Rock Creek Roundup (August 20 Edition)

Posted by: Meagen Ryan, Director of Strategy Aug 20, 2010 0 Comments

NASA employees get the green light in iPhones, the Department of the Treasury launches a new kid-friendly website, one NY city government finds an innovative (and, to some, privacy-invading) use for Google Earth, and federal employees embrace geo-social service Foursquare, all in this week’s version of the Rock Creek Roundup.

—NASA is leading the charge among federal agencies in the adoption of smartphones for its employees, recently participating in Apple’s pilot program for the 3G version of its iPhone before adding the phone to the list of approved devises on the agency’s ODIN schedule. NASA’s Emerging Technology and Desktop Standards division is also currently evaluating the 4G iPhone, the Google Android, the iPad, and a Microsoft Windows-based touch screen tablet to determine their suitability for NASA’s enterprise environment. Feedback to the move has been positive, with a “non-scientific” poll showing that 100% of respondents assert that the iPhone has increased their productivity. “In my 25 years of doing IT, I never had everyone agree that the new technology increased productivity,” said the division’s IT project manager, Tony Facca.

—The Department of the Treasury’s Bureau of Public Debt is betting on the ability of a cartoon pig to help teach children about fiscal responsibility. Earlier this week, Perry the Pig made his debut in “Save Perry’s Pennies,” an interactive game hosted on the newly launched Treasury Department site TreasuryDirectKIDS. The new site provides games, quizzes, and age-appropriate information aimed at helping youngsters learn more about debt, saving, spending, and treasury bonds. I can see this site serving as a resource for parents wanting to help explain somewhat abstract financial ideas to their children, as well as to teachers who want to add information and interactive elements on financial responsibility to their lesson plans. Nice work!

—City government officials in Riverhead, NY, recently collected about $75,000 in fees from citizens who had installed swimming pools on their property without a permit—and they never had to leave their city offices to locate the offenders. Using Google Earth, the Google service that provides detailed satellite images of many cities, neighborhoods, and streets throughout the United States, Riverhead officials were able to identify about 250 swimming pools that did not have the proper paperwork filed with the city. Privacy advocates complained to the city, and officials have since decided to stop using the Google Earth service, now relying on its admittedly “more clumsy” GIS tool to identify non-permitted pools. Government officials don’t understand the backlash. “Anybody can access Google Earth. It’s free. It’s not like we’re spying; we’re just verifying,” said Riverhead’s Chief Building Inspector Leroy Barnes, Jr.

—Geographic social media site Foursquare has been gaining in popularity as people use the service to check into specific locations and businesses, and federal employees are joining in the fun. At least 17 federal departments and agencies have been designated at Foursquare “venues” where Foursquare users can check in and report on their whereabouts, as well as share tips (like the fact that the USDA has some very tasty kettle corn in the cafeteria on Wednesdays!) and information about the venue with other Foursquare users. According to an article in Government Computer News, the Transportation Department has the highest number of Foursquare check-ins, with the State and Energy Departments following close behind.

—And finally, a little Rock Creek Strategic Marketing trivia. Here’s a great article on the history of the Dumbarton Bridge that joins Georgetown to the city of Washington. More than 20 years ago, one of the bridge’s beautiful architectural details—a stone bust of Sioux Chief Kicking Bear—was chosen as our company’s logo. Here’s hoping we look as good as the bridge does when we get close to our 100th birthday!

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Meagen Ryan

Director of Strategy

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