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While mobile technology continues to grow across the private sector and personal applications, many US Government agencies have been slower to adopt and support these new developments. Under Executive Order, an official Digital Government Strategy was released in May 2012 mandating access to quality digital Government information and services anywhere, any time, on any device.
Agencies were also directed to seize opportunities to procure and manage devices, applications and data in smart, secure, and affordable ways, as well as to use Government data to support American innovation and improve the overall quality of Government services nationwide. The Federal Chief Information Officers Council recently released a report detailing the barriers, opportunities and gaps facing government use of mobile technology.
Cost, security, and BYOD were three major issues facing these agencies as they strive to keep up with demand for mobile devices and support among private citizens and enterprise. The lack of a Government-wide contract vehicles for mobile devices and data presents as challenge, as does the difficulty of performing accurate Life-Cycle Cost Benefit analyses to justify mobile use. Options are currently limited for strong authentication and data encryption within the Government, and though some agencies have already adopted BYOD, many have concerns regarding the legal, privacy and financial implications of this policy. More guidance and support is needed overall for these challenges.
In addition, the report also details several gaps that need to be addressed to meet Government missions with mobile technology. Security and Privacy remain a top priority, with no automated tools currently available for application security tests and evaluation. Better guidance and best practices for Policy/Legal are needed to identify mission use cases and technical requirements for mobile Government applications. And developing cross-platform industry solutions as well as a consistent source of wireless network data for mobile workers presents challenges for Application and Mobile Infrastructure.
Finally, the CIO Council Report determined four key areas for the Government to focus on in improving its Mobile Technology: Mobile Device Management, Application Services, Identity Access Management and Improved Governance and Standards. With all this Government focus on Mobile Technology, Solutions, Services and Support, now is the ideal time for value-added resellers and independent software vendors to present solutions that serve these varied Government needs.
If you’re looking for ways to grow your Mobile business and get into the Government sector, BlueStar can help. Our team of professionals can help you find and select Federal, State and Local government contracts that best fit your business and product offering. Once you’ve found the right contract, BlueStar‘s in-house grant writers and government specialists will guide you through the contracting process and help you win more business.
Talk to a BlueStar Government Solutions Specialist today to learn more about opportunities that fit your needs and help improve Government support and services nationwide.
