WashingtonExec: Q&A with David McClure, USA Search, FedRAMP and Real-Time Big Data Capability
August 10, 2012
Our friends at WashingtonExec recently ran a Q&A with David McClure, Associate Administrator of the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) Office of Citizen Services and Innovative Technologies (OCIST), that caught our attention. With big data being a burgeoning area for government contractors, it is always ideal to hear about new challenges and innovations from the government executives driving this new movement. You can check out the full Q&A here. Read moreA Doctor’s Perspective Can Help Contractors Developing Health IT Solutions
August 9, 2012
Sarah Wholey, Research Analyst, Market Connections, Inc. As many contractors are broadening their offerings into the Health IT arena – to augment potential losses from the defense sector – it is critical for them to fully understand how health care practitioners can benefit from new innovations in this burgeoning arena. As part two of a series of posts based on the insights gained from the recent Federal Computer Week- and immixGroup-hosted seminar called “Applying Technology for Improved Health Information Management,” I wanted to highlight the value of Health IT from a doctor’s perspective. Dr. Thomas Lee, Internist, Cardiologist, and Network President, Partners Healthcare ... Read moreKnowledge is Power: Key to Overcoming Sequestration Uncertainty
August 8, 2012
Sarah Wholey, Research Analyst, Market Connections, Inc. It’s no secret that the government contracting industry is in a state of paralysis right now thanks to sequestration. The government news cycle is promoting and selling fear and many contractors are letting this influence how they will do business over the next six months. While we are all facing uncertain times, it is critical for contractors to continue to focus on their core businesses, develop and use the right market research and focus on new and innovative capture processes. Contracting software and information solutions provider Deltek recently hosted an event called “Trends and Drivers in ... Read moreAgencies Under Scrutiny to Provide Better Customer Service
August 7, 2012
Providing the highest level of customer service is paramount for any industry. For the federal government – whether it’s the I.R.S or the Department of Veterans Affairs – a diverse audience of citizens, military personnel and other government employees make the requirements of good customer service more complex than in other businesses. A new bipartisan bill, introduced July 30 by Sens. Mark Warner (D-Va.) and Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), calls for federal agencies to develop specific standards for customer service. The Government Customer Service Act would establish what Senator Warner calls a “SWAT team,” driven by the Office of Management and Budget ... Read moreMonday Morning News Kick Off: Feds ‘Under Attack’ with Sequestration; Audit the Pentagon Act; SAIC Potential Lay Offs; and FCW 2012 Rising Stars
August 6, 2012
Welcome to the Monday morning news kick off post from the FedPulse blog. Many are now experiencing the ‘dog days’ of summer with nice beach vacations and shortened workweeks with good old summer Fridays. However, with the future of the government contracting sector in question, no one is really resting easy this summer. The best way to deal with significant change is to arm yourself with knowledge, which we aim to do each week with our Monday Morning News Kick Off post. Happy Monday. Proposed Law to Shed Sunlight on DOD Budget Sen. Tom Coburn (R-.Okla.) is sponsoring the bipartisan Audit the ... Read moreState & Local Vs. Federal: A Comparison of Winning Social Media Strategies
August 2, 2012
Deltek and Market Connections, Inc. recently collaborated on data sharing and analysis for the recent GovWin social media in state and local government report. As such, Cynthia Poole, Director of Research Services, and Melissa Burgess, Research Analyst at Market Connections, recently contributed a series of blog posts for GovWin on the topic of social media and government. The most recent post compared winning social media strategies from both the federal and state and local sectors – with the big takeaway being that the federal government could enhance its social media efforts by taking a page from state and local government. Be sure to ... Read moreDoD and VA Aim to Transform Delivery of Health Care Through IT
August 1, 2012
Sarah Wholey, Research Analyst, Market Connections, Inc. Experts predict the biggest transformation in our nation’s health care system will come down to innovative uses in technology. The core of health information technology (health IT) is about making it possible for health care providers to better manage patient care through the secure use and sharing of health information. This new health IT movement presents both challenges and opportunities for government, members of industry and health care providers. Federal Computer Week and immixGroup recently hosted a seminar called “Applying Technology for Improved Health Information Management,” which featured insights from a number of government, industry and ... Read moreContractors Hold Onto Their Desks as Sequestration Looms
July 31, 2012
Monica Mayk Parham, Marketing Director, Market Connections, Inc. The Professional Services Council (PSC) recently hosted an event on the topic of sequestration and, for many, it was a sobering reminder that challenging times lay ahead – even if sequestration never comes to light. So what are contractors doing to prepare for these new budget realities? Are they moving forward with staff reductions or are they staying the course? It turns out to be a mixed bag. According to a recent Washington Post article, many smaller contractors are riding out the storm and avoiding preemptive layoffs for now, simply because no one really ... Read moreMonday Morning News Kick Off: Sequestration Makes a Senator “Sick” with 89,000 DoD Civilian Job Cuts Expected; OMB Predicts Economic Improvement; and Fed CTO Looks to Industry for Innovation
July 30, 2012
Welcome to the Monday morning news kick off post from the FedPulse blog. It seems that the topic of sequestration is still looming with both Senators deriding the Obama administration on this controversial topic and the OMB warning against it. Though it’s not all about sequestration. We have plenty of other government-related news you need to kick-start the workweek. Happy Monday. Senator Ayotte: Using Defense Cuts as Bargaining Chip ‘Makes Me Sick’ Sen. Kelly Ayotte blasted President Barack Obama and Senate Democrats on Sunday for refusing to budge on looming defense cuts. OMB Predicts Economic Improvement, Warns Against Sequestration Bad news about the U.S. ... Read moreFederal Government Needs to Overcome Barriers to Mobility
July 26, 2012
The federal government needs to catch up to the private sector when it comes to embracing mobile solutions, according to both industry and government experts. In addition, one-third of federal executives involved with mobile technologies say their agencies are now “walking” or “running” when it comes to mobility. That’s according to a new government-wide research study about to be released by AOL Government and Market Connections, Inc., from a survey of 300 executives from 48 federal agencies. The study also found that government executives have serious concerns that current investments in mobility are inadequate for it to achieve its full potential. Don’t miss ... Read more