Wednesday, August 26th, 2009
We were recently asked to gather perceptions around the issue of going green. Companies want to better understand how important this issue is to their current and prospective customers, the best ways to deliver “greener” services and solutions, and how to effectively communicate the ripple effect of those green benefits to their customer organizations.
This issue is of particular relevance to government contractors, as the Obama administration has made it clear that green and alternative energy sources will be a focus over the next four years. Certainly global warming is a primary reason for this focus. But, cost cutting is another important driver, as government agencies and contactors can lower expenses and improve the bottom line through the adoption of responsible resource consumption programs. Equally important, green programs offer contractors a compelling discriminator in an increasingly competitive marketplace. Read the rest of this entry »
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Posted by Laurie Morrow in Current Trends 
Friday, August 14th, 2009
Earlier
this month, we got to enjoy one of my favorite company benefits, our quarterly company outing. We like to get out of the office one day each quarter to do something fun and different. It gives us a great chance to get to know each other a bit better, and build more team spirit. Our destination of choice this quarter was white water tubing on the Shenandoah and Potomac rivers, where we floated (and flipped!) down stream. With the help of the folks at River Riders, in Harpers Ferry, WV, we got a quick safety lesson and were given free reign of the waters.
The weather was gorgeous, as was the scenery. I think we all enjoyed the break from the office to get out and try a new adventure. And by the next day, we all realized it was a good workout too!
No Comments Posted by Molly Huie in Events, Humor
Thursday, August 6th, 2009
This week it was announced via this message that access to social networking sites (such as Facebook, YouTube, MySpace, and Twitter) was officially banned on NIPRNET, the Marine Corps enterprise network.
While use of these sites had not been banned across the Marine Corps prior to this announcement, there were already many facilities for which access was restricted or denied. Additionally, concerns continue regarding the security breaches that could be caused by allowing access to these sites. The sites have had many security issues as use increased; just today, Twitter reported a denial of service attack, in which a hacker accessed documents that should have been secure. Given the sensitive nature of the information accessible through NIPRNET, this seems like a necessary step, until such time that cyber-security measures can catch up with the sites and tools available.
It has been noted that there may still be some use of social networking sites, for recruiting or communication with families, for example. With official approval processes in place, there will be increased control over how sites are used, and access will be much more secure. Additionally, steps have been taken to provide approved, secure, DOD-only social networking sites for use by soldiers, employees, and military families.
Considering the risks to secure, classified information, and the efforts by the Marine Corps to provide alternative social networking solutions for soldiers and employees, this policy change seems justified.
Whether or not other military branches will follow suit remains to be seen.
What do you think? Is it appropriate to ban use of social-networking sites? Do you think this will lead to improved security for NIPRNET? Leave a comment and let us know!
No Comments Posted by Lisa Dezzutti in Current Trends, Government
Tuesday, August 4th, 2009
Last week Office of Personnel Management Director John Berry announced that OPM is taking a giant step forward in transparency,?? becoming the first government agency to put its proposed 5-year strategic plan online, open for both the public and employees to comment. Further, they will make comments immediately available for the public to read. What a great way to use the Internet to interact with interested constituents!
The OPM Strategic Plan for 2010-2015 can be found here, and comments can be offered through this online form. Those who prefer to “lurk” can read all comments here.
No Comments Posted by Karen Quesenberry in Government
There are many successful companies out there that don’t yet have a structured approach to research. In this scenario, a critical factor is having a motivated and empowered internal champion that can rally and integrate the stakeholders and drive strategic success. This person must be skilled at facilitating a continuous, cross-functional communications loop internally – all the way from developing an effective study, to prioritizing improvement activities that result from the findings, to monitoring those efforts via established metrics. In an ideal situation, the research champion would offer the following attributes: 