David Egts

With digital experiences at our fingertips, customers expect personalized, efficient interactions across multiple channels and organizations that fail to deliver risk losing them. This is where the combined power of Salesforce Service Cloud, Einstein, Data Cloud, and MuleSoft come into play, creating a customer service ecosystem that’s truly greater than the sum of its parts.

Customer service stands at a crossroads. The traditional model of overwhelmed agents struggling to meet customer demands is no longer sustainable. That’s where AI-powered centaur teams come into play.

While the 2024 MuleSoft Connectivity Benchmark Report paints a global picture of the integration and API adoption across industries, a closer look at the public sector reveals its own story – one filled with both obstacles and potential.

Artificial intelligence (AI) has been a hot topic of discussion in technical circles for years, but 2023 marks the year where it captured the attention and imagination of the mainstream. ChatGPT and similar technologies made AI accessible to the layperson, resulting in emotional reactions ranging from euphoria to despair and executive orders to ensure AI is safe, secure, and trustworthy.

In August, Gartner placed generative AI at the Peak of Inflated Expectations for Emerging… Show more

Artificial intelligence (AI) has been a hot topic of discussion in technical circles for years, but 2023 marks the year where it captured the attention and imagination of the mainstream. ChatGPT and similar technologies made AI accessible to the layperson, resulting in emotional reactions ranging from euphoria to despair and executive orders to ensure AI is safe, secure, and trustworthy.

In August, Gartner placed generative AI at the Peak of Inflated Expectations for Emerging Technologies, which begs the question, where will AI be in 2024? Show less

In this new motion of navigating increased budget constraints and reduced resources, digital transformation initiatives that improve the customer experience are emerging from a nice-to-have to a must-do in today’s landscape. Now more than ever, the public sector is in need of more efficient solutions that ultimately help them do more with less and drive success now.

As generative AI increasingly finds its way into enterprise use, IT leaders must provide guidance. Here are some key factors—and recommendations—to consider.

Students expect their higher education institutions to have a 360-degree view of them when they register for classes, buy basketball game tickets, subscribe to a meal plan, and so much more. Unfortunately, this often isn’t the case. To access critical information, students need to engage with multiple systems and with possibly numerous logins.

A 360-degree view creates a personalized, lifetime student journey – from admissions to alumni – through integration of disparate systems. The… Show more

Students expect their higher education institutions to have a 360-degree view of them when they register for classes, buy basketball game tickets, subscribe to a meal plan, and so much more. Unfortunately, this often isn’t the case. To access critical information, students need to engage with multiple systems and with possibly numerous logins.

A 360-degree view creates a personalized, lifetime student journey – from admissions to alumni – through integration of disparate systems. The best way for higher education institutions to adopt a “Student 360” mindset is through integrating these systems and automating tedious processes. Show less

Remote and hybrid work can make it harder to express gratitude and recognize individual achievements. Consider this example of how Red Hat is using automation to do just that.

In his latest GovCon Expert feature, Egts provides an overview of how government agencies are pushing to overcome the barriers surrounding the digitization of citizen services. In addition, Egts also discusses the impact that a "sludge audit" could have to improve and digitize citizen experiences.

Open-source technologies can make it easier and more enjoyable to learn and teach computer science in higher education.

David Egts discusses the three core elements to keep at the forefront of defense customers as they work to implement open source software and address the technological challenges involved with digital transformation.

Poised as the next hot technology in 2022, the metaverse is finding its way into the workplace with some surprising benefits. Consider these tools, which take virtual collaboration to the next level.

David Egts provids a breakdown looking into the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has made on the digitization of federal agencies as well as the crucial lessons that government contractors should take away from these initiatives to be successful in the future.

Automation strategy matters greatly right now because it helps IT leaders improve not only resiliency but also talent retention. Here's how - and how to get started.

I used to think of delegation as a selfish, one-way act to take work off my plate and put it on others' plates. Then I learned delegation opens the door for people on my team to shine and advance.

Time spent on computer science could be better spent on scientific research. This is where Linux containers come in. Containers give agencies the ability to maximize their HPC workloads while making the process more efficient, repeatable and secure.

Let’s take a look at why agencies should leverage containers today to further accelerate their HPC workloads.

As Berra would say, "The future ain't what it used to be." 2020 certainly taught us to be nimble in the face of unpredictable events. Here’s how a hybrid cloud strategy built on an open source foundation can help.

The New Year brings a new opportunity to energize your team members. Consider these creative tactics to boost creativity, collaboration, and engagement in the virtual workplace.

COVID-19 systemic stresses have made state and local organizations an easy target for industrious hackers. Earlier this year, city governments urged Congress to provide additional cybersecurity funds in the wake of rising threats. More recently, the Treasury Department issued a warning for businesses and schools to be wary of potential ransomware attacks as risks continued to rise.

These attacks raise a serious question: How can agencies uphold an effective and proactive security posture… Show more

COVID-19 systemic stresses have made state and local organizations an easy target for industrious hackers. Earlier this year, city governments urged Congress to provide additional cybersecurity funds in the wake of rising threats. More recently, the Treasury Department issued a warning for businesses and schools to be wary of potential ransomware attacks as risks continued to rise.

These attacks raise a serious question: How can agencies uphold an effective and proactive security posture while balancing all of the other priorities and challenges they’re facing? From remote working to staff shortages, agencies must stay on top of escalating threat levels while making do with less.

Here are three key strategies agencies can employ to navigate through these security challenges and protect the organization. Show less

A "cameras by default" meeting policy could be burning out your team. Consider easing up on this rule to help manage stress and fight Zoom fatigue.

As agencies become increasingly dependent on multi- and hybrid cloud environments, they need a safety plan for their cloud strategies -- something to protect them from the potentially high egress costs involved in moving applications and data from one cloud to another.

As remote working becomes more prevalent, especially due to COVID-19, email becomes one of the most critical collaboration tools to coordinate work efforts of disparate teams. The downside of this critical tool is that everyone receives more and more email, so having yours stand out above the rest becomes more and more challenging – and ever more important.

Building on my recent article on how to run more efficient meetings, I wanted to share my favorite tips to get more done via email.

With the next FITARA scorecards set to be released in June, agencies should look at this as a time to continue to build on the momentum they showed last year.

Adopting some of the principles that have become the hallmark of agile software development is a good start. Let’s take a closer look at how agencies can develop core agile principles to make their modernization efforts worthy of an "A" grade.

The key to leading a productive meeting rather than a time-waster? Organization. Consider these tips before you schedule your next meeting.

Automation doesn't need to be anxiety-inducing for federal IT workers. Instead, it can bring order out of chaos and help people achieve a more meaningful work-life balance.

Here are four best practices that federal IT administrators can adopt to keep their eyes on the future and effectively support their agencies' long-term modernization initiatives.

Department of Energy Secretary Rick Perry wrote last May that “the future is in supercomputers,” but until recently, only a handful of agencies have been able to tap into that kind of power.

Let’s take a look at how you can optimize your stack to make the most out of the technology you already have and strengthen your security posture.

How the public sector could get a leg up on competing for cybersecurity talent.

Despite its large following, open source software suffers from persistent misconceptions about cost, security and general acceptance.

The federal IT procurement safety net may be developing some holes. Many federal developers are forgoing traditional software purchasing in favor of going directly to the source and downloading code from tens of millions of open source repositories and libraries. While this can certainly expedite innovation, it also has the potential to expose agencies to security risks if they’re not careful.

This backdoor approach to code procurement can let in some unwanted visitors through that door:… Show more

The federal IT procurement safety net may be developing some holes. Many federal developers are forgoing traditional software purchasing in favor of going directly to the source and downloading code from tens of millions of open source repositories and libraries. While this can certainly expedite innovation, it also has the potential to expose agencies to security risks if they’re not careful.

This backdoor approach to code procurement can let in some unwanted visitors through that door: unknown and dangerous vulnerabilities that may have gone undetected in the code. Without the checks and balances of procurement, how can they be sure that the code they are downloading does not contain some form of malware or another bad actor? How can they stay agile while keeping their applications and networks safe? Show less

The Golden Gate Bridge is one of our nation’s most famous landmarks, but it’s also a work in progress. First begun in 1933, the structural and aesthetic wonder is continuously being worked on to ensure its coat of “international orange” paint keeps its iconic sheen and protects the underlying steel infrastructure from erosion. It’s a monumental achievement that will never truly be finished.

Digital transformation is federal IT’s equivalent of the Golden Gate Bridge. It’s not something… Show more

The Golden Gate Bridge is one of our nation’s most famous landmarks, but it’s also a work in progress. First begun in 1933, the structural and aesthetic wonder is continuously being worked on to ensure its coat of “international orange” paint keeps its iconic sheen and protects the underlying steel infrastructure from erosion. It’s a monumental achievement that will never truly be finished.

Digital transformation is federal IT’s equivalent of the Golden Gate Bridge. It’s not something that can be defined by a singular goal, built and then left alone. Digital transformation is a journey of continuous innovation and improvement that extends beyond technology into the people and processes that drive agencies forward.

Here are three important considerations as agencies begin their journey of transformation... Show less

Science fiction writer William Gibson once said, “The future is already here -- it’s just not evenly distributed.” He was explaining that things we once thought of as futuristic already were a reality for some people, but not everyone.

He may as well have been talking about adoption of Linux containers within the federal government.

While evidence suggests that the public sector’s interest in Linux containers continues to grow, many agencies remain on the fence. Whether due to… Show more

Science fiction writer William Gibson once said, “The future is already here -- it’s just not evenly distributed.” He was explaining that things we once thought of as futuristic already were a reality for some people, but not everyone.

He may as well have been talking about adoption of Linux containers within the federal government.

While evidence suggests that the public sector’s interest in Linux containers continues to grow, many agencies remain on the fence. Whether due to budget, lack of information or other constraints, government adoption of Linux containers has been slower than it has been in the commercial space. Many agencies continue to view containers as exclusively for the cool kids in Silicon Valley.

So what’s the hold up when it comes to containers? Let us address some common concerns to help unsure CIOs better understand why and how they can make containers a part of their IT operations. Show less

More than a few folks raised their eyebrows when the Department of Defense announced it would make a single award for its Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure project. On the surface, the DOD’s decision seems to fly in the face of conventional wisdom that maintains that reliance on one cloud provider can lead to a number of technical and economic challenges.

While there are merits to the single-provider approach, it is not a strategy that will work for everyone. Indeed, most agencies… Show more

More than a few folks raised their eyebrows when the Department of Defense announced it would make a single award for its Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure project. On the surface, the DOD’s decision seems to fly in the face of conventional wisdom that maintains that reliance on one cloud provider can lead to a number of technical and economic challenges.

While there are merits to the single-provider approach, it is not a strategy that will work for everyone. Indeed, most agencies may experience greater benefits from working with multiple cloud providers. Show less

Over the past couple of years, initiatives like Cloud First and the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program prompted government IT leaders to give public cloud platforms a second look. Public cloud providers have invested resources to ensure that their offerings are measurably more secure than they used to be. Even so, public clouds still pose a risk for agencies operating under strict privacy, security and compliance regulations.

Despite the fact that many public cloud… Show more

Over the past couple of years, initiatives like Cloud First and the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program prompted government IT leaders to give public cloud platforms a second look. Public cloud providers have invested resources to ensure that their offerings are measurably more secure than they used to be. Even so, public clouds still pose a risk for agencies operating under strict privacy, security and compliance regulations.

Despite the fact that many public cloud providers have teams dedicated to providing security at the software-as-a-service, platform-as-a-service or infrastructure-as-a-service layers, agency IT professionals must play their part too. Their own teams must take responsibility for securing the last mile -- the stretch between where the cloud provider’s responsibility ends and the agency's responsibility begins. Show less

Storj uses a proof-of-retrievability system allowing users "rent out" spare disk space and get paid monthly in Storj coin.

As older federal IT workers retire, agencies can turn to open source technologies to help them preserve knowledge automation systems, gain flexibility and create a new agency culture.

Unlike the other Raspberry Pi books, Raspberry Pi for Secret Agents explores the features of the Raspberry Pi with a common theme that could be summarized by the title of Chapter 1: Getting up to No Good.

To get started with IoT (the Internet of Things), your device needs, well, an Internet connection. Base Arduino microcontrollers don't have Internet connectivity by default, so you either need to add Ethernet, Wi-Fi shields, or adapters to them, or buy an Arduino that has built-in Internet connectivity. In addition to complexity, both approaches add cost and consume the already-precious Arduino flash RAM for program space, which limits what you can do. The ESP8266 on the other hand can not only… Show more

To get started with IoT (the Internet of Things), your device needs, well, an Internet connection. Base Arduino microcontrollers don't have Internet connectivity by default, so you either need to add Ethernet, Wi-Fi shields, or adapters to them, or buy an Arduino that has built-in Internet connectivity. In addition to complexity, both approaches add cost and consume the already-precious Arduino flash RAM for program space, which limits what you can do. The ESP8266 on the other hand can not only provide Wi-Fi capabilities to existing Arduino projects, but it can also serve as a standalone microcontroller itself. Show less

While many of the NASCIO Top Ten Priorities have remained somewhat constant through the years, this may be the first time that each one can be addressed through the power of open source.

As open source-powered hardware like Arduino and Raspberry Pi becomes more and more mainstream, its cost keeps dropping, which opens the door to new and innovative IoT and STEM applications. As someone who's passionate about both, I'm always on the lookout for new innovations that can be applied in industry, the classroom, and my daughter's robotics team. When I heard about the Orange Pi as being a "Raspberry Pi killer," I paused to take notice.

Despite the sour sounding name, the Orange… Show more

As open source-powered hardware like Arduino and Raspberry Pi becomes more and more mainstream, its cost keeps dropping, which opens the door to new and innovative IoT and STEM applications. As someone who's passionate about both, I'm always on the lookout for new innovations that can be applied in industry, the classroom, and my daughter's robotics team. When I heard about the Orange Pi as being a "Raspberry Pi killer," I paused to take notice.

Despite the sour sounding name, the Orange Pi Zero intrigued me. I recently got my hands on one and in this article share my first impressions. Spoiler alert: I was very impressed. Show less

How should the government move faster, partner faster, and collaborate faster? The answer lies not only in the technology that agencies procure, but in the processes and people they use to manage said technology. That includes the establishment of more open cultures and DevOps practices combined with broader use of open source software.

As artificial intelligence moves to SaaS, some government agencies and workloads may miss out on the benefits because of security and privacy requirements, which may put the government at a disadvantage compared to commercial counterparts and consumers. By using open source and being transparent, industry and government can work together to ensure that the government can experience the benefits the private sector and consumers are already enjoying.

It’s been said 80 percent an organization’s budget is spent “keeping the lights on” with ongoing operations and maintenance. That leaves only 20 percent left over for innovation. Based on conversations I’ve had with government agency leaders, this is often a best-case scenario.

Given today’s increased emphasis on cybersecurity, that 80 percent may be even higher with unfunded mandates to enhance security postures and reporting capabilities, leaving less and less room for innovation. And… Show more

It’s been said 80 percent an organization’s budget is spent “keeping the lights on” with ongoing operations and maintenance. That leaves only 20 percent left over for innovation. Based on conversations I’ve had with government agency leaders, this is often a best-case scenario.

Given today’s increased emphasis on cybersecurity, that 80 percent may be even higher with unfunded mandates to enhance security postures and reporting capabilities, leaving less and less room for innovation. And security threats and attackers aren’t going to stop.

Some agencies I’ve met with spend almost all their time on the patching “wash, rinse, repeat” cycle. By the time they’re done patching, they need to do it all over again, leaving no time left for innovation at all. What’s an agency going to do?

Automate. Show less

While cybersecurity has always been a hot-button issue for the government, certain events from last year promise that, in 2016, security concerns have the potential to skyrocket beyond anything we’ve seen before.

The questions, of course, are what is being done – and what else can be done?

Much has been written about the “need for speed” in government IT circles. Today, agencies are under pressure to develop applications faster and with more flexibility than ever before. Both of these attributes are hallmarks of a Linux container.

What’s the best way to increase your agency’s adoption of open source software and keep it secure? Here are six tips to get you there.

How Linux containers and Docker can help address some of the drawbacks of traditional virtualization.

A migration to IAAS can be daunting, and early planning is key to maximizing returns.

9 part video series on how to install, configure, and use Multilevel Security on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 with SELinux.

Up-and-coming Web startups are leapfrogging each other to market using Internet-hosted Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) technologies. PaaS allows these startups to innovate rapidly by focusing more time on their mission and less time managing hardware and software. Can the warfighter benefit from PaaS too? Yes, if the warfighter controls the PaaS stack - and open source delivers that control.

Distance learning is more popular than ever, and the reasons are many: Students can work full time while taking classes that fit their schedules; educators are no longer constrained by the economics of the physical classroom -- one professor can teach thousands of students simultaneously, or alternatively teach exotic, “long tail” subjects that wouldn’t be sustainable at a single university's campus; and holding classes virtually is significantly less expensive.

Though distance learning… Show more

Distance learning is more popular than ever, and the reasons are many: Students can work full time while taking classes that fit their schedules; educators are no longer constrained by the economics of the physical classroom -- one professor can teach thousands of students simultaneously, or alternatively teach exotic, “long tail” subjects that wouldn’t be sustainable at a single university's campus; and holding classes virtually is significantly less expensive.

Though distance learning has made significant strides over the years, there's still room for improvement -- and that's where open source platform-as-a-service (PaaS) can help. Show less

Virtualization has proven its value in the data center, but can it work in tactical environments? Yes, but only if it’s secure.

3 part video series on what sVirt is, how sVirt implements Mandatory Access Control and Multicategory Security isolation with SELinux on Red Hat Enterprise Linux and Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization, and how sVirt foils malicious attacks in a practical, reproducable example.

7 part video series on how to use SELinux Mandatory Access Control to confine users on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.

In Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6, SELinux has been redesigned to make it much easier for system administrators to configure SELinux to confine Linux users. The default Targeted Policy now includes four predefined, role-based security policies for confined users. In addition, SELinux now includes a Policy Generator GUI that allows system administrators to quickly and easily customize existing SELinux policy modules or create new ones to define custom role-based security policies for confined… Show more

In Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6, SELinux has been redesigned to make it much easier for system administrators to configure SELinux to confine Linux users. The default Targeted Policy now includes four predefined, role-based security policies for confined users. In addition, SELinux now includes a Policy Generator GUI that allows system administrators to quickly and easily customize existing SELinux policy modules or create new ones to define custom role-based security policies for confined users.

This paper describes the simplest way to confine users with SELinux in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 – using the predefined, role-based security policies that are included with the default Targeted Policy. Show less

Open source and open standards virtualization of servers and desktops is a powerful tool for the delivery of information assurance.

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Many have enjoyed substantial hardware acquisition cost savings by using PC-based image generators (PC-IGs). However, the PC-IG architecture presents many system administration challenges in environments that require processing data at multiple levels of security. Multiple levels of security normally require at least one system drive per channel (a.k.a. node) in the cluster. The compelling PC-IG cluster initial hardware cost savings can be significantly diminished by the labor and time required… Show more

Many have enjoyed substantial hardware acquisition cost savings by using PC-based image generators (PC-IGs). However, the PC-IG architecture presents many system administration challenges in environments that require processing data at multiple levels of security. Multiple levels of security normally require at least one system drive per channel (a.k.a. node) in the cluster. The compelling PC-IG cluster initial hardware cost savings can be significantly diminished by the labor and time required to change from one classification level to another. Other industries have been successful using off-the-shelf diskless booting and shared file system technologies, and the simulation industry can also embrace these same technologies to help ease the burdens involved in processing at multiple levels of security. This paper examines the management of classified data in visual simulation ranging from industry challenges to current and best practices inside and outside the simulation industry. These technologies with sample implementations are under investigation and the results will be presented. Show less

This article explores and discusses a real-world test conducted at the U.S. Air Force's Distributed Mission Training (DMT) program in Mesa, AZ. Performance of the SGI CXFS shared file system technology i showcased in this multisimulator environment. Research exercises using large-area, geo-specific visual databases, such as for the U.S. Air Force’s DMT program, use databases that represent areas larger than 10 degrees latitude by 10 degrees longitude — about 600 miles square. Databases of… Show more

This article explores and discusses a real-world test conducted at the U.S. Air Force's Distributed Mission Training (DMT) program in Mesa, AZ. Performance of the SGI CXFS shared file system technology i showcased in this multisimulator environment. Research exercises using large-area, geo-specific visual databases, such as for the U.S. Air Force’s DMT program, use databases that represent areas larger than 10 degrees latitude by 10 degrees longitude — about 600 miles square. Databases of this size can easily grow to more than 75 gigabytes of data, and can be several times larger when including per-texel (texture element) correlated sensor simulations. Using the SGI CXFS shared file system technology was overwhelmingly successful. Show less

This White-Paper takes an expanded look at the benefits of using a Storage Area Network (SAN) in a multisimulator visual simulation environment. In addition to discussing lessons learned since the first paper's publication, we also discuss the results of additional in-depth performance test.

Over the past several years, technology has become available that has made it feasible for high-fidelity simulations to use large-area geographically specific (geo-specific) visual databases. The textures used in visual simulation applications have moved from geo-typical to to geo-specific. Geo-specific simply states that the texture being used to represent the real world is an image taken from aerial photography or from a satellite image of the geographical location being represented.… Show more

Over the past several years, technology has become available that has made it feasible for high-fidelity simulations to use large-area geographically specific (geo-specific) visual databases. The textures used in visual simulation applications have moved from geo-typical to to geo-specific. Geo-specific simply states that the texture being used to represent the real world is an image taken from aerial photography or from a satellite image of the geographical location being represented. Large-area geo-specific databases greatly increase the fidelity of the simulation but also greatly increase the hardware requirements and visual database management requirements. This paper takes a detailed look at the benefits of using a storage area network (SAN) in a multisimulator visual system environment. Show less