networking-info

Last week, the Network Centric Operations Consortium (NCOIC) Cloud Computing Working Group (CCWG) started it's work on cloud interoperability in earnest. The first step in their process is the completion of a Systems, Capabilities, Operations, Programs and Enterprises (SCOPE) model. As an analysis tool, SCOPE is used to characterize interoperability-relevant aspects of a system or capability in terms of a set of dimensions. Organized hierarchically, these dimensions (and possible sub-dimensions) represent specific aspects of a system or its surrounding environment. This process enables a quantitative and/or qualitative interoperability assessment of the target system or capability.  With the development of a cloud interoperability best practice as a goal, the NCOIC CCWG is working to identify all significant cloud computing dimensions. The SCOPE model includes four top-level categories of dimensions: Net-Readiness: Ability to deliver capability in a network context.   Capability...

The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) has awarded the Total Application Services for Enterprise Requirements (TASER) contract to: Accenture National Security Services, LLC BAE Systems Information Technology, Inc. The Boeing Company-Autometric, Inc. Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc. Computer Services Corporation Enforcement, Security & Intelligence Group Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. General Dynamics One Source Lockheed Martin Information Systems & Global Services NJVC, LLC Northrop Grumman, Inc. OG Systems, Inc. QVine Corporation Raytheon Intelligence and Information Systems; and Science Application International Corporation. TASER will be used to obtain engineering services across multiple functional categories including: engineering and trade studies; pilots and prototypes; integration and deployment; and application sustainment. When the RFP was released, NGA stated that TASER was part of its transition to an Application Service Provider/Infrastructure...

Last October I introduced EuroCloud as a pan-European business network with the goal of promoting European use of cloud computing.  In the intervening three months, the organization has grown to include representation from 16 countries with four additional ones in the pipeline! According to Bernd Becker, an Eurocloud executive, the organization has experienced strong enthusiastic support. Officially founded in Paris on Jan 29th, 2010, EuroCloud promotes SaaS and Cloud services across Europe. Drivers for the creation of this group include: Europe has a fast growing SaaS and Cloud Computing industry, but each country is currently operating separately with few contacts in other European countries. National SaaS vendors are growing and are looking to build European and international relationships through business and technological partnerships. The European Authorities do not currently recognize the European Cloud Computing industry, which is an industry that can help stimulate the econom...

Today Google announced  Google Buzz . Watch the video: The chart below shows the spectacular adoption failure of Google Wave as a standalone product. This was predicted by a lot of people including myself. As Anil Dash puts it  Google Wave does not help solve a "weekend-sized problem" . Besides the obvious complex technical challenges there are three distinct adoption barriers with Google Wave and Google Buzz has capability to overcome those: Inseparable container, content, and collaboration: Changing people's behavior is much more difficult than inventing or innovating a killer technology. Most of the people still prefer to keep the collaboration persisted separately from the content or not persisted at all. Single task systems such as email, Wiki, and instant messaging are very effective because they do one and only thing really well without any confusion. Google Wave is a strong container on which Google or others can build collaboration capability but not giving an o...

This week I begin a new and exciting phase of my professional career by joining the NJVC Enterprise Management Team ! For those unfamiliar, NJVC is one of the largest information technology (IT) solutions providers supporting the United States Department of Defense. The company provides quality IT solutions to the federal government and specializes in supporting intelligence, defense and geospatial organizations, including its largest customer, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) . NJVC has more than 1,100 employees located in three offices, including its headquarters in Vienna, Va., and facilities in Arnold and St. Louis, Mo. In joining the company as an Engineering Fellow, my initial and complementary duties will be to: Serve as an Enterprise Management Officer on a team of watch officers responsible for delivering high satisfaction to our customers through efficient management of day-to-day activities; and Support the company's newly announced cloud computing solu...

Today on Federal Executive Forum , Dave Wennergren, Deputy CIO, Office of the Secretary of Defense, shared his views on secure information sharing. Mr. David M. Wennergren serves as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Information Management, Integration and Technology / Deputy Chief Information Officer, providing top-level advocacy in creating a unified information management and technology vision for the Department and ensuring the delivery of the capabilities required to achieve the Department's transformation to net centric operations. In addition to his duties as Deputy CIO, Mr. Wennergren is the Vice Chair of the U.S. Government's Federal CIO Council. He also serves as the Chair of the Department of Defense Identity Protection and Management Senior Coordinating Group. Joining Mr. Wennergren in this discussion were: Greg Schaffer, Assistant Secretary for CyberSecurity & Communications, DHS; and Priscilla Guthrie, CIO, Office of the Director for National Intell...