US defence sector awards most IT contracts in Q4: The US federal government awarded USD20 billion in IT contracts in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2004. That's according to the latest figures from government market analyst firm INPUT. The company's "INPUT/Output" report, released in October, shows that defence agencies awarded the most in terms of dollars during the quarter, signing USD15.6 billion worth of contracts, compared with USD4.4 billion awarded by civilian agencies during the period. Together, just five departments awarded more than USD16 billion, or 80 percent, of the total dollar amount during the three-month period. "Defence-related agencies stole the spotlight previously held by the Department of Homeland Security with its massive USD10 billion US-VISIT contract award to Accenture in the previous quarter," according to Michael Boland, senior analyst of federal vendor profiles at INPUT. The US Army awarded the largest amount in IT contracts, at USD9.7 billion, which included the revised Warfighter Information Network-Tactical (WIN-T) contract. The companies that benefited most from the fourth quarter awards were Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin and Science Applications International Corp, which collectively secured 48 contracts.
UK report gives thumbs up to open source software: Open source software (OSS) presents a viable and credible alternative to proprietary software on the desktop, according to a new report from the UK's Office of Government Commerce (OGC). The study analyses the results of a number of OSS pilot schemes carried out in partnership with IBM and Sun Microsystems across a range of public sector bodies. The OGC also found that open source software can generate "significant savings", especially if implemented in conjunction with server consolidation, as well as through helping to delay the replacement of hardware. In a similar vein, the report points out the potential "green" benefits of OSS: the life of hardware is prolonged, meaning fewer resources are consumed in the production of new hardware and there is less waste and disposal of old machines. Still, the study recommends that software decisions should be based on a "holistic assessment" of future needs, taking into account total cost of ownership, with proper consideration of both proprietary and open source solutions. "These pilots have provided us with valuable evidence on open source software. They show it could support government bodies by offering efficient and cost-effective IT solutions," said OGC chief executive John Oughton. The OGC report is available here.
Singapore to make payments easier for citizens: Singapore is planning a major ramp-up in the rollout of e-government services with the launch of an e-payments portal next year. While citizens can already pay many government bills online, the authorities are planning a major boost in convenience with the introduction of a one-stop portal where income tax, traffic fines or licence fees can all be paid for in the same place. What's more, it's envisioned that the e-payments hub -- due to be launched in the second half of 2005 -- will facilitate the payment of private sector bills, such as insurance premiums or even shopping bills. The proposed portal is part of a wider plan to revamp e-services. Acting Second Minister for Finance Raymond Lim said the planned changes will make the user the focus of attention. "E-government is not a nice-to-have item. It is a national competitive advantage... Starting with the user in mind must be the uncompromising principle," he said. Lim also announced the government's intention to launch a central website for unclaimed monies, which aims to help return money being held by public agencies to its rightful owners.
UAE launches one-stop portal: The United Arab Emirates is launching a portal site that aims to serve as a one-stop shop for citizens who wish to access government services. The site, known as "e-Portal", will provide up-to-date information on government news and policies and will provide links to a range of government sites. As the site was launched by the UAE Ministry of Finance and Industry, a number of other e-government initiatives were also unveiled: the e-Expat, e-Project and e-Human Resources Management systems. The e-Expat system will provide a single point of access for all expatriates, enabling them to process visa applications, labour permits and health cards in one place. The e-Project system is a budgeting and tracking tool for government projects that will facilitate the monitoring and management of infrastructure and building projects. Meanwhile, the e-Human Resources Management system will manage all aspects of employment, from analysing demographics to locating skills shortages.
East African states to discuss e-gov plans: Tanzania is to host the first e-government workshop in the East African region, reports IT Web. The theme of the workshop, which aims to assess the status of e-government in the region, is "e-government for regional economic prosperity". The event, which takes place from 17 to 19 November, is being organised by the East African Community Secretariat, the UN Economic Commission for Africa and AITEC (African IT Exhibitions & Conferences). Representatives from countries including Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Ethiopia and Mozambique are expected to attend and to devise a proposed roadmap for e-government in East Africa. "At the end of the workshop, we should have a clear picture of where each government is in terms of e-government and also have their plans for the next few years," said Harry Hare of AITEC. Among the topics to be discussed at the event are network and data security, storage technologies, customer relationship management, e-learning, e-procurement and the use of open source solutions.
Autor: Sylvia Leatham
Quelle: ElectricNews.Net, 03.11.2004
