FCC Launches Spectrum Dashboard
The Federal Communications Commission has introduced a beta version of its Spectrum Dashboard.
The Spectrum Dashboard allows users to review how spectrum bands are allocated and used and also allows users to identify license holders in specific areas.
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Government Agencies Lagging In Tech Adoption
Government market research firm Market Connections, today released a new survey that calls government agencies continually behind the curve in technology adoption compared to the private sector.
The study, which examined the perceptions and adoption of new technologies among federal government decision makers, indicated the perception of technology adoption in government agencies as “ as slow and difficult to keep going.”
Market Connections conducted the survey in February on behalf of the Government Information Technology Council (GITEC). GITEC is a group of senior-level government executives organized to support the delivery of high-quality and cost-effective IT services to their customers.
“The findings show real progress in some emerging technology and application areas. But technology engines don’t seem to be revving to keep up with needs,” said Lisa Dezzutti, president of Market Connections.
“When asked if innovations have found their way into daily applications, more federal decision-makers compare their agencies to vintage cars rather than today’s hybrids.”
The majority of the 223 survey respondents serve in management, operations, or IT/MIS roles, with 39% of them employed in defense/military agencies and 61% employed in federal civilian or independent agencies.
Highlights from the survey include:
*Wireless/mobile solutions and cloud computing were cited most often as technologies that, while beneficial or promising, remain the most overlooked. In fact, nearly three-quarters of respondents were either unsure if their agency has a cloud deployment plan or very clear that it doesn’t have a plan.
*Forty-five percent (45%) of respondents said their agencies are perpetually behind the technology curve compared to the private sector, while another 39% say that old legislation negatively impacts their agencies’ adoption of new technologies.
*Budget limitations narrowly outpace security concerns as the top two challenges confronting the implementation of upcoming technology initiatives. In fact, 18% reported that general hardware and software updates were the most beneficial new or innovative technologies implemented in the last 12 months.
*Nearly three in ten respondents say their agencies are not actively engaging Gen Y in the workforce; however, more than a quarter are offering competitive salaries and benefits, providing flexible work environments and increased coaching and training, respectively.
FTC Warns Organizations Of Data Breaches
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has announced it has contacted nearly 100 organizations about personal information, including sensitive data about customers or employees that has been shared from the organizations’ computer networks and is available on peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing sites which can lead to identity theft or fraud.
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Social Media To Play A Major Role In Costa Rica Elections
Electing a woman to be your head of state isn’t that big a deal these days.
The latest country to join a long list of states with women leaders is Costa Rica: in the presidential election conducted yesterday, the winner by a comfortable margin is Laura Chinchilla Miranda, the first woman to become head of state in this Central American republic.
FTC Turns Their Attention To Facebook’s Privacy Policies
For those of you who have ever been in sales or were trained to sell you may have heard the expression that it is “better to ask for forgiveness than it is to ask for permission”. Nice pithy little saying that simply means, go ahead and do what you want to do to get the job done and if there are any issues they will be worked out. While that is something that produces chuckles amongst the rebel sales force, in practice it often ends up in bad business and forcing people to change things that don’t need to be changed.
Consumer Groups Urge The FTC To Block Google From Acquiring AdMob
In November, Google announced it was acquiring AdMob for $750M. The deal is still in the works, of course—in part, at least, because the FTC is taking a first and, as of last week, second look at the deal. As the FTC continues to scrutinize the search giant buying the mobile ad giant, consumer groups are taking their opportunity to have their say—and it’s not in favor of the deal. Read More…
FTC Demands Full Disclosure From Bloggers
I’m still struggling with the whole full disclosure thing from the FTC. It’s not that I disagree with it–in fact, I think I have been following their guidelines all along. But now I feel like I really need to watch myself or I’m going to jail. All this was brought to mind when Mashable featured the work that Converseon [full disclosure: I am Converseon's Chief Strategist] client Telstra [full disclosure: I have tangentially worked on the Telstra account for Converseon] did to publicize its social media guidelines with an interactive learning module [full disclosure: oh wait, I don't think I need to say anything this time].
The FTC Redefines Honesty For Social Media And Bloggers
So the much-vaunted Federal Trade Commission guidelines for social media came into play today. There’s been a lot said about them on both sides of the fence, with plenty bloggers offering their views for and against. Some say it will inhibit free speech, while others applaud the FTC for getting involved.
Whatever your stance, one thing that is abundantly clear is that it’s not that big a deal.
So what if the FTC have turned their gaze towards social media, and bloggers in particular? There’s a key word that everyone should already be adhering to anyway.
U.S Government Unprepared For Coming Cyber Threats
Warfare is something that through the years has evolved in a technological sense, but fundamentally has stayed the same — have your men kill the other men. In the cyber world, things work a bit differently but there is such a thing as cyberwarfare. And according to the GAO (Government Accountability Office) is a brand of warfare that’s on the rise.
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Google Fires Back Against FCC Probing
While it remains unclear whether Google Voice should be treated the same way as other telecom companies, the search giant isn’t taking any chances with the rather unpleasant probing it’s receiving from the Federal Communications Commission.