikely place, the popular but unassuming social networking site, Twitter. The New York Times along with others have openly announced that some of the best commentary on the ongoing events has been received through Twitter messages. Continue reading »

By now, you’re probably familiar with the post-election chaos taking place in Iran.

What you may not know is that Twitter, a free social networking and micro-blogging service that enables its users to send and read each others’ updates, is being used in a revolutionary new way (pun intended).

Since the controversial election, the Iranian government has suppressed foreign journalism and mass-media outlets from covering the protests and other events related to the election backlash.  The people of Iran, and primarily the supporters of Hossein Moussavi, would not be silenced, and have been persistent in alerting the world of the events that are unfolding.  That’s where Twitter comes into play.

Continue reading »

As of Saturday April 18, 2009 President Obama officially appointed Aneesh Chopra as his Chief Technology Officer, the Wall Street Journal reports. The President reported this news via radio and discussed some of the tasks Chopra would face including government efficiency, job creation, and healthcare. Obama also nominated Jeffrey Zients for Chief Performance Officer and Deputy Director of the Office of Management and Budget; Zients awaits confirmation.

Chopra and Zeints will work in close connection to Vivek Kundra, who was named Chief Information Officer just a short time ago. Information Week quoted Obama when he spoke of the work relationship that these three will have. “Aneesh and Jeffrey will work closely with our chief information officer, Vivek Kundra, who is responsible for setting technology policy across the government and using technology to improve security, ensure transparency, and lower costs,” Obama said.

Chopra appointment was well received by executives and bloggers alike. People believe that Chopra’s dedication and expertise concerning technology will put the U.S. in a positive direction.

Check back with eWhite House Watch for the latest updates about the President’s technology policies.

President Obama must consider many factors as he tries to turn the United States economy around, and this focus necessarily includes his commitment to technology. Obama vows to continue spending stimulus money to boost our economy, some of which will be spent in the IT field. Recently, InformationWeek reported that IT professionals finally feel as if the President understands the importance of technology. With billions already being spent in the IT field, Obama vows to spend more on “health care, education, broadband, [and] mobility.”

Obama is also spending billions of dollars to provide schools with better technology. The money from the stimulus plan is intended to help keep schools up-to-date in the ever changing technology field. Obama expects that teachers, administrators, and students alike would benefit by providing them with the latest of what technology has to offer.

According to The Washington Times, Chief Information Officer Vivek Kundra, is back on duty. Kundra was placed on a leave of absence from his position following a scandal that involved people he was connected to. The FBI is still conducting a formal investigation of his affiliates. The White House ensured the public that Kundra is not a target of the investigation and allowed him back to work.

Although the situation concerning Kundra has been cleared up, at least for now, it still shed negative publicity towards the Obama Administration. We have seen some of Obama’s candidates for top positions have to withdrawal for various scandals and illegal activities. Obama has referred to the withdrawals of his choices as “embarrassing” for him, as well as, his administration.

Looks like this situation turned out in his favor seeing as Kundra is still on the job. Check back with us to see what will happen next!