Software

Hey, Congress—if you're looking to cut spending, go after wasteful software contracts

Legacy software companies have spammed federal agencies with outdated, costly and ridiculously complex software assets that impede actual IT modernization.

  • By Matthew T. Cornelius

Pentagon lags on software buying reforms, GAO says

A GAO report has found that DOD has yet to implement several recommendations from advisory boards towards achieving its modernization goals.

  • By Carten Cordell

Are software bills of materials ready for prime time?

There's legislation afoot to require SBOMs in government procurement and industry is pushing back.

  • By Chris Riotta

Industry cautions on software security regs in the defense bill

Trade groups want Congress to remove a provision in the House-passed defense policy bill mandating software bills of materials in some federal acquisition.

  • By Chris Riotta

Senate bill looks to software licensing for cost savings

A follow-on to the Megabyte Act of 2016 would give agencies new requirements for enterprise software licensing.

  • By Adam Mazmanian

NSA, CISA and ODNI release new software supply chain guidelines for developers

An interagency, public-private working group “strongly encouraged” software developers to begin implementing a suite of best practices aimed at further securing the software development lifecycle.

  • By Chris Riotta

Hacking the Army's tech talent problem

As the Army trains its second cohort of technology professionals, the success of the software factory will hinge on how well they are integrated into the Army's mission.

  • By Lauren C. Williams

Army introduces new rapid tech office

The Army is launching a new Rapid Capabilities Office designed to address its shrinking superiority in critical areas such as electronic warfare and cyber.

  • By Sean D. Carberry

Will the MEGABYTE Act save money?

The MEGABYTE Act enshrines key Obama administration IT initiatives into law and promises to save at least $2 billion a year on software spending -- assuming implementation goes according to plan.

  • By Aisha Chowdhry

GSA working for meaningful shared-services impact

The General Services Administration wants to sharpen its understanding of how agencies plan to use shared services.

  • By Mark Rockwell

FDA has a role to play in software updates to medical devices

The Food and Drug Administration wants input from manufacturers and others about when a software update to a medical device would require premarket notification.

  • By Chase Gunter

Forward with the dialogue on agile development

Steve Kelman considers and responds to ongoing discussions about agile software development.

Unraveling the agile development knot

A conversation with a CIO reveals some challenges and possible solutions for agencies contemplating or using agile development.

Agile development: A case in point

A CIO who came to government from the private sector turns to agile development to solve some thorny IT problems at DHS.

Featured eBooks

NIST could move to Drupal

Another proprietary system could be destined for the dustbin as NIST considers a move to an open-source option.

  • By Camille Tuutti

10 ways to make agile development work for you

GAO has identified 32 best practices for agencies to implement and manage agile software development. We showcase 10 of the best and point you to the rest.

  • By Camille Tuutti

3 steps for federal CIOs toward greater IT success

Inspired by the 25-point plan, a new white paper provides additional guidance to federal CIOs on how to make sense of the "firsts" policy.

  • By Camille Tuutti

How can software curb violent crime?

The ATF is looking for high-tech, interactive software than can help predict violent crime.

  • By Amber Corrin

VanRoekel's open data strategy may have some limitations

Federal CIO Steven VanRoekel is a strong supporter of APIs for government data, but a transparency group urges a broader perspective.

  • By Alice Lipowicz

The fix for fraud that government isn't using

Continuous Transaction Analytics technology might help government in its war on waste, but an industry insider says not enough agencies use it -- or even know about it.

  • By Camille Tuutti

4 top tech skills for IT pros

Skills in cloud computing and mobile technologies could add to IT workers' pay.

  • By Camille Tuutti