Chiron Technology Services, Inc. has developed a portal that gives users an easy way to display and interface with different datasets that it has created in a serious gaming environment. With serious gaming, information is presented with the look and feel of a video game, but offers a deeper experience: It helps a soldier prepare for battle by showing real-life battlefield scenarios or gives a facilities manager a 3D view of the buildings he manages.

When it comes to disseminating information, reaching people and collaboration, more and more government agencies are turning to Web-based, interactive social communities. Traditionally viewed with skepticism in both business and government, Web 2.0 – a term used to describe a two-way collaborative Internet – is gaining firm ground in the public sector. Blogs, podcasting, virtual worlds, wikis and all forms of new media are increasing public outreach and fostering intra-agency collaboration in a highly accessible, low cost way.

Since the beginning of time, people have had the urge to express their opinions. Even before the freedom of expression was guaranteed by law, given an outlet people have welcomed the opportunity to share their thoughts. Fast forward 30,000 years and people still have the urge to share their knowledge. The underlying practice is still the same but the digital age has changed the medium from rock and flint to blogs and keyboards.

Got questions? We’ve got the answers. Each issue oOur team of experts weighs in on a variety of topical issues relevant to public sector digital design. The summer 2008 issueWe’ve asked our experts about what it takes to support “green” mandates in digital design. “What three things should I take into consideration before embarking on digital design initiatives in support of green / sustainability mandates and regulations?”

Autodesk® NavisWorks® software solutions help project design and building professionals to unite their contributions into a single synchronized building information model. [acronym] online investigates how this new software can bring public sector project stakeholders together.

Getting the support, learning and software enhancements you need to stay productive on the job really isn’t that difficult. [acronym] online explores the rich features of Autodesk’s Subscription service. Since I work in the business of information technology, I consider myself reasonably tech savvy. I can usually find my way around new software and applications fairly easily. But since I am not perfect, I must admit to needing help and support as much as the next person to do my job properly.

So you always wanted to be a forest ranger, but can’t imagine life without take-out food and lattes? One way to live out your fantasy is to care for an urban forest. Though it sounds like an oxymoron, urban forestry is a serious science. Urban foresters plant, maintain and care for street and median trees, making sure they survive and thrive. City trees must cope with a daily onslaught of car exhaust and dog visits, sidewalk encroachments and the occasional parking mishap. Through it all, urban trees deliver substantial economic, environmental and aesthetic benefits.

The Last Frontier State leads the way using 3D design technology to design, build and maintain transportation projects in the toughest of environments. Alaska’s rough terrain, cold weather and thousands of miles of coastline present a transportation management challenge that most state managers don’t have to face every day. What’s more, managers have to factor in the high cost of labor in Alaska and the lengthy environmental permitting process before they can kick off any state transportation project.

How do you train and support 1,500 designers on new civil engineering CAD design software without breaking the budget? The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service found the solution they needed with a scalable knowledge management and delivery system.

The adoption of CAD standards has grown exponentially with the increase in frequency of digital design data exchange between public sector agencies and outside firms. Establishing a CAD standard at an agency level is a worthy exercise, but ensuring that everyone adheres to enforced standards is often an afterthought. Caron Beesley explores the challenges and best practices for ensuring the successful implementation and enforcement of CAD standards.