A few weeks ago I blogged about how your organization can find the right kind of Autodesk software training. Well, here’s another option to add to your list. Last month, Autodesk unveiled the Autodesk CAD Manager Center.

Data center consolidation is nothing new. Yet, many agencies are struggling to reduce their data center footprint, that’s according to a new report from the General Accountability Office (GAO).

In 2010, the Federal Data Center Consolidation Initiative charged 24 agencies with consolidating data centers. As of November 2015, 10,584 data centers had been closed with a total savings and cost avoidances of $2.8 billion between 2011 and 2015 – not bad!

Most agencies aren’t interested in competing in the Amazing Race to the cloud, but there’s no doubt that the government is starting to embrace the cloud. Drivers include the cost savings and the increased agility that cloud computing can provide. However, this movement towards the cloud frequently leaves today’s IT professionals tasked with managing applications in a challenging environment: the hybrid data center.

If you were asked to name some of the biggest proponents and propagators of technology in the modern age, Steve Jobs, Bill Gates or Elon Musk might spring to mind.  But what about the U.S. government?

Yes, that right. Technology hasn’t just shaped how Uncle Sam does business (think citizen self-service tools, cybersecurity awareness, and more) the U.S government has also spurred innovation.

As we blogged recently, Autodesk has just announced the release of the latest version of InfraWorks 360 its popular preliminary design software that serves as a great asset to transportation infrastructure and civil engineers.

First established in 2011, the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) was designed to streamline how agencies make the move to cloud computing. With its standardized approach to security assessment, authorization, and continuous monitoring for cloud service provider (CSP) products and services, FedRAMP was intended to save 30-40% of government costs using a “do once, use many times” framework.

But it didn’t quite pan out that way.

My wife and I recently hiked the Stony Man Trail in the Shenandoah National Park. It was so much fun that we hiked it again a few weeks later with our college-aged kids and close friends. The four-mile hike leads to a spectacular summit, but also provides beautiful views of different vistas along the way. Our group hiked at different paces, so my wife and I suggested short goals for everyone to pause at trail crossings so we did not have large gaps in our convoy. We took pictures along the way and at the summit, then proceeded back down the mountain to our cars...

DevOps is a powerful IT services management approach for the public sector. Implemented strategically, DevOps can help speed and efficiency in developing IT.

But where should agencies start? Instead of simply throwing DevOps as a new system at your agency and hoping for the best, different methods need to be used to best optimize workflows and impact.

Network Access Control (NAC), ensures proper configuration and security posture on devices trying to access a network.  It’s been around for a while, but acquired a bad reputation in its early days.  I remember looking at some NAC solutions when they first hit the market, years ago, and they were expensive, clumsy, and more likely to keep out good folks than bad actors.  However, that was then, and this is now.  Let’s take a look at NAC today.  First, I’ll review fundamental technologies and concepts.

Like it or not, Software Defined Networking (SDN) is coming and although implementations may offer many of the benefits hyped by vendors last year, there are also a few unforeseen security and operational challenges. These SDN challenges aren’t unique – for the most part they’re the same faced by IT in general – only in the Department of Defense’s (DOD) case, they are on a larger sale than any enterprise on Earth.