As the Federal Government has moved to embrace the wider use of mobile devices, agencies have begun to develop structures and procedures that allow for the secure adoption of commercially created mobile applications (apps). In conjunction with the Digital Government Strategy’s one year anniversary, the CIO Council has completed a review of some of those structures and procedures, and developed recommendations for ways the government can coordinate across agencies to develop tools, services, and information that help overcome some of the common challenges agencies face in adopting commercial mobile apps.
Based on the challenges identified in agency discussions, several recommendations were developed to help rapidly and securely deliver commercial mobile applications into the Federal environment. They include:
- Establishing a government-wide catalog for commercial mobile applications that highlights key functionality and characteristics relevant for government use;
- Documenting best practices regarding commercial mobile application review processes;
- Developing standard government-wide terms of service for commercial mobile applications; and
- Initiating a government-wide cloud storage service.
These recommendations have the potential to accelerate mobile app adoption and help standardize the process across all federal agencies as the use of mobile apps become more prevalent. Continuing to take advantage of the potential of mobile apps will enable agencies to provide their employees with a new means to be more efficient and productive in carrying forward the important missions of Federal Agencies.
Read the report:
Adoption of Commercial Mobile Applications within the Federal Government
