Deciphering the Fed

sector's largest federal integrator. So, hopefully, you will get both sides of the story, with perspective from the customer,in this case the Department of Defense,and the federal sector's largest systems integrator, Lockheed Martin Information Technology. Both stories strive to unlock some of the mystery that shrouds the process of selling IT products and services to organizations like the DoD, which makes IBM look small, efficient and nimble.

Without a doubt, the federal-procurement process is far more efficient and flexible today than it was just a few years ago. In our interview with Linda Gooden, president of giant Lockheed Martin Information Technology, she reflects on an IT-procurement process that once required a two-year effort just to get through the procurement stage. That was certainly the stuff of Dilbert cartoons or fodder for Jay Leno's monologue. But it is also the reason why the majority of commercial VARs steered clear of the government market. The by-product of that was VARs took their best ideas to the commercial sector and with them came the productivity gains associated with those solutions. Sure, the federal government has come a long way in terms of technology adoption since 1996, but it certainly has lagged behind business.

That's sad when you reflect on much of the news that has surfaced since Sept. 11 relates to communications breakdowns, the inability to integrate large databases, or failures by the President, Congress or federal agencies to analyze,or even spot,trends relating to potential attacks on U.S. soil.

Depending on your point of view, President George W. Bush is to be blamed for withholding information concerning terrorist activity prior to Sept. 11, or perhaps he did not have the whole story. Liberal Democrats are quickly lining up to disparage the President, while conservatives have flocked to his defense. But the biggest mystery concerning all of this is how information gets processed and eventually analyzed. Time magazine's May 27 story, "How the U.S. Missed the Clues," contains this passage: "At high levels of government, the awful possibility is dawning that things could have been different."

We can wonder about such things and finger-point all we want, but the awful truth is that it did happen. Terrorists viciously attacked us, and we have to learn from the tragedy. The truth is technology can help. For instance, is there a database of all U.S. flight schools, along with present and past registrants? I have not been able to find one. Should that database contain the reasons why each individual is enrolled, their backgrounds and intentions? I am sure some government officials associated with national security would like access to such information. Perhaps that is an issue Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge should consider.

If you're looking to localize this, consider ways in which even branches of local government can communicate better or more easily access critical information from disparate agencies or departments. How much safer would the citizenry feel if law-enforcement officials at least had the tools to put the pieces of the puzzle together faster than they did yesterday?

How's your government business doing? Let me know that and what other IT initiatives could help us ward off future terrorist attacks at [email protected].