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April 15, 2003
GovPro E-Newsletter
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Tuesday, April 15, 2003 Volume 2, Issue 13
Welcome to the GovPro Newsletter brought to you by the Penton Government Media Group. Look forward to news, resources, product and supplier information, and links relating to the government market.
Sponsored by Crown Equipment
CONTENTS
Surfers Gather at Government Sites Automation Assists Alligators Socks Satisfy Soldiers Web Swindles Treble News of the Weird
FEATURES
U.S. GOVERNMENT RANKS AMONG TOP INTERNET COMPANIES Nielsen//NetRatings, the global standard for Internet audience measurement and analysis, reports that more than one-third of all Internet users visited a government site last month. In total, traffic to federal government Web sites jumped 26 percent from December 2002 to February 2003 to nearly 44.9 million surfers. Garnering more than 9 million additional unique visitors from home and work over this three-month period, government organizations are harnessing the power of the Internet to communicate with Americans.
"The U.S. federal government has built a strong presence on the Internet, and in recent months national and world events such as homeland security, Middle East issues, the shuttle tragedy, and tax season have significantly increased the traffic to many of the its departmental Web sites," says Greg Bloom, senior Internet analyst, Nielsen//NetRatings.
According to Nielsen//NetRatings, the U.S. Department of the Treasury experienced 147 percent growth in traffic from December 2002 to February 2003, claiming the fastest growing U.S. government brand during this period and drawing nearly 11.8 million unique visitors. NASA garnered the second biggest increase in traffic, jumping 124 percent to more than 5.2 million surfers. Traffic to the U.S. Department of Education surged 93 percent, while both the Executive Branch and the Department of State attracted 80 percent more individuals from December to February.
"Government sites are an excellent source for information, and in most cases the resources these sites provide come free of charge," adds Bloom. "With no cost barriers, government sites provide an easy incentive for all Web users to utilize their online services and is a competitive advantage over paid or subscription-based Internet resources."
The top 10 U.S. government sites include Dept. of the Treasury, National Aeronautics & Space Administration, Dept. of Education, Executive Branch, Dept. of State, FirstGov, Dept. of Labor, CIA, Dept. of Energy, National Archives & Records Administration.
Beyond the top ten fastest growing sites, several departmental brands experienced significant levels of traffic last month. In particular, the U.S. Department of Defense attracted 50 percent more visitors in February and was the second most visited government site after the Treasury Department, with nearly 8.3 million surfers. The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, which oversees the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), was the third most visited brand last month with nearly 7.3 million visitors. Other notables include the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency and U.S. Department of Homeland Security, garnering 984,000 and 837,000 unique visitors, respectively.
EVERGLADES RESTORATION PLAN AUTOMATES TRACKING Tracking automation will directly aid South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) in meeting the land acquisition requirements set forth in the 30-year, $7.8 billion Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP). and allow the District to effectively provide the land required to protect and preserve the areas water supply and corresponding ecosystem in a timely manner.
The SFWMD, in partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, plans to automate and track the land acquisition activities involved with managing and maintaining the water supply for 16 central and southern Florida counties.
"The protection of water is vital to the future livelihood of the State of Florida," says Dolores Cwalino, Technology Business Analyst for the SFWMD. "Automationhelps the District to better protect and conserve the water supply in the Everglades by providing a method to track land information that affects the quantity, quality, timing, and distribution of the water supply."
Automation, the Web browser-based solution by Accela, will play a role in allowing the SFWMD to accomplish the tasks outlined in the CERP in a timely manner. The cornerstone of the restoration and preservation project is land acquisition, with a specific focus on managing the seven bodies of water contained within an 18,000-square mile radius.
The system will provide an effective and efficient way to manage the required land acquisition, as well as track the status and restoration progress of each landmass. Additionally, it will also integrate with geographic data and allow those outside the District (e.g. title examiners, real estate appraisers, and environmental assessment agencies) to utilize the system for managing and updating the progress of land acquisition tasks. The system will also provide public access to view the land acquisition data.
An offsite redundancy and emergency backup system will allow the SFWMD to mirror their solution in multiple locations and protect their system and data from any potential downtime. "System availability is critical to our implementation," explains Cwalino. "The [back up system] provides the SFWMD with not only off-site redundancy for our systems and services, but also the domain expertise to restore systems in the most efficient manner possible."
More information about the SFWMD or the CERP visit: http://www.sfwmd.gov.
CROWN EQUIPMENT Crown Equipment designs, manufactures, distributes, services, and supports material handling products that provide customers with superior value. Electric lift trucks range from hand pallet trucks to very narrow-aisle (VNA) turret trucks. http://www.crown.com/gsa1
NEWS
HIGH TECH SOCK HELP SOLDIERS IN IRAQ With only limited access to showers and clean clothes, life on the road in Baghdad can be tough on the troops, but marching with little access to laundry facilities will soon get easier for over US troops in Iraq.
Over 100 dozen pairs of high tech socks are being donated to US troops in Iraq thanks to Torrance, CA-based Pi Ray America. The socks are made of a patented fiber that is odor resistant and fights common foot problems such as Athlete's Foot and bacterial infections. The socks will be sent to Marines currently on duty in Iraq.
"Our socks are uniquely formulated to withstand extended periods of use without the level of odor typical of your average socks," says Loren Chang, president of Pi Ray America. "This way, even without laundry facilities, the soldiers will be more comfortable and will hopefully have healthier feet."
Lab tests done at the University of Southern California and other labs have shown that the socks are resistant to a variety of bacterial and fungal infections, and help prevent excessive odor all while maintaining a the comfort of a cotton/poly blend. Their secret is a revolutionary fiber that features mineral content directly impregnated into the polyester fiber.
"With reports of soldiers going for as long as two weeks between washing their socks, even while they were still in Kuwait, we were in a unique position to help them," Chang says.
INTERNET FRAUD COMPLAINTS TRIPLE The Internet Fraud Complaint Center (IFCC) released its annual Internet Fraud Report today showing that, on behalf of victims, the IFCC referred 48,252 fraud complaints to federal, state and/or local law enforcement authorities last year. This referral rate is triple the number of referrals (16,775) in 2001. The report also states that the total dollar loss from all referred fraud cases was $54 million, up from $17 million in 2001.
The 2002 annual report offers a recap of Internet crime hot spots by state, statistical information, and victim demographic data gleaned through complaints IFCC has received and referred through its online Web portal located at www.ifccfbi.gov from January 1, 2002 through December 31, 2002. In 2002, complaints filed with IFCC totaled 75,063.
"The IFCC helps victims by putting fraud information into the hands of law enforcement and then fosters inter-agency cooperation so these complaints are responded to quickly," said Assistant Director Jana Monroe of the FBI's Cyber Division.
For the third straight year, Internet auction fraud was the most reported offense, comprising 46 percent of referred complaints. Non-delivery of merchandise and non-payment accounted for 31 percent of complaints, and credit/debit card fraud made up nearly 12 percent of complaints. Among victims who reported a dollar loss, the highest median dollar losses were found among Nigerian letter fraud ($3,864), identity theft ($2,000), and check fraud ($1,100) complainants.
NEWS OF THE WEIRD: Bizarre but true stories about real people. http://www.govpro.com/GPRONewsletter/Article/29174/
COVER-ALL Cover-All buildings provide unparalleled ambiance, and exceptional sound dampening properties. The vast amount of natural lighting illuminates every corner of the building making for a sunny day feeling inside, reducing or eliminating dependence on an electrical utility grid creating a more comfortable environment for animals and a safer environment for those working around equipment. http://www.cover-all.net
LINKS
C & H Distributors provide a fast, efficient way to purchase shelving, cabinets, packaging and shipping products, or office furniture. Visit: http://www.chdist.com/govt
Custom-designed Meyer snow plows fit exact vehicle frame and weight specifications for exceptional performance in all applications. Visit: http://www.meyerproducts.com
Safety Storage, the first choice for custom and pre-fabricated hazardous storage buildings. http://www.safetystorage.com
PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT
Fixtures Furniture: Commercial-grade chairs and tables. http://www.fixturesfurniture.com
National Partitions: Modular offices, enclosures, partitions. http://www.nationalpartitions.com
SMART Technologies: Interactive whiteboards, whiteboard capture systems. http://www.smarttech.com
Williams Scotsman: Mobile offices, storage products. http://www.williamsscotsman.com
You have received this e-newsletter because you are a subscriber to Government Product News or Government PROcurement Journal. If this message was sent in error or you wish to unsubscribe, see the unsubscribe information below.
Find information on advertising in the GovPro Newsletter on http://www.govpro.com or contact rhowlett@penton.com.
You may qualify for a FREE Magazine Subscription Complimentary subscriptions to Government Product News, a product-driven resource, and Government PROcurement, editorial targeting the public sector purchasing professional are available to those who qualify. To subscribe to Government Product News visit: http://www.submag.com/sub/gn To subscribe to Government Procurement visit: http://www.submag.com/sub/gp
Copyright 2003 Penton Media, Inc.
Welcome to the GovPro Newsletter brought to you by the Penton Government Media Group. Look forward to news, resources, product and supplier information, and links relating to the government market.
Sponsored by Crown Equipment
CONTENTS
Surfers Gather at Government Sites Automation Assists Alligators Socks Satisfy Soldiers Web Swindles Treble News of the Weird
FEATURES
U.S. GOVERNMENT RANKS AMONG TOP INTERNET COMPANIES Nielsen//NetRatings, the global standard for Internet audience measurement and analysis, reports that more than one-third of all Internet users visited a government site last month. In total, traffic to federal government Web sites jumped 26 percent from December 2002 to February 2003 to nearly 44.9 million surfers. Garnering more than 9 million additional unique visitors from home and work over this three-month period, government organizations are harnessing the power of the Internet to communicate with Americans.
"The U.S. federal government has built a strong presence on the Internet, and in recent months national and world events such as homeland security, Middle East issues, the shuttle tragedy, and tax season have significantly increased the traffic to many of the its departmental Web sites," says Greg Bloom, senior Internet analyst, Nielsen//NetRatings.
According to Nielsen//NetRatings, the U.S. Department of the Treasury experienced 147 percent growth in traffic from December 2002 to February 2003, claiming the fastest growing U.S. government brand during this period and drawing nearly 11.8 million unique visitors. NASA garnered the second biggest increase in traffic, jumping 124 percent to more than 5.2 million surfers. Traffic to the U.S. Department of Education surged 93 percent, while both the Executive Branch and the Department of State attracted 80 percent more individuals from December to February.
"Government sites are an excellent source for information, and in most cases the resources these sites provide come free of charge," adds Bloom. "With no cost barriers, government sites provide an easy incentive for all Web users to utilize their online services and is a competitive advantage over paid or subscription-based Internet resources."
The top 10 U.S. government sites include Dept. of the Treasury, National Aeronautics & Space Administration, Dept. of Education, Executive Branch, Dept. of State, FirstGov, Dept. of Labor, CIA, Dept. of Energy, National Archives & Records Administration.
Beyond the top ten fastest growing sites, several departmental brands experienced significant levels of traffic last month. In particular, the U.S. Department of Defense attracted 50 percent more visitors in February and was the second most visited government site after the Treasury Department, with nearly 8.3 million surfers. The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, which oversees the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), was the third most visited brand last month with nearly 7.3 million visitors. Other notables include the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency and U.S. Department of Homeland Security, garnering 984,000 and 837,000 unique visitors, respectively.
EVERGLADES RESTORATION PLAN AUTOMATES TRACKING Tracking automation will directly aid South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) in meeting the land acquisition requirements set forth in the 30-year, $7.8 billion Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP). and allow the District to effectively provide the land required to protect and preserve the areas water supply and corresponding ecosystem in a timely manner.
The SFWMD, in partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, plans to automate and track the land acquisition activities involved with managing and maintaining the water supply for 16 central and southern Florida counties.
"The protection of water is vital to the future livelihood of the State of Florida," says Dolores Cwalino, Technology Business Analyst for the SFWMD. "Automationhelps the District to better protect and conserve the water supply in the Everglades by providing a method to track land information that affects the quantity, quality, timing, and distribution of the water supply."
Automation, the Web browser-based solution by Accela, will play a role in allowing the SFWMD to accomplish the tasks outlined in the CERP in a timely manner. The cornerstone of the restoration and preservation project is land acquisition, with a specific focus on managing the seven bodies of water contained within an 18,000-square mile radius.
The system will provide an effective and efficient way to manage the required land acquisition, as well as track the status and restoration progress of each landmass. Additionally, it will also integrate with geographic data and allow those outside the District (e.g. title examiners, real estate appraisers, and environmental assessment agencies) to utilize the system for managing and updating the progress of land acquisition tasks. The system will also provide public access to view the land acquisition data.
An offsite redundancy and emergency backup system will allow the SFWMD to mirror their solution in multiple locations and protect their system and data from any potential downtime. "System availability is critical to our implementation," explains Cwalino. "The [back up system] provides the SFWMD with not only off-site redundancy for our systems and services, but also the domain expertise to restore systems in the most efficient manner possible."
More information about the SFWMD or the CERP visit: http://www.sfwmd.gov.
CROWN EQUIPMENT Crown Equipment designs, manufactures, distributes, services, and supports material handling products that provide customers with superior value. Electric lift trucks range from hand pallet trucks to very narrow-aisle (VNA) turret trucks. http://www.crown.com/gsa1
NEWS
HIGH TECH SOCK HELP SOLDIERS IN IRAQ With only limited access to showers and clean clothes, life on the road in Baghdad can be tough on the troops, but marching with little access to laundry facilities will soon get easier for over US troops in Iraq.
Over 100 dozen pairs of high tech socks are being donated to US troops in Iraq thanks to Torrance, CA-based Pi Ray America. The socks are made of a patented fiber that is odor resistant and fights common foot problems such as Athlete's Foot and bacterial infections. The socks will be sent to Marines currently on duty in Iraq.
"Our socks are uniquely formulated to withstand extended periods of use without the level of odor typical of your average socks," says Loren Chang, president of Pi Ray America. "This way, even without laundry facilities, the soldiers will be more comfortable and will hopefully have healthier feet."
Lab tests done at the University of Southern California and other labs have shown that the socks are resistant to a variety of bacterial and fungal infections, and help prevent excessive odor all while maintaining a the comfort of a cotton/poly blend. Their secret is a revolutionary fiber that features mineral content directly impregnated into the polyester fiber.
"With reports of soldiers going for as long as two weeks between washing their socks, even while they were still in Kuwait, we were in a unique position to help them," Chang says.
INTERNET FRAUD COMPLAINTS TRIPLE The Internet Fraud Complaint Center (IFCC) released its annual Internet Fraud Report today showing that, on behalf of victims, the IFCC referred 48,252 fraud complaints to federal, state and/or local law enforcement authorities last year. This referral rate is triple the number of referrals (16,775) in 2001. The report also states that the total dollar loss from all referred fraud cases was $54 million, up from $17 million in 2001.
The 2002 annual report offers a recap of Internet crime hot spots by state, statistical information, and victim demographic data gleaned through complaints IFCC has received and referred through its online Web portal located at www.ifccfbi.gov from January 1, 2002 through December 31, 2002. In 2002, complaints filed with IFCC totaled 75,063.
"The IFCC helps victims by putting fraud information into the hands of law enforcement and then fosters inter-agency cooperation so these complaints are responded to quickly," said Assistant Director Jana Monroe of the FBI's Cyber Division.
For the third straight year, Internet auction fraud was the most reported offense, comprising 46 percent of referred complaints. Non-delivery of merchandise and non-payment accounted for 31 percent of complaints, and credit/debit card fraud made up nearly 12 percent of complaints. Among victims who reported a dollar loss, the highest median dollar losses were found among Nigerian letter fraud ($3,864), identity theft ($2,000), and check fraud ($1,100) complainants.
NEWS OF THE WEIRD: Bizarre but true stories about real people. http://www.govpro.com/GPRONewsletter/Article/29174/
COVER-ALL Cover-All buildings provide unparalleled ambiance, and exceptional sound dampening properties. The vast amount of natural lighting illuminates every corner of the building making for a sunny day feeling inside, reducing or eliminating dependence on an electrical utility grid creating a more comfortable environment for animals and a safer environment for those working around equipment. http://www.cover-all.net
LINKS
C & H Distributors provide a fast, efficient way to purchase shelving, cabinets, packaging and shipping products, or office furniture. Visit: http://www.chdist.com/govt
Custom-designed Meyer snow plows fit exact vehicle frame and weight specifications for exceptional performance in all applications. Visit: http://www.meyerproducts.com
Safety Storage, the first choice for custom and pre-fabricated hazardous storage buildings. http://www.safetystorage.com
PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT
Fixtures Furniture: Commercial-grade chairs and tables. http://www.fixturesfurniture.com
National Partitions: Modular offices, enclosures, partitions. http://www.nationalpartitions.com
SMART Technologies: Interactive whiteboards, whiteboard capture systems. http://www.smarttech.com
Williams Scotsman: Mobile offices, storage products. http://www.williamsscotsman.com
You have received this e-newsletter because you are a subscriber to Government Product News or Government PROcurement Journal. If this message was sent in error or you wish to unsubscribe, see the unsubscribe information below.
Find information on advertising in the GovPro Newsletter on http://www.govpro.com or contact rhowlett@penton.com.
You may qualify for a FREE Magazine Subscription Complimentary subscriptions to Government Product News, a product-driven resource, and Government PROcurement, editorial targeting the public sector purchasing professional are available to those who qualify. To subscribe to Government Product News visit: http://www.submag.com/sub/gn To subscribe to Government Procurement visit: http://www.submag.com/sub/gp
Copyright 2003 Penton Media, Inc.
