The FOSE Exposition and Conference last week brought federal officials and company executives together for three days of networking and education. We’ve rounded up some of the highlights from panel sessions that wrapped around keynote speeches and information technology exhibits at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington. FOSE is hosted by Federal Computer Week’s parent company, 1105 Government Information Group.
Information sharing Agencies with a record of success in creating information-sharing policies rely on strong leadership to get the ball rolling, but as practices become familiar, they become easier to maintain, said Jeremy Warren, chief technology officer at the Justice Department.
Speaking on a panel at FOSE, Warren credited Vance Hitch, the department’s chief information officer, for Justice’s role in creating the National Information Exchange Model, a joint project with the Homeland Security Department. Hitch’s relative longevity in the CIO role and the respect he has earned contributed greatly, Warren said. — Michael Hardy
Search and discovery As increasing amounts of information exist only in electronic form, agencies must find new ways to search that data, retrieve useful information and retain it to comply with information retention rules. Legal cases now routinely require agencies to produce not only paper records but also e-mail messages, text chat logs and other electronic data. That’s a challenge many are unprepared for, said Ed Meagher, deputy chief information officer at the Interior Department.
“This is one of those issues that has really crept up on us,” said Meagher, who moderated a panel discussion on the topic.
“It’s relatively easy to store 1 billion objects, but it is incredibly hard to search for relevant information” within them, said Jason Baron, director of litigation at the National Archives and Records Administration.
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