Around the Corner

On Tuesday, June 14th, the nation observed Flag Day, and this year’s holiday marked the 15th anniversary of a remarkable milestone here at GSA.  On June 14th, 1996, GSA reached its goal of giving each of its employees access to the internet, making it one of first federal agencies to provide this technology to its entire workforce.

In 1996, when our current Administrator Martha Johnson was Chief of Staff for the agency, GSA knew that internet access would bring greater value to the work that we do.  We set the goal of getting our employees online by Flag Day.  We overcame the logistical challenge of getting access to each desktop, and we overcame the challenge that many employees would be using the internet for the first time.  On June 14th, we reached our goal, and the internet gave GSA employees greater access to their colleagues and customers.  Now it is an integral part of the work that we do every day.

Today, 15 years later, GSA is still a leader in federal information technology.  Under Administrator Johnson’s leadership, we have accelerated the pace to provide our employees and stakeholders with modern productivity tools to fulfill the GSA mission anytime, anywhere.  For example, we have deployed agency-wide Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telecommunications services.  This includes a softphone on our laptops so GSA’s employees have communications tools wherever they can access the internet.  We have also upgraded our network and remote access capabilities so that our agency is equipped for telework and mobility.

We maintain that “work is what you do, not where you do it,” and in that spirit we will soon be moving to a new cloud-based email and collaboration platform.  With the GSA Access Card providing secure two-factor authentication, we will have access to our email, documents, and collaboration features at all times, from any device.

We view IT as an investment in the productivity, morale, and success of our employees, rather than an end unto itself.  More change is coming, as we pilot new devices such as tablets and smartphones.  GSA is investing in high-definition videoconferencing capabilities, called Telepresence, for not only our agency but as a service to the entire federal government.  By bringing parties together virtually, we are helping all agencies to be greener and to fulfill their sustainability goals.

Flag Day 1996 was a milestone for GSA, but it was also the start of a journey that continues today and beyond.  As technology continues to advance, GSA is bringing these tools to the federal agencies to create a more effective government for the American people.

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IT Reforms at the General Services Administration

Over the last six months, we have executed on IT reforms that will not only impact the efficiency and effectiveness of GSA’s IT portfolio and infrastructure, but will also have a wide reaching effect on the entire Federal IT community. GSA has made enormous strides in enhancing our IT infrastructure and achieving significant cost savings: we are moving systems to the cloud, closing data centers and going after troubled investments through TechStat sessions.

GSA is in the process of closing three data centers by the end of 2011, which will reduce our IT infrastructure footprint. In line with our move to become a more agile IT organization, we are about to move our entire email system to a cloud-based service for more than 17,000 users. This new cloud solution will provide faster upgrades, reduce costs to centralized management, reduce the need for lengthy and costly procurements of IT assets, and overall provide better customer service. Additionally, we will save over $3 million a year (a reduction of 50%) in operating costs.

As a result of the TechStat process, we were able to halt our underperforming GAMS (GSA Access Management System) project. The core issue was that the project scope was not aligned to agency business needs. The GAMS project scope involved developing a technically ambitious solution, including features and functionality that were not needed by the GSA business users. The TechStat allowed us to re-align the goals of this project with our core business needs, primarily a single login mechanism for all agency systems. As a final outcome, we accelerated project delivery by 18 months, and reduced scope from 40 systems integrations to 4.

In addition to the work we have done to achieve efficiencies and enhance GSA’s infrastructure in accordance with the 25 Point Plan, we have also made significant contributions to transformational government-wide initiatives. We have played a lead role in facilitating the adoption of cloud computing across the government in support of the Administration’s Cloud First policy. Our Federal Cloud Project Management Office is working on the design and implementation of security controls, processes and procedures for the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP), which will enable cloud services to be authorized once, and then leveraged for use across government. Following the award late last year of the Infrastructure as a Service (Iaas) BPA, GSA released a cloud email RFQ for the entire Federal Government worth $2.5 billion. Agencies throughout government will be able to easily acquire cloud services using these contract vehicles. We serve as the PMO for the Data Center Consolidation Task Force, and recently released an interactive map listing the 139 data center that have already closed or plan to close by the end of the year. GSA also provides staff support to the CIO Council.

GSA is leading the way, both internally, and for government as a whole in executing the IT Reform Plan. Multiple offices across the agency have participated and the result has been extremely beneficial. We are implementing reforms that will positively impact the larger Federal IT community to serve the American people more effectively.

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Have you heard the term ‘3D printing?’ Perhaps you wonder why anyone needs a letter or report for the boss printed in three dimensions.  After all, we only read in two dimensions.

Yet at the same time, most of us have some exposure to computer aided design (CAD), being able to see a design onscreen in three dimensions.  We can see the design on the monitor; we can twist the design and see all sides from every angle.  Our own GSA Public Buildings Service uses CAD all the time.

We take for granted there are many steps needed to move the design from the computer monitor to an actual model or even a finished product.  Designers often produce working drawings and engage tradespersons and modelers.  A great deal of time may be required to go from that computer design to the physical product.

Suppose we put the two concepts, ‘3D printing’ and ‘CAD,’ together.

Well, here is where 3D printers come into play!  3D printers do not just print with ink, but with plastic resins or other materials.  Just as an ink jet printer can put numerous layers of ink on paper, the 3D printer can follow CAD design specifications and put down numerous layers of material.  Architects, engineers, and designers in the automotive, electronics, aerospace, defense, as well as healthcare fields benefit from the quick and accurate physical products 3D printers produce.

3D printers have actually been around for many years, but their high cost limited their use to special situations, mostly for crafting quick prototypes before committing to an expensive manufacturing run. Indeed, some 3D printers can be quite sophisticated, but now the choices include simpler 3D printers costing $5,000 or less, well within the means of smaller designers and manufacturers.  Efforts are underway to reduce the costs of materials so students can experiment more in the lab, and the range of print materials has broadened. More and more, 3D printers are being used to produce final products, not just prototypes.

Last week’s Economist had a fabulous article about 3D printing and its impact. People are now using this technology to make sophisticated industrial products, including “medical implants, jewellery, football boots designed for individual feet, lampshades, racing-car parts, solid-state batteries and customised mobile phones.” Three dimensional printing is known as “additive” manufacturing, because the object is built up layer upon layer, rather than the traditional “subtractive” processes of cutting, drilling, milling and machining. Consequently, 3D printing requires a great deal less raw materials and can produce lighter end products. Aircraft manufacturer EADS is experimenting with 3D printing to manufacture titanium parts, using only 10% of the titanium required for a subtractive process. That makes this a green technology—less waste, less energy consumed, and lower lifecycle costs.

Three dimensional printing has the potential to be economically disruptive. It lowers the costs and risks of manufacturing, making economies of scale much less relevant and speeding time to market. In an era of mass customization, 3D printing allows for rapid design changes and endless variations on a standard design.

Someday this may impact us personally. For instance, suppose I lose the lens cap for my new digital camera.  I can order one the traditional way from a retailer or manufacturer. This involves the time and expense of manufacturing, storing and shipping. Or perhaps my local 3D print shop can ‘print’ one for me tomorrow, using the specs available online.  I might pay the camera manufacturer for the specs and the print shop for its effort, presumably saving time and expense. Eventually, I might ‘print’ my lens cap in my home.

The widespread availability of 3D printing will lead to some very interesting legal challenges and intellectually property concerns with the inevitable lawsuits.  If the current copyright issues regarding music and books are any guide, it will be an interesting and long process.

Let me know where you see 3D printers fitting into your life.

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