/preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/topics/emerging-tech/ Recent content in Emerging tech on Digital.gov Hugo en-us /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2024/12/20/fy-24-governmentwide-section-508-assessment/ Fri, 20 Dec 2024 00:00:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2024/12/20/fy-24-governmentwide-section-508-assessment/ The FY 2024 Governmentwide Section 508 Assessment highlights progress and ongoing challenges in federal digital accessibility efforts. This assessment provides key findings on governmentwide accessibility maturity and actionable recommendations. The recommendations include stronger enforcement of 508 standards, increased resourcing, and integrating accessibility into the technology lifecycle to enhance compliance and access for all. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2024/12/10/how-we-measure-the-success-of-coaching-engagements/ Tue, 10 Dec 2024 00:00:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2024/12/10/how-we-measure-the-success-of-coaching-engagements/ 18F measures the success of coaching by tracking the progress of first-time product owners. Through self-assessments and ongoing support, they focused on developing key skills such as product discovery and vendor management. This approach allowed them to visibly track growth and ensure agency partners were empowered to lead their technology modernization projects with confidence. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2024/08/13/10-years-of-the-u-s-digital-service-transforming-government-for-the-digital-age/ Tue, 13 Aug 2024 00:00:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2024/08/13/10-years-of-the-u-s-digital-service-transforming-government-for-the-digital-age/ Over the past decade, the U.S. Digital Service (USDS) has collaborated with more than 30 federal agencies to create user-friendly, reliable, and seamless digital experiences. Their work prioritizing human-centered design and engineering includes improving services for veterans with Veterans Affairs, launching the Internal Revenue Service Direct File Pilot, and supporting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention during the COVID-19 pandemic. Looking ahead, USDS remains committed to building trust, fostering innovation, and scaling digital capacity across the federal government, ensuring better service for all Americans. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/resources/administration-actions-on-ai/ Mon, 24 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/resources/administration-actions-on-ai/ Steps to promote the safe, secure, and trustworthy use of AI. Includes: progress reports, federal agency use cases, and voluntary private sector commitments, as well as the Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights, NIST AI Risk Management Framework, National AI R&D Strategic Plan, and National AI Research Resource (NAIRR) Pilot. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2024/06/18/back-to-basics-in-the-age-of-ai/ Tue, 18 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2024/06/18/back-to-basics-in-the-age-of-ai/ The federal government is actively discussing the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI). It has the potential to transform our digital service delivery, automate tasks, and enhance data analysis. However, AI also presents challenges and risks such as bias and ethical concerns. The team at 18F provides a quick overview of AI, its place in government today, and the techniques and frameworks they are currently using to navigate this complex new landscape. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2024/05/22/why-some-technologists-choose-public-service/ Wed, 22 May 2024 00:00:00 +0000 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2024/05/22/why-some-technologists-choose-public-service/ The General Services Administration (GSA) employs nearly 12,000 people who provide services to federal agencies and the public, and has been recognized as one of the top federal agencies to work for, emphasizing a people-first culture. Through the Tech to Gov initiative, GSA’s Technology Transformation Services (TTS) has successfully recruited top tech talent to enhance digital government services. Get to know some of GSA’s newest technologists. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2024/01/24/in-2023-tts-stepped-up-to-meet-growing-technology-demands-for-government/ Wed, 24 Jan 2024 11:21:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2024/01/24/in-2023-tts-stepped-up-to-meet-growing-technology-demands-for-government/ GSA’s Technology Transformation Services (TTS) celebrated major milestones and met growing demand for its services in 2023. This wrap-up summaries key successes in five areas: improving customer experience, modernizing federal technology, innovating for the future, focus on equity and accessibility, and building the technology workforce of tomorrow. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/resources/executive-order-on-the-safe-secure-and-trustworthy-development-and-use-of-artificial-intelligence/ Mon, 30 Oct 2023 00:00:00 +0000 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/resources/executive-order-on-the-safe-secure-and-trustworthy-development-and-use-of-artificial-intelligence/ Establishes new standards for AI safety and security, protects Americans’ privacy, advances equity and civil rights, stands up for consumers and workers, promotes innovation and competition, advances American leadership around the world, and more. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/resources/blueprint-for-an-ai-bill-of-rights/ Fri, 14 Oct 2022 00:00:00 +0000 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/resources/blueprint-for-an-ai-bill-of-rights/ From the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), the Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights is a set of five principles and associated practices to help guide the design, use, and deployment of automated systems to protect the rights of the American public in the age of artificial intelligence. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2022/07/06/an-accidental-ai-professional/ Wed, 06 Jul 2022 20:06:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2022/07/06/an-accidental-ai-professional/ /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2022/01/26/assessing-the-state-of-federal-robotic-process-automation-rpa/ Wed, 26 Jan 2022 15:55:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2022/01/26/assessing-the-state-of-federal-robotic-process-automation-rpa/ The 2021 State of Federal Robotic Process Automation (RPA) Report describes the growth and maturity of federal RPA programs to convey agency progress in digital transformation and automation. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2021/08/16/5-tips-for-implementing-citizen-development-in-your-rpa-program/ Mon, 16 Aug 2021 13:44:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2021/08/16/5-tips-for-implementing-citizen-development-in-your-rpa-program/ The Robotic Process Automation (RPA) Community of Practice highlights five key points for implementing RPA citizen developers, as shared by federal subject matter experts James Gregory (General Services Administration), Frank Wood (Defense Logistics Agency), and Russ Kuehn (Social Security Administration) during their recent webinars with the Federal RPA Community of Practice. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2021/07/07/gsa-future-focus-web-scraping/ Wed, 07 Jul 2021 17:17:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2021/07/07/gsa-future-focus-web-scraping/ /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2021/06/08/deep-fakes-and-social-media-a-qa-with-alex-cohen/ Tue, 08 Jun 2021 11:21:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2021/06/08/deep-fakes-and-social-media-a-qa-with-alex-cohen/ The questions in this post were curated from attendees of the Deep Fakes and Social Media Webinar, hosted by the SocialGov Community of Practice and Digital.gov on May 18, 2021. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2021/05/24/3-things-you-should-know-about-the-federal-rpa-use-case-inventory/ Mon, 24 May 2021 15:22:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2021/05/24/3-things-you-should-know-about-the-federal-rpa-use-case-inventory/ The Federal Robotic Process Automation (RPA) Community of Practice is updating the RPA Use Case Inventory, which provides detailed information on over 300 RPA Use Cases across the federal government. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2020/11/30/state-of-federal-rpa-report-adoption-and-impact-of-robotic-process-automation-in-the-federal-government/ Mon, 30 Nov 2020 09:48:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2020/11/30/state-of-federal-rpa-report-adoption-and-impact-of-robotic-process-automation-in-the-federal-government/ The report describes the maturity and growth of RPA programs to convey agency progress in digital transformation and automation. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2020/07/10/transform-federal-business-operations-join-rpa/ Fri, 10 Jul 2020 16:00:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2020/07/10/transform-federal-business-operations-join-rpa/ Federal employees interested in robotic process automation should join the RPA Community of Practice as their agencies commence their RPA programs. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/communities/rpa/ Thu, 12 Dec 2019 19:00:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/communities/rpa/ A collaborative body designed to rapidly accelerate the adoption of Robotic Process Automation (RPA) technology across the federal government. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2017/02/03/digitalgov-year-in-review-our-top-blogs-resources-and-writers-for-2016/ Fri, 03 Feb 2017 11:25:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2017/02/03/digitalgov-year-in-review-our-top-blogs-resources-and-writers-for-2016/ DigitalGov had a pretty great year in 2016, and that was largely due to a bevy of talented and dedicated writers from over 50 agencies and departments across all 3 branches of the federal government (Thank you!!!). Below, we’ll review some program highlights from the last year, including our top-viewed articles and resources, and tell you how you, too, can contribute to DigitalGov in 2017. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/event/2022/08/18/uswds-monthly-call-august-2022/ Thu, 18 Aug 2022 14:00:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/event/2022/08/18/uswds-monthly-call-august-2022/ Join us to learn more about design patterns and how they fit into the design system. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/event/2022/04/21/uswds-monthly-call-april-2022/ Thu, 21 Apr 2022 14:00:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/event/2022/04/21/uswds-monthly-call-april-2022/ Our friends at Digital.gov will join us to talk through their experience migrating to USWDS 3.0. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/event/2022/03/31/change-the-way-digital-work-gets-done/ Thu, 31 Mar 2022 14:00:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/event/2022/03/31/change-the-way-digital-work-gets-done/ Learn about what a Digital End-to-End Efficiency (DEEE) Framework is and how you can get started digitizing and automating your digital processes. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/event/2022/03/17/uswds-monthly-call-march-2022/ Thu, 17 Mar 2022 14:00:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/event/2022/03/17/uswds-monthly-call-march-2022/ During this event, the USWDS core team will preview what to expect in the new USWDS 3.0. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/event/2021/03/31/artificial-intelligence-for-homeland-security-the-development-of-the-dhs-ai-strategy/ Wed, 31 Mar 2021 14:00:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/event/2021/03/31/artificial-intelligence-for-homeland-security-the-development-of-the-dhs-ai-strategy/ The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will present the work that led to the creation of the DHS AI Strategy to interagency partners. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/event/2020/11/04/overview-of-nist-initiatives-on-ai-standards-principles-and-critical-ai-issues/ Wed, 04 Nov 2020 12:00:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/event/2020/11/04/overview-of-nist-initiatives-on-ai-standards-principles-and-critical-ai-issues/ In this webinar, experts from the National Institute of Standards and Technology provide an overview of their key artificial intelligence initiatives including responsible, trustworthy, and explainable AI. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/event/2020/04/14/how-utilize-open-source-jupyter-project/ Tue, 14 Apr 2020 14:00:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/event/2020/04/14/how-utilize-open-source-jupyter-project/ We’ll show you how easy it can be to wrangle data and engage in technical discussions surrounding data, artificial intelligence, machine-learning models. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/event/2020/03/06/rpa-community-practice-cop-march-all/ Fri, 06 Mar 2020 10:00:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/event/2020/03/06/rpa-community-practice-cop-march-all/ Join the RPA Community of Practice online to discuss the next steps in accelerating the adoption of robotic process automation in the federal environment. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/event/2019/12/03/devops-holiday-special-event-nicolas-chaillan/ Tue, 03 Dec 2019 14:00:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/event/2019/12/03/devops-holiday-special-event-nicolas-chaillan/ Join the Chief Software Officer of the USAF to learn: How the DoD moved to Kubernetes and Istio. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2019/09/11/technology-transformation-begins-with-people-closing-human-technology-gap/ Wed, 11 Sep 2019 12:00:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2019/09/11/technology-transformation-begins-with-people-closing-human-technology-gap/ GSA's Technology Transformation Services is prototyping a human-centered approach to cultivating an environment of lifelong learning to attract and retain the best talent to serve our citizens. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/event/2019/09/03/federal-robotic-process-automation-industry-day/ Tue, 03 Sep 2019 08:45:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/event/2019/09/03/federal-robotic-process-automation-industry-day/ Designed to build collaborative public-private partnerships and inform federal employees, this day-long event will feature presentations from industry and government leaders, automation platform providers, automation systems integrators and consultancies, emerging technology experts, and more. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2019/08/09/what-pifs-have-been-up-in-2019/ Fri, 09 Aug 2019 10:30:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2019/08/09/what-pifs-have-been-up-in-2019/ Members of the PIF class of 2019 include data strategists, AI specialists, venture capitalists, and neuroscientists. See what they’ve been up to this year. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/event/2019/07/25/machine-learning-how-bureau-labor-statistics-did-it/ Thu, 25 Jul 2019 15:00:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/event/2019/07/25/machine-learning-how-bureau-labor-statistics-did-it/ The Bureau of Labor Statistics has been on a journey to improve their data reporting, using and iterating on machine learning, from algorithms to deep neural networks with lessons for everyone on this path. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2019/05/08/introducing-new-rpa-community-practice/ Wed, 08 May 2019 17:48:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2019/05/08/introducing-new-rpa-community-practice/ The new community will explore opportunities, share ideas, and collaborate on how RPA can be effectively implemented in federal agencies. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2019/02/27/how-a-health-tech-sprint-inspired-an-ai-ecosystem/ Wed, 27 Feb 2019 13:00:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2019/02/27/how-a-health-tech-sprint-inspired-an-ai-ecosystem/ Seven teams created digital tools that help in finding experimental therapies for patients, and for clinical trials to recruit new patients. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/event/2018/12/18/emerging-technology-leadership-series-laura-manley-harvard-technology-public-purpose-project/ Tue, 18 Dec 2018 14:00:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/event/2018/12/18/emerging-technology-leadership-series-laura-manley-harvard-technology-public-purpose-project/ In this next installment of the Emerging Technology Leadership Series we will discuss with Laura Manley, director of Harvard TAPP, what agencies should know about better understanding and managing potential risks from promising emerging technologies. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/event/2018/12/17/emerging-technology-for-government-services-meeting/ Mon, 17 Dec 2018 10:30:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/event/2018/12/17/emerging-technology-for-government-services-meeting/ This is an opportunity to discuss what agencies need to know about current issues in emerging technologies for IT modernization and form consensus on inter-agency collaboration and resource development, and shape initiatives that empower teams across government. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/event/2018/10/12/gsa-future-services-now-emerging-tech-for-government-services/ Fri, 12 Oct 2018 09:00:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/event/2018/10/12/gsa-future-services-now-emerging-tech-for-government-services/ A half-day symposium on emerging technologies with leading agencies, industry, and civic collaborators. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/event/2018/08/06/performance-goals-for-government-services-interagency-emerging-citizen-technology-meeting-aug-2018/ Mon, 06 Aug 2018 11:00:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/event/2018/08/06/performance-goals-for-government-services-interagency-emerging-citizen-technology-meeting-aug-2018/ How agencies can align their emerging technology for government services programs with Cross-Agency Priority Goals (CAP Goals) on Performance.gov and other strategic priorities. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/event/2018/07/30/emerging-technology-leadership-series-mina-hanna-ai-for-government-services/ Mon, 30 Jul 2018 14:00:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/event/2018/07/30/emerging-technology-leadership-series-mina-hanna-ai-for-government-services/ Mina Hanna is the chair of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers’ (IEEE) Artificial Intelligence and Autonomous Systems Policy Committee. He will share what federal managers need to know to understand this increasingly complex and expanding field. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/event/2018/07/16/emerging-technology-leadership-series-brian-behlendorf-blockchain/ Mon, 16 Jul 2018 16:00:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/event/2018/07/16/emerging-technology-leadership-series-brian-behlendorf-blockchain/ The Emerging Technology Leadership Series, hosted by the U.S. General Services Administration Emerging Citizen Technology Office, is a six-part livestream pilot to enhance the modern federal workforce with training, education and awareness of emerging technologies including Artificial Intelligence, Robotic Process Automation, Blockchain, Social Technologies and Virtual/Augmented Reality. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/event/2018/06/08/funding-future-technology-modernization-fund-proposal-workshop/ Fri, 08 Jun 2018 10:00:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/event/2018/06/08/funding-future-technology-modernization-fund-proposal-workshop/ GSA’s Emerging Citizen Technology Office (ECTO) and the Technology Modernization Fund Program Management Office (TMF PMO) are hosting an online workshop at GSA on June 8, 2018 to hands-on assist agencies with developing proposals for TMF that advance emerging technologies and programs that can improve our services and reduce costs for the American people today and in the coming years. Emerging technology solutions employed by agencies across government, combined with the operational rigor and funding of the Technology Modernization Fund (TMF), hold the potential to drive to incredible performance enhancements in public services. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/event/2018/05/22/an-overview-technology-modernization-fund-tmf/ Tue, 22 May 2018 12:00:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/event/2018/05/22/an-overview-technology-modernization-fund-tmf/ The Technology Modernization Fund (TMF) Program Management Office and the GSA Emerging Citizen Technology Office (ECTO) are hosting a conversation to help agencies develop proposals for technology modernization projects. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2018/02/06/trends-on-tuesday-because-seeing-believing-augmented-reality-in-federal-government/ Tue, 06 Feb 2018 12:00:00 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2018/02/06/trends-on-tuesday-because-seeing-believing-augmented-reality-in-federal-government/ See how augmented reality may be used for data management and cybersecurity practices. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/event/2017/12/13/interagency-federal-emerging-citizen-technologies-forum/ Wed, 13 Dec 2017 10:30:00 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/event/2017/12/13/interagency-federal-emerging-citizen-technologies-forum/ First monthly inter-agency form for the Emerging Citizen Technology program. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2017/10/03/machine-learning-paired-with-skilled-data-scientists-future-datadriven-decision-making/ Tue, 03 Oct 2017 12:05:00 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2017/10/03/machine-learning-paired-with-skilled-data-scientists-future-datadriven-decision-making/ ML can provide high-value services for data management and analytics, security threat detection, and process improvement but it doesn’t stop there. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2017/09/27/data-briefing-how-build-a-chatbot-in-a-weekend/ Wed, 27 Sep 2017 15:40:00 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2017/09/27/data-briefing-how-build-a-chatbot-in-a-weekend/ As chatbots have become more popular, some online sites will let you create a chatbot with little or no programming. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2017/09/13/the-data-briefing-how-blockchains-future-growth-will-affect-federal-agencies/ Wed, 13 Sep 2017 09:01:00 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2017/09/13/the-data-briefing-how-blockchains-future-growth-will-affect-federal-agencies/ Blockchains are an innovative technology which promises to radically change how society conducts business. It will take significant changes in organizational processes before agencies can begin to support blockchains. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2017/09/06/how-federal-leaders-can-build-the-will-skill-and-velocity-needed-for-digital-transformation/ Wed, 06 Sep 2017 03:00:31 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2017/09/06/how-federal-leaders-can-build-the-will-skill-and-velocity-needed-for-digital-transformation/ Learning—and practicing—five imperatives of network leadership can help agencies improve their odds for successful digital transformation. Many organizations are undergoing digital transformation because the organizations see that it is necessary for long-term survival. However, digitally reinventing the organization is “one of the hardest journeys to make.” According to industry experts, two-thirds of organizations will fail /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2017/08/29/walter-reeds-3-d-printing-innovations-help-warfighters-get-back-to-life/ Tue, 29 Aug 2017 10:02:21 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2017/08/29/walter-reeds-3-d-printing-innovations-help-warfighters-get-back-to-life/ This is part of an ongoing series highlighting the innovations and research happening at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. Wounded warriors who dream of returning to playing hockey, climbing mountains or simply brushing their teeth with ease can look to 3-D printing innovations at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center to /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2017/08/24/emerging-tech-and-open-data-for-a-more-open-and-accountable-government/ Thu, 24 Aug 2017 08:44:44 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2017/08/24/emerging-tech-and-open-data-for-a-more-open-and-accountable-government/ Open data and emerging technologies—including artificial intelligence and distributed ledgers, such as blockchain—hold vast potential to transform public services held back by bureaucracy and outdated IT systems. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2017/08/22/nist-crafts-next-generation-safeguards-for-information-systems-and-the-internet-of-things/ Tue, 22 Aug 2017 02:00:13 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2017/08/22/nist-crafts-next-generation-safeguards-for-information-systems-and-the-internet-of-things/ Information systems—from communications platforms to internet-connected devices—require both security and privacy safeguards to work successfully and protect users in our increasingly complex and interconnected world. Toward these ends, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has issued a new draft revision of its widely used Special Publication (SP) 800-53, Security and Privacy Controls for Information /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2017/08/09/the-data-briefing-federal-government-pioneers-in-virtual-realityaugmented-reality-training/ Wed, 09 Aug 2017 05:59:54 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2017/08/09/the-data-briefing-federal-government-pioneers-in-virtual-realityaugmented-reality-training/ When I was in the private sector, around the year 2000, I worked for an information technology (IT) consulting company as a project manager and developer. On one project, I provided support for early mobile devices given to medical students. I worked in a small office around the corner from the cardio-respiratory simulator (CRS). The /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2017/08/03/cutting-edge-new-virtual-training-prepares-first-responders-for-active-shooter-incidents/ Thu, 03 Aug 2017 12:14:24 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2017/08/03/cutting-edge-new-virtual-training-prepares-first-responders-for-active-shooter-incidents/ Amidst the chaos of an active shooter event, preparedness is key to a seamless, swift and effective response—and a new video game funded by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate and the U.S. Army Research Laboratory just might do the trick. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2017/07/26/the-data-briefing-ten-years-of-digital-transformation-lessons-learned/ Wed, 26 Jul 2017 12:00:00 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2017/07/26/the-data-briefing-ten-years-of-digital-transformation-lessons-learned/ Since 2007, a major consulting firm has conducted an annual survey on organizations’ “Digital IQ.” In the ten years of organizations grappling with digital transformation, what has been learned? /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2017/06/29/cybersecuring-the-internet-of-things/ Thu, 29 Jun 2017 02:00:47 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2017/06/29/cybersecuring-the-internet-of-things/ I recently had the chance to talk with the legendary Vint Cerf, one of the founding fathers of the internet. We had a wide-ranging discussion about the past, present and future of the internet, network security and what it would take to successfully, safely and reliably merge the digital and physical worlds, a concept known /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2017/06/21/the-data-briefing-the-arrival-of-generation-z-into-the-federal-government-and-generation-a/ Wed, 21 Jun 2017 14:58:31 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2017/06/21/the-data-briefing-the-arrival-of-generation-z-into-the-federal-government-and-generation-a/ In the last national election, the earliest born members of Generation Z voted for the first time. In 2019, the American workforce will see the influx of tens of millions of Gen Zers who, according to some researchers, will be a stark contrast to the Millennials that will make the largest part of the 2020 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2017/06/14/the-data-briefing-the-promise-and-perils-of-artificial-emotional-intelligence/ Wed, 14 Jun 2017 11:37:13 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2017/06/14/the-data-briefing-the-promise-and-perils-of-artificial-emotional-intelligence/ People are quick to treat computer programs as being more aware than computer code could be. However, can computer programs – especially chatbots – have a significant effect on people? Especially people suffering from depression or anxiety? A recent academic study shows some promising results from using a chatbot as a complement to a human therapist. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2017/06/07/the-data-briefing-design-driven-enterprise-architecture-creating-the-new-federal-government-agency/ Wed, 07 Jun 2017 12:00:19 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2017/06/07/the-data-briefing-design-driven-enterprise-architecture-creating-the-new-federal-government-agency/ It’s been a while since I’ve checked in on enterprise architecture (EA). My last in-depth work with EA was around 2011 when I was on detail to the Office of Personnel Management’s Open Government Team. The EA model I worked with was the top-down organizational design of information technology assets, data assets, and business processes. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2017/06/06/opening-public-services-to-artificial-intelligence-assistants/ Tue, 06 Jun 2017 14:02:20 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2017/06/06/opening-public-services-to-artificial-intelligence-assistants/ “Hey, Computer, how do I access my public services?” Citizens will soon be able to ask their Intelligent Personal Assistants (IPA) this question through an Emerging Citizen Technology open-sourced pilot program. The purpose of the initiative is to guide dozens of federal programs make public service information available through automated, self-service platforms for the home /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2017/05/10/the-data-briefing-how-to-best-prepare-federal-government-datasets-for-chatbots/ Wed, 10 May 2017 11:00:46 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2017/05/10/the-data-briefing-how-to-best-prepare-federal-government-datasets-for-chatbots/ Forbes magazine recently ran an article showcasing six handy mobile apps that were built using federal government open data. The apps range from the Alternative Fueling Station Locator to ZocDoc (a doctor locator). What I especially like about the Forbes article is that the author describes the federal government data sets behind each app. There /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2017/05/04/cybersecurity-protecting-manufacturing-technology-and-innovation/ Thu, 04 May 2017 15:00:45 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2017/05/04/cybersecurity-protecting-manufacturing-technology-and-innovation/ Recently a segment on my favorite morning news program stopped me in my tracks. The young and attractive hosts (why are they always so young and attractive?) were demonstrating new appliances including a smart refrigerator. The fridge was equipped with all kinds of high-tech features including touch screen displays, a camera inside that allows you /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2017/04/24/federal-pilot-to-integrate-public-services-into-intelligent-personal-assistants/ Mon, 24 Apr 2017 11:00:33 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2017/04/24/federal-pilot-to-integrate-public-services-into-intelligent-personal-assistants/ The demand for more automated, self-service access to United States public services, when and where citizens need them, grows each day—and so do advances in the consumer technologies like Intelligent Personal Assistants designed to meet those challenges. The U.S. General Services Administration’s (GSA) /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2017/03/16/buzzwords-for-2017/ Thu, 16 Mar 2017 11:00:07 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2017/03/16/buzzwords-for-2017/ Along with the New Year comes new buzzwords. Here are some that you are certain to hear about and see this year. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2017/03/15/the-data-briefing-understand-serverless-architecture-in-three-minutes/ Wed, 15 Mar 2017 11:02:43 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2017/03/15/the-data-briefing-understand-serverless-architecture-in-three-minutes/ You may have heard of “serverless architecture” or Amazon Web Services (AWS) Lambda product and wondered what is unique about this new buzzword. As with many new digital cloud technologies, serverless architecture could mean two things. It may be applications that are built using third-party cloud applications. Or serverless architectures could be pieces of code /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2017/03/08/the-data-briefing-finding-the-new-federal-government-technologists/ Wed, 08 Mar 2017 02:05:17 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2017/03/08/the-data-briefing-finding-the-new-federal-government-technologists/ This week, I want to briefly discuss the human resources challenges in finding the new IT technology workers for the government. As agencies move toward microservices, artificial intelligence chatbots, and deep learning application programming interfaces (APIs), the demand for experts in these fields continues to grow fast. The universities and professional development programs are not /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/12/08/the-smithsonians-ipop-exhibition-framework-lessons-for-a-human-centered-content-approach/ Thu, 08 Dec 2016 12:30:40 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/12/08/the-smithsonians-ipop-exhibition-framework-lessons-for-a-human-centered-content-approach/ The Smithsonian Institution’s Office of Policy and Analysis has another tool to consider for your UX toolbox: IPOP. Though created specifically for museums and physical exhibitions, IPOP is useful for anyone wanting to widen appeal and engagement. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/11/30/sharing-public-service-visions-for-virtual-reality-and-artificial-intelligence/ Wed, 30 Nov 2016 12:00:46 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/11/30/sharing-public-service-visions-for-virtual-reality-and-artificial-intelligence/ I’m taking a break from sorting through dozens of concepts from federal agencies about how they want to use artificial intelligence and virtual reality for citizens in the coming months in order to share with you just some of these groundbreaking initiatives of tomorrow that can be explored at a DigitalGov University workshop this week. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/11/23/the-data-briefing-it-takes-an-online-community-to-digitally-transform-an-organization/ Wed, 23 Nov 2016 11:00:49 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/11/23/the-data-briefing-it-takes-an-online-community-to-digitally-transform-an-organization/ The open source movement has changed how we develop software, create content, and even do science. Using a community to help complete projects and bring about change has become so ubiquitous in the last ten years that it has even earned a name — crowdsourcing. Crowdsourcing is a powerful tool and is now being used to help /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/11/18/a-new-prize-challenge-for-virtual-and-augmented-reality-learning-tools/ Fri, 18 Nov 2016 12:00:22 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/11/18/a-new-prize-challenge-for-virtual-and-augmented-reality-learning-tools/ The Administration has launched a new competition for virtual and augmented reality developers to create learning tools to support career and technical education. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/11/15/trends-on-tuesday-americans-digital-divide-on-tech-savviness-and-digital-learning/ Tue, 15 Nov 2016 11:00:48 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/11/15/trends-on-tuesday-americans-digital-divide-on-tech-savviness-and-digital-learning/ The Pew Internet and the American Life Project released a report recently that analyzed the use of digital tools for different groups of tech literacies. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/11/09/the-data-briefing-four-steps-to-becoming-a-data-driven-organization/ Wed, 09 Nov 2016 11:00:45 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/11/09/the-data-briefing-four-steps-to-becoming-a-data-driven-organization/ As the Federal government agencies begin the digital transformation journey, becoming a data-driven organization is even more vital. What does it mean to become a data-driven organization? According to one definition, “[a] data-driven company is an organization where every person who can use data to make better decisions, has access to the data they need /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/11/02/the-data-briefing-learning-from-the-u-s-cities-on-how-to-implement-big-data-initiatives/ Wed, 02 Nov 2016 10:00:36 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/11/02/the-data-briefing-learning-from-the-u-s-cities-on-how-to-implement-big-data-initiatives/ A recent study of big data initiatives in 65 cities has interesting guidance for Federal big data initiatives. The researchers studied how data is collected and then used for decision making in what they called “the framework for Big Data initiatives.” There are two major cycles in the framework: “The data cycle governs the tools /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/11/01/trends-on-tuesdays-mobile-phone-camera-upgrades-offer-interesting-opportunities-for-government-agencies/ Tue, 01 Nov 2016 10:00:43 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/11/01/trends-on-tuesdays-mobile-phone-camera-upgrades-offer-interesting-opportunities-for-government-agencies/ Professional photographer and early “iPhonography” pioneer, Chase Jarvis coined the phrase, “The best camera is the one that’s with you.” The recent jumps in mobile phone photo technology presents interesting opportunities for government agencies to consider as mobile phone cameras are starting to rival and surpass professional gear. When Google and Apple both announced their /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/10/26/the-data-briefing-help-predict-the-future-of-federal-government-data/ Wed, 26 Oct 2016 13:00:55 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/10/26/the-data-briefing-help-predict-the-future-of-federal-government-data/ In December, I plan to write two postings detailing a scenario analysis for the next ten years of the Federal government’s data technologies. Governments are on the cusp of amazing technological advances propelled by artificial intelligence, blockchain technologies, and the Internet of Things. Also, governments will face new challenges such as the recent global cyber /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/10/26/gsa-launches-new-ai-virtual-reality-and-authentication-programs/ Wed, 26 Oct 2016 10:00:17 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/10/26/gsa-launches-new-ai-virtual-reality-and-authentication-programs/ Today we’re launching three new initiatives powered by GSA Digital Communities that leap federal agencies ahead on some of the most innovative new capabilities becoming available to our programs — Artificial Intelligence, Virtual/Augmented Reality, and the U.S. Digital Registry. These new Communities and portal are products of inter-agency collaboration and our shared commitment pushing the /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/10/19/the-data-briefing-using-artificial-intelligence-to-augment-the-work-of-frontline-government-employees/ Wed, 19 Oct 2016 11:00:44 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/10/19/the-data-briefing-using-artificial-intelligence-to-augment-the-work-of-frontline-government-employees/ You have probably read about the recent release of the White House’s report on using artificial intelligence (AI). As with previous technologies, AI holds much promise in the areas of education, commerce, criminal justice, the environment—almost all aspects of the American public’s life. AI also poses a danger if it is not properly managed and /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/10/18/trends-on-tuesday-the-digital-interface-without-a-face-is-coming-fast/ Tue, 18 Oct 2016 11:00:14 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/10/18/trends-on-tuesday-the-digital-interface-without-a-face-is-coming-fast/ The seemingly sci-fi world envisioned in the movie Her is very close to becoming our reality. Several new developments merging hardware, artificial intelligence technology, chatbots and persistent audio assistants are now available, with software developer kits to expand the platforms. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/10/12/the-data-briefing-twenty-years-of-usajobs/ Wed, 12 Oct 2016 13:00:42 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/10/12/the-data-briefing-twenty-years-of-usajobs/ I recently sat down with Michelle Earley, Program Manager, to discuss the new changes for the 20th anniversary of USAJOBS. 1) What are the three big lessons learned from 20 years of building and managing USAJOBS? I think one of the greatest benefits of being an Agile program is that we are constantly learning. In /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/10/05/the-data-briefing-the-federal-data-cabinet-promoting-data-literacy-cultural-change-and-the-federal-data-applications-ecosystem/ Wed, 05 Oct 2016 13:00:21 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/10/05/the-data-briefing-the-federal-data-cabinet-promoting-data-literacy-cultural-change-and-the-federal-data-applications-ecosystem/ Last Wednesday, the White House held the first Open Data Summit to showcase the open data accomplishments of the Obama Administration. One of the highlights was the formation of a government-wide “data cabinet.” Announced by Chief Data Scientist DJ Patil, the data cabinet is essentially a community of practice comprising the Federal agency’s data professionals. As /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/09/28/the-data-briefing-a-new-perspective-on-the-digital-transformation-of-government/ Wed, 28 Sep 2016 02:00:23 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/09/28/the-data-briefing-a-new-perspective-on-the-digital-transformation-of-government/ One day, at an unnamed agency, the Outlook server crashed. The server stayed down for the rest of the afternoon. Deprived of email and meeting calendars, employees wandered around trying to remember what meetings they had to attend. Other employees went searching for people who they ordinarily would email. There was confusion that made people /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/09/21/the-data-briefing-should-u-s-federal-employees-become-data-science-literate/ Wed, 21 Sep 2016 11:00:24 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/09/21/the-data-briefing-should-u-s-federal-employees-become-data-science-literate/ The United Kingdom’s (UK) Digital Service has researched ways to increase data science literacy among the UK public service. Data science literacy goes further than data literacy, in that civil servants will know how to apply data science concepts and methods in their everyday work. I thought it would be useful to share the UK /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/09/14/the-data-briefing-harnessing-the-internet-of-things-and-synthetic-data-to-provide-better-flood-warnings-and-prevent-veterans-suicides/ Wed, 14 Sep 2016 11:00:37 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/09/14/the-data-briefing-harnessing-the-internet-of-things-and-synthetic-data-to-provide-better-flood-warnings-and-prevent-veterans-suicides/ Two significant items in federal government data in the last few weeks: The Department of Commerce releases the National Water Model. The National Water Model provides a comprehensive model of river flows so local communities can better prepare for possible flooding events. What is especially amazing about the National Water Model is that it pulls /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/08/30/trends-on-tuesday-pokemon-go-es-away-slowly/ Tue, 30 Aug 2016 12:00:27 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/08/30/trends-on-tuesday-pokemon-go-es-away-slowly/ According to a recent report in Bloomberg, the wildly popular augmented reality game we reported on a few weeks ago—and the focus of a piece about government agencies using it to engage citizens—appears to have hit a ceiling and is slowly losing active fans in August. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/08/24/the-data-briefing-microservices-and-serverless-apps-a-new-direction-for-federal-government-mobile-apps/ Wed, 24 Aug 2016 10:00:00 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/08/24/the-data-briefing-microservices-and-serverless-apps-a-new-direction-for-federal-government-mobile-apps/ Continuing from last week’s column on DevOps and containers, I will explain two other hot trends in IT — microservices and serverless apps. For those who want official federal government guidance, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has released a draft special publication on microservices, application containers, and system virtual machines (PDF, 660 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/08/17/the-data-briefing-devops-and-containers-and-why-they-are-important-to-transforming-federal-government-it/ Wed, 17 Aug 2016 13:00:11 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/08/17/the-data-briefing-devops-and-containers-and-why-they-are-important-to-transforming-federal-government-it/ You may have heard about “DevOps” in the news or when meeting with IT professionals. What exactly is DevOps and what, if any, connection does it have with agile? Also, what do “containers” have to do with all of this? In this week’s column, I will introduce DevOps and a related technology: containers. Some DevOps /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/08/16/trends-on-tuesday-signs-of-the-app-ocalypse/ Tue, 16 Aug 2016 13:00:03 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/08/16/trends-on-tuesday-signs-of-the-app-ocalypse/ A new report from the Mobile Ecosystem Forum shows that most users delete apps because of security concerns. The report also said that 47% of survey respondents would pay extra for an app that didn’t share personal information and that the inability to find a privacy policy is one of the leading reasons for consumers losing trust /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/08/10/the-data-briefing-finding-great-global-development-data-visualizations-courtesy-of-the-state-department/ Wed, 10 Aug 2016 01:30:22 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/08/10/the-data-briefing-finding-great-global-development-data-visualizations-courtesy-of-the-state-department/ Federal agencies have been releasing some fascinating data visualization tools in the last year. Recently, the State Department unveiled the Beta version of FIND or the “F Interagency Network Databank.” From the description in the FAQ: “The F Interagency Network Databank (FIND) is an online tool that enables users to explore and analyze national level /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/08/02/trends-on-tuesday-latino-users-lead-mobile-use-in-u-s/ Tue, 02 Aug 2016 10:00:02 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/08/02/trends-on-tuesday-latino-users-lead-mobile-use-in-u-s/ The Pew Research Center released a report in July that shows people of Latino descent are heavily reliant on mobile phones for their Internet access, more than other ethnicities. The report said that since 2012, the percentage of Hispanic adults who used mobile devices to access the Internet jumped from 76% to 94% in 2015. These percentages /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/07/27/the-data-briefing-the-census-business-builder-mashing-up-census-data-to-help-build-businesses/ Wed, 27 Jul 2016 10:00:57 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/07/27/the-data-briefing-the-census-business-builder-mashing-up-census-data-to-help-build-businesses/ The Census Bureau conducts more surveys than just the Constitutionally-mandated Decennial Census. There is also the American Community Survey, the Economic Census, the County Business Patterns series, statistics on Nonemployer businesses, and the Survey of Business Owners and Self-Employed Persons. On their own, each survey is full of useful information for researchers, local and state governments, and entrepreneurs. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/07/22/the-firstnet-network-smart-response-for-smart-cities/ Fri, 22 Jul 2016 10:00:29 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/07/22/the-firstnet-network-smart-response-for-smart-cities/ “Smart City” is an emerging term to describe how a community – large or small – uses connected technology and/or other data sets to influence and improve the delivery of services to the private and public sectors. By integrating data and connectivity into their daily operations, communities can automate many functions to create efficiencies and /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/07/20/the-data-briefing-preparedgo-the-federal-emergency-management-agency-mobile-app/ Wed, 20 Jul 2016 10:00:54 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/07/20/the-data-briefing-preparedgo-the-federal-emergency-management-agency-mobile-app/ While you are outside hunting Pokemon or helping your children hunt Pokemon, consider adding another mobile app to your smartphone or tablet. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) mobile app alerts you about severe weather and other natural disasters. The app is also a great information resource on surviving disasters and connects you to FEMA /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/07/18/information-architecture-vs-content-strategy-and-why-you-need-both/ Mon, 18 Jul 2016 02:16:19 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/07/18/information-architecture-vs-content-strategy-and-why-you-need-both/ The idea of portable content is nothing new. Content needs to be mobile ready, responsive, and readily consumed by tools such as the Internet of Things (IoT)—a proposed development of the Internet in which everyday objects have network connectivity, allowing them to send and receive data. Developers need to stop creating fixed, single-purpose content and /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/07/13/the-data-briefing-mobile-apps-responsive-web-sites-and-the-mobile-moment/ Wed, 13 Jul 2016 10:00:43 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/07/13/the-data-briefing-mobile-apps-responsive-web-sites-and-the-mobile-moment/ The debate between responsive websites and mobile apps took a decisive turn this week when the United Kingdom’s Digital Service (UKDS) banned the creation of mobile apps. In an interview with GovInsider, the founder of UKDS, Ben Terrett, explained that mobile apps were too expensive to build and maintain. Responsive websites were easier to build /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/07/12/catch-the-mall-with-pokemon-and-public-services/ Tue, 12 Jul 2016 15:58:53 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/07/12/catch-the-mall-with-pokemon-and-public-services/ “… I have never seen so many people of all ages walking around our civic spaces and small businesses interacting as I have this morning. Teens catching them. People catching them in line for coffee. Moms outsmarting their kids. Local youths teaching my toddler how to throw a ball. Full grown adults. Marines. Kids on /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/07/12/trends-on-tuesday-adoption-for-pokemon-go-mobile-app-surges/ Tue, 12 Jul 2016 10:00:37 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/07/12/trends-on-tuesday-adoption-for-pokemon-go-mobile-app-surges/ Augmented Reality games have existed for years, but have mostly failed to catch a mainstream audience; Pokémon Go just changed all that this weekend. The game that launched early this month has exploded in popularity and is close to surpassing Twitter in daily active /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/07/06/the-data-briefing-i-for-one-welcome-our-new-chatbot-blockchain-digital-autonomous-organizations/ Wed, 06 Jul 2016 11:00:56 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/07/06/the-data-briefing-i-for-one-welcome-our-new-chatbot-blockchain-digital-autonomous-organizations/ It is at the intersections of fields where you find the most fascinating and innovative concepts. Recently, a conference on “Open Human Resources and the Cognitive Era” explored the use of chatbots and blockchain technologies in human resources. Human Resources (HR) is quietly undergoing a revolution as many HR practitioners are transforming HR by using /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/07/05/trends-on-tuesday-iot-connected-devices-expected-to-surpass-mobile-phones-by-2018/ Tue, 05 Jul 2016 14:00:25 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/07/05/trends-on-tuesday-iot-connected-devices-expected-to-surpass-mobile-phones-by-2018/ International telecommunications network operator, Ericsson, released their Mobility Report around the future of mobile recently with a bunch of interesting data around the future of telecommunications and mobile. The surprise star of the report is not mobile phones though—although it will continue to grow, especially in emerging markets where it hasn’t reached saturation like it /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/06/29/the-data-briefing-innovating-processes-the-lean-and-agile-way/ Wed, 29 Jun 2016 11:00:41 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/06/29/the-data-briefing-innovating-processes-the-lean-and-agile-way/ In today’s world of big data, cloud computing, the Internet of Things (IoT), and the rise of smarter artificial intelligence (AI) applications, processes have become even more vital. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/06/22/the-data-briefing-nasas-new-big-data-strategy/ Wed, 22 Jun 2016 11:00:33 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/06/22/the-data-briefing-nasas-new-big-data-strategy/ Few other federal agencies deal with as much data as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Big science creates big data, and NASA manages many of the biggest science projects in world history. Even in the early days of NASA’s history, NASA pioneered new ways to create and store data. So, in the world /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/06/21/trends-on-tuesday-key-trends-for-government-from-mary-meekers-2016-internet-trends/ Tue, 21 Jun 2016 12:00:54 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/06/21/trends-on-tuesday-key-trends-for-government-from-mary-meekers-2016-internet-trends/ Internet strategist Mary Meeker delivered her 2016 Internet Trends report this month, and there are several key takeaways for government agencies to consider and continue tracking as our connected world continues to evolve: Mobile phone adoption and Internet growth is meeting saturation. Incremental global growth will continue (especially in India, which she called out for /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/06/07/trends-on-tuesday-the-next-revolution-is-here-cars-are-the-new-mobile-devices/ Tue, 07 Jun 2016 10:00:46 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/06/07/trends-on-tuesday-the-next-revolution-is-here-cars-are-the-new-mobile-devices/ Last week, Recode published an article focused on a recent report from industry consultant Chetan Sharma that found the largest number of new mobile activations in the first quarter of 2016 came from a ‘different’ kind of mobile tool—cars. There are still a lot of phone and tablet mobile activations happening—31% and 23% of all activations, respectively—but /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/05/25/the-data-briefing-better-crowdsourced-federal-government-projects-through-cognitive-computing/ Wed, 25 May 2016 10:00:26 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/05/25/the-data-briefing-better-crowdsourced-federal-government-projects-through-cognitive-computing/ Cognitive computing has been receiving a good deal of attention lately as more companies have been building intelligent agents. Ever since IBM Watson’s 2011 appearance on Jeopardy, cognitive computing has spread into healthcare, investing and even veterinary medicine. However, it is only recently that cognitive computing has spread into government applications. As the name implies, /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/05/24/trends-on-tuesday-what-kind-of-apps-will-users-return-to/ Tue, 24 May 2016 10:00:32 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/05/24/trends-on-tuesday-what-kind-of-apps-will-users-return-to/ Flurry Analytics, a mobile application analytics company owned by Yahoo!, released a new report about app retention. Unless your app usage is around “gambling”—with cards (game apps), with your money (finance apps), with whether or not to bring an umbrella (weather apps), or with your health (fitness apps)—user retention and re-engagement is often a steep wall /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/05/18/the-data-briefing-introducing-the-u-s-patent-and-trademark-offices-new-open-data-portal/ Wed, 18 May 2016 11:10:59 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/05/18/the-data-briefing-introducing-the-u-s-patent-and-trademark-offices-new-open-data-portal/ My first column when I came back from last year’s summer sabbatical was on the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s (USPTO) PatentsView project. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/05/11/the-data-briefing-what-makes-a-great-federal-government-app/ Wed, 11 May 2016 11:00:51 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/05/11/the-data-briefing-what-makes-a-great-federal-government-app/ There were many apps released by the federal government over the last 5-6 years on a wide range of topics and services. So, what are the outstanding federal government apps for 2016? /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/05/04/the-data-briefing-engaging-citizens-through-citizenscience-gov/ Wed, 04 May 2016 10:00:01 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/05/04/the-data-briefing-engaging-citizens-through-citizenscience-gov/ Last month, I worked to create a “Citizen Science Passport” for the federal agencies participating in the USA Science and Engineering Festival. Seven federal agencies offered some form of crowdsourcing or citizen science activity at their booths such as the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s exhibit on food safety or Environmental Protection Agency’s build-your-own air monitoring /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/04/27/the-data-briefing-tales-from-the-dark-side-of-data/ Wed, 27 Apr 2016 10:00:50 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/04/27/the-data-briefing-tales-from-the-dark-side-of-data/ There are many scary tales in the world of knowledge management and data management. Tales of missing data that was lost through the administrative cracks, such as the story of the missing Apollo 11 moonwalk tapes that most likely were erased by accident. Or the 36-year search for the original Wright Brothers’ patent, which was /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/04/26/trends-on-tuesday-smartphone-ownership-reaching-saturation-fueling-media-consumption/ Tue, 26 Apr 2016 11:25:35 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/04/26/trends-on-tuesday-smartphone-ownership-reaching-saturation-fueling-media-consumption/ ComScore released a report with a lot of great data about how mobile digital media usage continues to explode in 2016. It has 70 pages of charts and information to digest. Here are seven key mobile trends and takeaways: Smartphones are exponentially driving digital media usage. Digital media has tripled since 2013 and digital media /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/04/20/the-data-briefing-chatbots-and-the-rise-of-conversational-commerce-and-citizen-experience/ Wed, 20 Apr 2016 11:00:59 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/04/20/the-data-briefing-chatbots-and-the-rise-of-conversational-commerce-and-citizen-experience/ Ten months ago, I wrote about the rise of the post-app world in which mobile personal assistants would do the work of five to 10 apps combined. These mobile personal assistants, now known as chatbots, would work through conversational interfaces (voice and instant messaging, for example). The idea is to build more natural interfaces for people /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/04/06/the-data-briefing-building-an-open-government-data-ecosystem-in-the-federal-government/ Wed, 06 Apr 2016 13:30:10 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/04/06/the-data-briefing-building-an-open-government-data-ecosystem-in-the-federal-government/ It has been over seven years since President Obama signed the executive order that launched the federal open data movement. Much progress has been made, and there is still more to do. Along with the United States, over 100 nations have started programs to provide open access to government data. From large metropolitan governments to /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/03/30/the-data-briefing-an-interview-with-usajobs-on-new-changes-to-their-data-services/ Wed, 30 Mar 2016 10:00:36 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/03/30/the-data-briefing-an-interview-with-usajobs-on-new-changes-to-their-data-services/ The Office of Personnel Management released a new look and functionality to USAJOBS in February. I recently contacted Michelle Earley, the USAJOBS Program Manager, to ask about the changes to USAJOBS and the data it provides. 1. What are /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/03/29/google-will-rank-mobile-friendly-sites-even-higher-beginning-in-may/ Tue, 29 Mar 2016 11:55:41 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/03/29/google-will-rank-mobile-friendly-sites-even-higher-beginning-in-may/ Last year Google began changing their search ranking algorithm to direct mobile users to mobile-friendly sites, and they recently announced that beginning in May they will be implementing an update to focus even more exclusively on boosting mobile-friendly sites. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/03/23/the-data-briefing-three-significant-events-in-federal-open-data-this-past-week/ Wed, 23 Mar 2016 10:00:52 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/03/23/the-data-briefing-three-significant-events-in-federal-open-data-this-past-week/ Three recent stories demonstrate how opening up federal government data and using agile methods to create federal government software can spur innovation while saving tax money and helping the American public. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/03/16/the-data-briefing-new-opportunities-for-american-cities-and-communities-thanks-to-open-data/ Wed, 16 Mar 2016 10:00:18 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/03/16/the-data-briefing-new-opportunities-for-american-cities-and-communities-thanks-to-open-data/ Open data and APIs* have not only transformed the federal government; open data and APIs are also transforming tribal, state and local governments. Like federal agencies, some tribal, state and local governments are ahead of other governments in open data innovations. This situation reminds me of my earlier work with the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/03/15/trends-on-tuesday-as-mobile-and-desktop-email-open-rates-converge-responsive-sites-are-crucial/ Tue, 15 Mar 2016 10:00:13 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/03/15/trends-on-tuesday-as-mobile-and-desktop-email-open-rates-converge-responsive-sites-are-crucial/ A new report about email usage reinforced the importance of always building responsive websites. Yesmail’s quarterly report showed that mobile and desktop email click-to-open rates are converging to almost the same level for the first time ever. As people become more mobile-first and mobile-only users of the Internet, users opening emails on their desktop devices /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/03/09/the-data-briefing-mobile-websites-or-mobile-apps-or-both/ Wed, 09 Mar 2016 10:46:15 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/03/09/the-data-briefing-mobile-websites-or-mobile-apps-or-both/ The increasing sophistication of mobile devices has created many opportunities for developers. This opportunity has created one of the most contentious debates in the mobile development community: mobile apps versus mobile websites? /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/03/02/the-data-briefing-serving-citizen-developers-inside-and-outside-of-the-federal-government/ Wed, 02 Mar 2016 10:00:28 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/03/02/the-data-briefing-serving-citizen-developers-inside-and-outside-of-the-federal-government/ Citizen developers are people who do not work in information technology (IT) but have built IT applications. Back in the mid-80s, business people would smuggle in personal computers to run their spreadsheets and word processing applications (anyone remember VisiCalc and Bank Street Writer?) instead of having to rely on data processing departments. Today, citizen developers /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/03/01/trends-on-tuesday-facebook-and-google-products-dominate-app-usage/ Tue, 01 Mar 2016 10:00:13 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/03/01/trends-on-tuesday-facebook-and-google-products-dominate-app-usage/ Comscore released new data this month about trends in the smartphone space. The data showed that the Android platform grew in market percentage (when combining all Android manufacturers). /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/02/24/the-data-briefing-the-challenge-of-opening-up-federal-government-algorithms/ Wed, 24 Feb 2016 10:00:39 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/02/24/the-data-briefing-the-challenge-of-opening-up-federal-government-algorithms/ Algorithms are becoming more important as the amount of data grows, and the complexity of government and business processes grows. Put simply, an algorithm is just a set of steps for solving a problem. If you shop online, use an online social network or a mobile app to plan your route, then you are using /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/02/17/the-data-briefing-demand-driven-open-data-at-health-and-human-services/ Wed, 17 Feb 2016 10:00:13 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/02/17/the-data-briefing-demand-driven-open-data-at-health-and-human-services/ For many agencies, what data to make open is left up to the agency’s judgment. This has worked well as agencies do a good job in understanding the public’s needs for specific datasets. Even so, as developers and citizens begin using the open datasets, there is increasing demand for specific agency datasets. The issue is /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/02/16/trends-on-tuesday-robot-messaging-goes-mainstream/ Tue, 16 Feb 2016 10:00:10 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/02/16/trends-on-tuesday-robot-messaging-goes-mainstream/ John Connor can’t save you. Robots are here to take over the world. Two interesting new consumer mobile and digital content experiences were launched in the past week, signaling some of the first mainstream brands embracing this new paradigm of interactive, bot-driven content experiences: Quartz’s News App and The New York Times Election Slack Bot. Both /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/02/03/the-data-briefing-mapping-the-big-data-ecosystem-of-u-s-agriculture/ Wed, 03 Feb 2016 10:19:49 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/02/03/the-data-briefing-mapping-the-big-data-ecosystem-of-u-s-agriculture/ The Congressional Research Service recently released a report (PDF, 688 kb, 17 pages, January 2016) describing the big data ecosystem for U.S. agriculture. The purpose of the report was to understand the federal government’s role in emerging big data sources and technologies involved in U.S. agriculture. As the report author, Megan Stubbs, points out, there is /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/02/02/trends-on-tuesday-retaining-your-mobile-audience-is-critical-and-difficult-from-day-1/ Tue, 02 Feb 2016 10:00:16 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/02/02/trends-on-tuesday-retaining-your-mobile-audience-is-critical-and-difficult-from-day-1/ How perfecting your day-1 experience for users is critical for retention. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/01/27/the-data-briefing-improving-the-federal-government-through-mobile-apps/ Wed, 27 Jan 2016 10:00:08 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/01/27/the-data-briefing-improving-the-federal-government-through-mobile-apps/ Federal agencies are doing well in fulfilling the 2012 Digital Government Strategy by providing numerous mobile apps for American citizens. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/01/19/trends-on-tuesday-will-phablets-dominate-the-mobile-market-in-2017/ Tue, 19 Jan 2016 10:17:15 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/01/19/trends-on-tuesday-will-phablets-dominate-the-mobile-market-in-2017/ Phablets, once mocked for their large size, may be the next big form factor dominating mobile devices, if new data from the holiday season is any indication. Flurry Mobile, part of Yahoo’s mobile analytics division, published two reports about phablet devices at the beginning of the new year, showing their continued growth and that people use /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/01/13/the-data-briefing-2016-trends-that-could-affect-federal-government-data/ Wed, 13 Jan 2016 13:00:51 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/01/13/the-data-briefing-2016-trends-that-could-affect-federal-government-data/ Many IT pundits predict 2016 will be a major tipping point in data and related technologies. Here are just a few predictions: 1) The Internet of Things—The number of devices that can connect to the Internet increases, especially in consumer electronics. Also, the number of sensors will dramatically increase providing more real-time data on weather, /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/01/12/trends-on-tuesday-10-mobile-government-and-tech-trends-for-2016/ Tue, 12 Jan 2016 11:00:37 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/01/12/trends-on-tuesday-10-mobile-government-and-tech-trends-for-2016/ As we move into 2016, here are 10 trends I foresee flourishing around mobile, technology and government: The mobile-majority tipping point in government. Many agencies are already past this point, but as a whole, government websites are still desktop-majority, with 66% of people accessing federal websites via desktop and 34% on mobile. In 2016, the double-digit mobile /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/01/06/the-data-briefing-using-federal-open-data-to-understand-how-government-performs/ Wed, 06 Jan 2016 10:54:27 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/01/06/the-data-briefing-using-federal-open-data-to-understand-how-government-performs/ Some highlights from the recent fall conference of the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management: Localities that receive disaster mitigation funds also have more disaster declarations. Longer, more detailed proposed regulations receive fewer challenges to implementing the regulation. Agencies that are better at quantifying their results are safer from budget cuts. The findings above /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/01/05/trends-on-tuesday-mobile-only-u-s-audiences-grow-while-broadband-usage-drops/ Tue, 05 Jan 2016 10:02:30 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/01/05/trends-on-tuesday-mobile-only-u-s-audiences-grow-while-broadband-usage-drops/ The Pew Research Center released an interesting report about home Internet usage that revealed broadband usage plateaued in 2013 and, in fact, dropped 3% in 2015. Later in the report, Pew states the growth in mobile-only audiences compensated for the drop in home broadband usage, so the overall number of people with Internet access hasn’t changed /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/12/30/the-data-briefing-design-for-developer-experience-dx-and-data-prosumer-experience-dpx/ Wed, 30 Dec 2015 11:00:01 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/12/30/the-data-briefing-design-for-developer-experience-dx-and-data-prosumer-experience-dpx/ Recently, DigitalGov devoted an entire month to exploring how good user experience (UX) helps government design better digital products and services. UX is the art and science of understanding how people will use a website or mobile app to solve a problem or meet a need. UX is a combination of neuroscience, communication theory, information /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/12/29/trends-on-tuesday-providing-anytime-anywhere-government-through-mobile-app-competitions/ Tue, 29 Dec 2015 10:30:40 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/12/29/trends-on-tuesday-providing-anytime-anywhere-government-through-mobile-app-competitions/ Agencies have used an open data competition approach in their quest to provide anytime, anywhere government. For example, in 2011, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) conducted the Apps for the Environment challenge and has a hub for apps created using EPA data. Here’s an update on challenges hosted by other agencies: The National Institute of Standards /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/12/23/the-data-briefing-air-and-space-museum-launches-new-mobile-app-into-the-frontier-of-stem-education/ Wed, 23 Dec 2015 10:00:58 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/12/23/the-data-briefing-air-and-space-museum-launches-new-mobile-app-into-the-frontier-of-stem-education/ The Smithsonian Institution’s Air and Space Museum just released a new educational mobile app, Mobile Missions. From the website: “Find out if you are cut out for a career in aerospace with our free mobile app, Mobile Missions. Take our quiz to discover the best aerospace career for you. Explore objects from our collection related to /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/12/16/the-data-briefing-does-the-federal-government-have-an-obligation-to-educate-open-data-users/ Wed, 16 Dec 2015 10:00:07 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/12/16/the-data-briefing-does-the-federal-government-have-an-obligation-to-educate-open-data-users/ Pop quiz on statistics and data science (answers at the end of the article): 1) I have some data on accidents at railroad crossings. One variable indicates the compass direction a railroad crossing faces (North, Northwest, Northeast, and so on). This variable is a/an: Ordinal Categorical Directional Interval 2) I have some ordinal data that /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/12/15/trends-on-tuesday-holiday-shopping-sales-show-a-move-towards-mobile-first/ Tue, 15 Dec 2015 11:00:22 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/12/15/trends-on-tuesday-holiday-shopping-sales-show-a-move-towards-mobile-first/ U.S. shoppers are increasingly using their mobile devices to make purchases during the busiest shopping days: Black Friday and Thanksgiving weekend. According to Custora, online Black Friday sales rose more than 16% compared to last year, and smartphone use rose to more than 36% (up from 30% last year), with iPhones accounting for the lion’s share of /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/12/09/the-data-briefing-help-hacksuicide-this-weekend/ Wed, 09 Dec 2015 10:00:18 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/12/09/the-data-briefing-help-hacksuicide-this-weekend/ A month ago, I wrote about the White House’s call for data scientists and app developers to come together to help combat suicide. On December 12, 2015, there will be five hackathons around the U.S. to #HackSuicide. All the hackathons are free and open to the public. Even if you are not a data scientist, /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/12/08/trends-on-tuesday-adobe-moves-beyond-flash/ Tue, 08 Dec 2015 10:00:43 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/12/08/trends-on-tuesday-adobe-moves-beyond-flash/ Half a decade since Steve Jobs declared war on Adobe Flash and refused to support it on Apple’s mobile and tablet devices, Flash is finally losing its crown as one of the stand-alone products of Adobe. In the announcement, Adobe said, “Flash has played a leading role in bringing new capabilities to the Web. From /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/12/02/the-data-briefing-the-open-government-data-revolution-is-just-getting-started/ Wed, 02 Dec 2015 11:00:18 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/12/02/the-data-briefing-the-open-government-data-revolution-is-just-getting-started/ Some of you may remember when President Reagan opened America’s Global Positioning System (GPS) data. President Reagan gave all countries access to the GPS data in response to the Soviet Union shooting down Korean Airlines Flight 007 on September 1, 1983. I do not believe that the U.S. realized how much opening up GPS data /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/12/01/trends-on-tuesday-facebook-tv-and-how-to-reach-millennials-and-hispanics/ Tue, 01 Dec 2015 11:00:55 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/12/01/trends-on-tuesday-facebook-tv-and-how-to-reach-millennials-and-hispanics/ How do you capture millennial and Hispanic eyes? Through their hands. (More specifically: their mobile devices, and the social apps within!). AdAge recently analyzed a study from Nielsen’s Homescan panel which found that in a typical month, 12.2% of millennials can only be reached through TV (looking at the top 10 networks only) versus 14.2% /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/11/25/the-data-briefing-how-neuroscience-and-communication-theory-inform-good-user-experience-design/ Wed, 25 Nov 2015 11:00:51 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/11/25/the-data-briefing-how-neuroscience-and-communication-theory-inform-good-user-experience-design/ UX is everything from the visual design to the navigation structure of the website or mobile app. This month, DigitalGov is focusing on UX design. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/11/24/trends-on-tuesday-what-mobile-devices-do-people-use-to-access-federal-sites/ Tue, 24 Nov 2015 10:00:40 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/11/24/trends-on-tuesday-what-mobile-devices-do-people-use-to-access-federal-sites/ Mobile users of government websites are growing in double digit percentages and will likely soon become the majority. For some recent internal project research, I dove into some of the federal government-wide analytics looking at mobile usage and found a few interesting tidbits to share: It’s an OS battle of the As. Apple devices slightly /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/11/18/the-data-briefing-innovating-health-data-at-the-hhs-idea-lab/ Wed, 18 Nov 2015 10:00:07 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/11/18/the-data-briefing-innovating-health-data-at-the-hhs-idea-lab/ By the time this is published, the United States, along with 160 other countries, will be celebrating Global Entrepreneurship Week 2015. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) IDEA Lab is an outstanding example of a federal agency using open data to foster economic growth through empowering federal employees with innovative ideas and opening health data to the private sector. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/11/17/trends-on-tuesday-smartphone-and-tablet-adoption-grows-while-other-digital-devices-slump/ Tue, 17 Nov 2015 10:00:49 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/11/17/trends-on-tuesday-smartphone-and-tablet-adoption-grows-while-other-digital-devices-slump/ Pew released a recent report tracking trends in digital device ownership and found smartphones and tablets have continued to grow in recent years, while other devices have stalled. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/11/10/trends-on-tuesday-5-tips-for-designing-touch-interactions/ Tue, 10 Nov 2015 10:00:14 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/11/10/trends-on-tuesday-5-tips-for-designing-touch-interactions/ Josh Clark, one of the pioneers of touch Web design, and author of Tapworthy and Designing for Touch, published an excellent article on A List Apart analyzing How We Hold Our Gadgets that has a wealth of data and graphics about this interesting and emerging design challenge. Below are 5 notable lessons from the post: 1. Portrait (vertical) orientation dominates /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/11/04/the-data-briefing-is-that-drug-safe-the-fdas-rr-drug-rshiny-app/ Wed, 04 Nov 2015 10:11:23 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/11/04/the-data-briefing-is-that-drug-safe-the-fdas-rr-drug-rshiny-app/ I (virtually) attended the Third Annual Safety Datapalooza last Thursday and was greatly impressed by the projects and initiatives for public safety. This was a great event, and I am glad that live streaming was provided for those who could not attend in person but have a great interest in using government data for disaster /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/11/03/trends-on-tuesday-forecasting-the-internet-of-things/ Tue, 03 Nov 2015 10:00:36 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/11/03/trends-on-tuesday-forecasting-the-internet-of-things/ An industry group tracking the growth and production of the “Internet of Things,” a term given to Internet-connected devices and accessories, is predicting that growth will slow over the next 6 months, but then surge 3 times as fast, over the following year. The research was organized by the IoT M2M Council, which is made /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/10/27/trends-on-tuesday-users-spend-most-of-their-time-in-social-apps/ Tue, 27 Oct 2015 10:00:58 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/10/27/trends-on-tuesday-users-spend-most-of-their-time-in-social-apps/ ComScore released a new 2015 U.S. Mobile App report tracking native mobile app usage among adults over 18 years old, and it reinforced a lot of the trends we’ve been reporting on DigitalGov. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/10/21/the-data-briefing-300-mobile-moments/ Wed, 21 Oct 2015 11:00:10 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/10/21/the-data-briefing-300-mobile-moments/ DigitalGov’s theme this month is mobile moments, which explores the impact of mobile applications in the federal government. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/10/20/focus-on-mobile-performance/ Tue, 20 Oct 2015 11:32:21 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/10/20/focus-on-mobile-performance/ The New York Times recently published a report evaluating the cost of mobile ads on news websites and found that on many of the major sites, the ads were taking as much bandwidth and time as the content (if not more, in some cases). This comes after the recent hubub over Apple starting to allow /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/10/13/trends-on-tuesday-is-crowdsourcing-the-future-of-mobile-design-and-development-2/ Tue, 13 Oct 2015 14:18:42 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/10/13/trends-on-tuesday-is-crowdsourcing-the-future-of-mobile-design-and-development-2/ NASA recently announced the winners of a smartwatch app interface competition. A Canadian duo won the design competition, and NASA’s plan is to build the app with 2016 funding to have it available for astronauts to use when they are aboard the International Space Station. This is the first government smartwatch app development we’ve talked about /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/10/07/the-data-briefing-white-house-asks-data-scientists-and-app-developers-to-help-suicide-prevention-efforts/ Wed, 07 Oct 2015 10:09:18 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/10/07/the-data-briefing-white-house-asks-data-scientists-and-app-developers-to-help-suicide-prevention-efforts/ This article describes some of the data sources that could be leveraged for building data analysis and apps to aid in the suicide prevention effort. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/10/06/trends-on-tuesday-the-rise-of-apps-the-decline-of-tv/ Tue, 06 Oct 2015 10:00:24 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/10/06/trends-on-tuesday-the-rise-of-apps-the-decline-of-tv/ Move over, 60 inch widescreens—for the first time ever, U.S. consumers are spending more time in mobile apps than on TV. An article from Flurry Insights, the blog for Yahoo’s mobile analytics service, covered the recent viewing trends. Apps are now the top media channel in the United States: on average, people spend 198 minutes on /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/09/30/the-data-briefing-connecting-the-data-dots-nasas-nyspacetag-app/ Wed, 30 Sep 2015 11:30:04 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/09/30/the-data-briefing-connecting-the-data-dots-nasas-nyspacetag-app/ OpenNASA has recently completed another redesign of their site. With over 31,000 data sets, 194 code repositories and 36 APIs, OpenNASA probably has the largest collection of open data of any of the federal agencies. An especially helpful feature is a set of icons devoted to five types /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/09/29/trends-on-tuesday-how-much-does-it-cost-to-go-mobile/ Tue, 29 Sep 2015 01:00:08 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/09/29/trends-on-tuesday-how-much-does-it-cost-to-go-mobile/ A penny saved is a penny earned. But spending your pennies on mobile development is necessary to meet 21st century needs. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/09/23/the-data-briefing-surrounded-by-fields-of-federal-data-u-s-patent-and-trademark-offices-patentsview/ Wed, 23 Sep 2015 10:00:11 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/09/23/the-data-briefing-surrounded-by-fields-of-federal-data-u-s-patent-and-trademark-offices-patentsview/ Hello, everyone. My summer sabbatical was short but educational, and I am glad to be back in the federal government. I am also excited to again take up the weekly API article that is now expanded to include all things federal government data. Much has happened in the open data realm, and there is much /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/09/22/trends-on-tuesday-content-is-king-for-mobile-apps/ Tue, 22 Sep 2015 11:00:51 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/09/22/trends-on-tuesday-content-is-king-for-mobile-apps/ Yahoo’s mobile analytics service, Flurry, released a new and provocative report about mobile apps versus mobile browser usage, in which they found audiences are spending almost an hour more with their mobile phones than last year. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/09/15/trends-on-tuesday-the-mobile-internet-is-dead-long-live-the-mobile-internet/ Tue, 15 Sep 2015 13:20:00 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/09/15/trends-on-tuesday-the-mobile-internet-is-dead-long-live-the-mobile-internet/ Benedict Evans, a leading mobile analyst with the Silicon Valley venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, published a provocative post last week about the death of the mobile Internet. He details the history of the mobile Web and posits that the mobile Internet is the Internet now. The desktop version of the Internet audience is smaller /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/09/08/trends-on-tuesday-prepare-for-mobilegeddon-ii-interstitial-app-ads/ Tue, 08 Sep 2015 10:00:28 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/09/08/trends-on-tuesday-prepare-for-mobilegeddon-ii-interstitial-app-ads/ Google has announced a second wave of Mobilegeddon search penalties for websites using mobile app install interstitials. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/09/01/trends-on-tuesday-mobile-messaging-and-social-app-research-released/ Tue, 01 Sep 2015 10:00:08 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/09/01/trends-on-tuesday-mobile-messaging-and-social-app-research-released/ On DigitalGov, we frequently talk about some of the most popular app experiences, and research almost always shows that mobile messaging and social apps are the most frequently used. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/08/26/digitalgov-summit-recap-the-need-for-change-agents-plus-the-internet-of-everything-from-a-to-z/ Wed, 26 Aug 2015 10:00:11 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/08/26/digitalgov-summit-recap-the-need-for-change-agents-plus-the-internet-of-everything-from-a-to-z/ The Internet of Things is already here. How will we prepare for the Internet of Everything? /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/08/25/trends-on-tuesday-web-standards-advocate-advises-adaptive-web-design-for-government-sites/ Tue, 25 Aug 2015 11:10:50 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/08/25/trends-on-tuesday-web-standards-advocate-advises-adaptive-web-design-for-government-sites/ This August, Aaron Gustafson, Web Standards Advocate at Microsoft, industry thought leader and speaker, and an author who wrote a leading book on adaptive web design, spoke to the government tech community at the U.S. General Services Administration /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/08/18/trends-on-tuesday-the-rise-in-mobile-addicts/ Tue, 18 Aug 2015 11:10:23 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/08/18/trends-on-tuesday-the-rise-in-mobile-addicts/ Yahoo’s mobile analytics division, Flurry, released an interesting report, in July, comparing mobile usage among three distinct types of users around the world based on how frequently they launch mobile applications each day: Regular Users, Super Users and Mobile Addicts. According to Flurry, of /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/08/11/trends-on-tuesday-the-impact-of-mobilegeddon-on-non-mobile-friendly-sites/ Tue, 11 Aug 2015 10:00:11 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/08/11/trends-on-tuesday-the-impact-of-mobilegeddon-on-non-mobile-friendly-sites/ Adobe released its quarterly Adobe Digital Index report this month, which showed websites that aren’t mobile optimized are seeing more than double-digit drops in traffic from Google’s organic search referrals. This is after the leading search engine announced it would start penalizing websites, after April 21st, that weren’t optimized for mobile—also called “Mobilegeddon.” Microsoft’s Bing search engine also /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/08/04/trends-on-tuesday-mobile-web-audiences-abandon-sites-with-interstitial-ads/ Tue, 04 Aug 2015 11:18:12 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/08/04/trends-on-tuesday-mobile-web-audiences-abandon-sites-with-interstitial-ads/ David Morell, a software engineer with Google, posted an interesting case study from the tech giant, sharing data about how users interacted with interstitials (ie webpages displayed before or after an expected content page) on their website. Their analysis showed that 69% of users completely abandoned the page and their original intent after being shown an interstitial. Interstitials take many /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/07/30/community-rock-star-round-up/ Thu, 30 Jul 2015 10:00:21 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/07/30/community-rock-star-round-up/ Around this month’s Communities Theme, the DigitalGov team thought we’d round up your community rock stars. These are people in your communities who’ve gone above and beyond, who’ve contributed content, organized events, participated in developing toolkits and more. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/07/28/trends-on-tuesday-people-over-55-soon-to-be-mobile-majority-users/ Tue, 28 Jul 2015 10:00:12 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/07/28/trends-on-tuesday-people-over-55-soon-to-be-mobile-majority-users/ In July, comScore released a research paper, The Global Mobile Report: How Multi-Platform Audiences & Engagement Compare in the U.S., Canada, UK and Beyond, covering a lot of areas from smartphone penetration to Android vs. Apple preferences. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/07/21/trends-on-tuesday-gov-uk-weighs-in-on-mobile-user-habits/ Tue, 21 Jul 2015 10:00:57 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/07/21/trends-on-tuesday-gov-uk-weighs-in-on-mobile-user-habits/ England’s Government Digital Service (similar to our own U.S. Digital Services and 18F) did a study of how content on their websites is consumed on mobile and non-mobile devices and learned several key points for a future-focused and /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/07/14/trends-on-tuesday-adults-use-mobile-devices-most-of-the-time/ Tue, 14 Jul 2015 10:00:29 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/07/14/trends-on-tuesday-adults-use-mobile-devices-most-of-the-time/ Millennial Media released a new research report, Connected Consumers: Gaining Insights Across Screens, examining U.S. digital audiences from January 2014 until January 2015 with some interesting information that reinforces trends we’ve covered before. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/07/07/trends-on-tuesday-trends-in-cms/ Tue, 07 Jul 2015 11:57:30 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/07/07/trends-on-tuesday-trends-in-cms/ A Content Management System (CMS) allows people to easily publish, maintain and update information online. Choosing a CMS (or deciding whether you need one at all) is one that many agencies have faced. It’s not an easy choice because there are many solutions available to content managers. As government agencies, the majority of content we deliver is /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/06/30/trends-on-tuesday-native-app-push-notifications-drive-repeat-use/ Tue, 30 Jun 2015 10:00:59 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/06/30/trends-on-tuesday-native-app-push-notifications-drive-repeat-use/ Analytics company, Localytics, released a new report about mobile app retention rates from the past 4 years that agencies should heed when considering their needs for building native mobile apps, compared to mobile-friendly /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/06/23/trends-on-tuesday-global-efforts-underway-to-update-mobile-accessibility-guidelines/ Tue, 23 Jun 2015 10:00:29 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/06/23/trends-on-tuesday-global-efforts-underway-to-update-mobile-accessibility-guidelines/ Federal agencies do not get a free pass on accessibility for mobile—as we stated earlier this month, Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act applies to ALL information and communication technology (ICT). Luckily, there are a number of organizations working on guidelines and practices to help the private and public sectors create accessible mobile websites and /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/06/16/trends-on-tuesday-native-app-lessons-from-the-crowdsource-mobile-testing-program/ Tue, 16 Jun 2015 10:00:55 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/06/16/trends-on-tuesday-native-app-lessons-from-the-crowdsource-mobile-testing-program/ The more you test, the more you know. We recently highlighted lessons learned from the CrowdSource Mobile Testing Program, discussed the mobile emulator dilemma that many agencies face, and today we’re back with a few insights on native app testing. The Federal CrowdSource Mobile Testing Program yields a rich set of participant feedback that helps individual app /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/06/09/trends-on-tuesday-7-key-takeaways-from-mary-meekers-2015-internet-trends-report/ Tue, 09 Jun 2015 10:00:25 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/06/09/trends-on-tuesday-7-key-takeaways-from-mary-meekers-2015-internet-trends-report/ Silicon Valley analyst Mary Meeker’s annual 2015 Internet Trends report has been released and is an exhaustive analysis of the world’s digital evolution (often mobile-first driven) and how it is affecting business, culture, and information. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/06/02/trends-on-tuesday-thinking-about-your-agencys-glanceable-moment-strategy/ Tue, 02 Jun 2015 10:00:49 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/06/02/trends-on-tuesday-thinking-about-your-agencys-glanceable-moment-strategy/ Mobile device penetration is growing. Yhe new wave of digital screens on watches and wearables is requiring organizations to consider how to build smaller, faster and simpler interfaces to prepare for glanceable moments. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/05/26/trends-on-tuesday-186-3-million-people-own-smartphones-in-the-u-s/ Tue, 26 May 2015 13:20:19 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/05/26/trends-on-tuesday-186-3-million-people-own-smartphones-in-the-u-s/ In April, comScore released new mobile data, and it pointed to the continuing growth of smartphones as the dominant mobile platform, especially in the United States, with almost a 77% smartphone penetration. Android and Apple continue to dominate the operating system market share with 52.8% and 41.7%, respectively. The report said that “186.3 million people in the U.S. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/05/19/trends-on-tuesday-more-google-searches-now-take-place-on-mobile-devices-than-desktops/ Tue, 19 May 2015 10:00:03 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/05/19/trends-on-tuesday-more-google-searches-now-take-place-on-mobile-devices-than-desktops/ The drum beat of the continuing and quick cultural shift to mobile device dominance continues to grow—Google announced that more searches take place on mobile devices than desktops in 10 countries, including the U.S. and Japan. These searches are often driven /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/05/12/trends-on-tuesday-consumer-purchases-and-usage-of-tablets-shrink-as-phablets-grow/ Tue, 12 May 2015 10:00:21 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/05/12/trends-on-tuesday-consumer-purchases-and-usage-of-tablets-shrink-as-phablets-grow/ Consumers are buying less tablets and more phablets, especially in the U.S. Three recent research reports released in the past week from IDC, Flurry and Kantar each point to a shift in consumer purchasing habits over the past quarter, showing that consumers /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/05/05/trends-on-tuesday-u-s-mobile-only-internet-users-now-outnumber-desktop-only-users/ Tue, 05 May 2015 11:00:36 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/05/05/trends-on-tuesday-u-s-mobile-only-internet-users-now-outnumber-desktop-only-users/ Just a week after the ‘Mobilegeddon’ shift in Google search engine rankings to favor mobile-friendly sites, comScore released a research report citing that the U.S. had reached a new inflection point—there are now more mobile-only Internet users than desktop-only. What’s even /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/04/28/trends-on-tuesday-federal-app-development-trends/ Tue, 28 Apr 2015 10:00:27 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/04/28/trends-on-tuesday-federal-app-development-trends/ Mobile apps meet real world needs. App development is not a homogenous process, however. Apple and Android devices are overwhelmingly dominant in device ownership and app development. So, we examined the Federal Mobile Apps Directory for iOS and Android offerings. We noticed a predominance /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/04/14/trends-on-tuesday-10-tips-for-mobile-live-streaming/ Tue, 14 Apr 2015 11:10:55 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/04/14/trends-on-tuesday-10-tips-for-mobile-live-streaming/ Mobile video is starting to hit its second wave for both consumption and creation, and government agencies can prepare now to ride this new channel for mobile and social engagement. Fueled by mobile bandwidth and cellular stability steadily increasing and consumers’ comfort /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/04/07/trends-on-tuesday-40-of-americans-use-smartphones-to-find-government-information/ Tue, 07 Apr 2015 10:00:52 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/04/07/trends-on-tuesday-40-of-americans-use-smartphones-to-find-government-information/ The Pew Research Center released a deep research dive into U.S. Smartphone Use in 2015 that provided three big ideas and data points for government agencies to consider when planning their digital strategies. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/03/31/trends-on-tuesday-smartphone-market-growth-makes-mobile-friendly-a-must/ Tue, 31 Mar 2015 13:00:43 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/03/31/trends-on-tuesday-smartphone-market-growth-makes-mobile-friendly-a-must/ ComScore reported last week that smartphones now make up a whopping 75% of the mobile market. That’s up from 65% just one year ago. This means three-quarters of Americans over the age of 13 now have smartphones, and they are accessing government services with them more and more. This is an undeniable fact because earlier this /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/03/27/empowerment-innovation-and-improved-health-outcomes-the-blue-button-initiative/ Fri, 27 Mar 2015 10:00:40 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/03/27/empowerment-innovation-and-improved-health-outcomes-the-blue-button-initiative/ Finding and getting access to our own health information can be a complex process. And most of us don’t really think about having our health information readily accessible until we really need it – like in the event of an emergency, or when switching doctors or traveling. Combing through stacks of paperwork and contacting providers /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/03/24/trends-on-tuesday-big-data-equals-big-challenges/ Tue, 24 Mar 2015 13:59:04 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/03/24/trends-on-tuesday-big-data-equals-big-challenges/ According to an article from Readwrite, the amount of money going to big data projects is steadily increasing despite widespread failure to achieve many results. For big data-related projects in global organizations, a total of $31 billion was spent in 2013 and that amount is expected to top $114 billion by 2018. The recognition that /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/03/17/trends-on-tuesday-big-ideas-from-mobile-world-congress/ Tue, 17 Mar 2015 10:00:10 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/03/17/trends-on-tuesday-big-ideas-from-mobile-world-congress/ Mobile World Congress, the world’s largest mobile infrastructure, software, hardware, product and app show, took place in Barcelona, Spain, and I attended for the fifth time. This year’s show shattered previous records with more than 93,000 attendees across /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/03/10/trends-on-tuesday-more-time-consuming-complex-tasks-on-mobile-platforms/ Tue, 10 Mar 2015 10:00:56 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/03/10/trends-on-tuesday-more-time-consuming-complex-tasks-on-mobile-platforms/ One of the leading mobile app analytics companies, Flurry, released their annual mobile app growth report with some interesting data showing how audiences are changing the way they engage with mobile applications. Overall, mobile app usage grew 76% in 2014, and the top app categories included: “Lifestyle & Shopping,” growing 174%; “Utilities & Productivity,” growing /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/03/03/trends-on-tuesday-google-to-implement-mobile-friendly-rankings/ Tue, 03 Mar 2015 10:00:18 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/03/03/trends-on-tuesday-google-to-implement-mobile-friendly-rankings/ As the use of smartphones continues to grow, it has become even more important for websites to be mobile-friendly. Google has been aware of this trend for quite some time. In response to this trend, Google made /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/02/25/the-api-briefing-harvesting-the-usdas-rich-bounty-of-open-data-sets-for-apis/ Wed, 25 Feb 2015 10:00:20 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/02/25/the-api-briefing-harvesting-the-usdas-rich-bounty-of-open-data-sets-for-apis/ APIs and apps have been created for almost every aspect of human life. There are alarm clock apps, fitness apps, cooking apps, and personal finance apps, just to name a few of the thousands of apps available today. Most areas of society are well-represented in the app world except for one large portion of the /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/02/24/trends-on-tuesday-mobile-web-lessons-from-the-crowdsource-mobile-testing-program/ Tue, 24 Feb 2015 10:00:03 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/02/24/trends-on-tuesday-mobile-web-lessons-from-the-crowdsource-mobile-testing-program/ Practice makes perfect. But in the mobile world, it’s testing that makes products better. For federal agencies that have developed their own apps or mobile-friendly sites, the CrowdSource Mobile Testing Program offers a simple way to collect feedback on compatibility testing. Since the program’s inception in March 2013, eight federal mobile websites (including responsive design) /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/02/17/trends-on-tuesday-top-five-trends-in-mobile-app-design-for-2015/ Tue, 17 Feb 2015 11:10:27 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/02/17/trends-on-tuesday-top-five-trends-in-mobile-app-design-for-2015/ Mobile user habits are a moving target, and designers have to adjust accordingly. Review these top 5 trends in app design for 2015. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/02/12/ifttt-combines-social-media-mobile-and-internet-of-things-for-government/ Thu, 12 Feb 2015 16:20:56 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/02/12/ifttt-combines-social-media-mobile-and-internet-of-things-for-government/ The newest addition to the federal government’s social media utility belt may also be one of its most powerful, as IFTTT (as in “If This Then That”) combines 166 channels like Twitter, Android and iOS Location and RSS into “recipes” that can integrate government social media, data, location-based services /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/02/10/trends-on-tuesday-smartphone-growth-reaches-1-3-billion-in-2014/ Tue, 10 Feb 2015 09:51:14 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/02/10/trends-on-tuesday-smartphone-growth-reaches-1-3-billion-in-2014/ Smartphone adoption rate continues to rise, but the screen sizes users adopt continue to evolve. According to preliminary data from the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, smartphone vendors shipped a total of 375.2 million units during the fourth quarter of 2014. IDC states that this was an increase of more than 25%, compared /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/02/03/trends-on-tuesday-using-sms-for-customer-support/ Tue, 03 Feb 2015 10:00:07 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/02/03/trends-on-tuesday-using-sms-for-customer-support/ Don’t forget, mobile first strategy can include text messaging and SMS, not just native apps and responsive Web design. Ninety percent of all SMS messages are read within three minutes of being received, according to a recent blog post on Gigaom. Paired with an average open rate of 98% (versus 22% for email) and the /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/01/29/nasa-reaches-new-frontiers-in-3d-printing/ Thu, 29 Jan 2015 11:10:55 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/01/29/nasa-reaches-new-frontiers-in-3d-printing/ 3D printing has gone out of this world. Earlier this month, DigitalGov covered the NIH 3D Print Exchange, where 3D printing is supporting scientific learning and research. Today, we’re highlighting a project that is reaching brand new heights: NASA’s In-space Manufacturing Initiative. Self-Sufficiency in Space NASA is currently conducting 3D printing experiments aboard the International /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/01/29/how-government-will-accelerate-anytime-anywhere-services-and-information-in-2015/ Thu, 29 Jan 2015 03:19:04 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/01/29/how-government-will-accelerate-anytime-anywhere-services-and-information-in-2015/ Innovative wearables, stronger wifi and more 3D printing have been among the many projections for the future of mobile in 2015. Whatever comes to pass, we can be certain that the anytime, anywhere user will develop new habits and desires based on new trends. Government must accelerate its customer service approach with anytime, anywhere efforts to keep up. Here’s /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/01/28/the-api-briefing-nasa-and-usps-explore-the-holographic-computing-frontier/ Wed, 28 Jan 2015 10:00:30 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/01/28/the-api-briefing-nasa-and-usps-explore-the-holographic-computing-frontier/ Big news in the technology world as Microsoft unveiled HoloLens and Microsoft’s use of holographic computing in the upcoming Windows 10 release. Holographic computing or augmented reality uses computer-generated images that are overlaid on real world videos. For example, a user can view a car through their smartphone. An app can project information such as /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/01/27/trends-on-tuesday-mobile-marketing-on-the-rise/ Tue, 27 Jan 2015 11:10:43 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/01/27/trends-on-tuesday-mobile-marketing-on-the-rise/ Marketers are increasingly using SMS, push notifications, mobile apps, location-based functionality and other mobile-first techniques to reach constituents. That’s according to a recent article from Marketingland.com, which provided an overview of the mobile trends presented in Salesforce’s 2015 State of Marketing Report. The report was based on a survey of 5,000 marketers in 10 countries. Some /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/01/20/trends-big-data-and-gov-in-2015/ Tue, 20 Jan 2015 11:00:41 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/01/20/trends-big-data-and-gov-in-2015/ As we move into 2015, the amount of data available in the digital ecosystem will increase very rapidly because of the Internet of Things (IoT), social media and wearable tech. In the future, the problem lies not only with data collection, but with what one does with the data. Big /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/01/13/trends-on-tuesday-responsive-web-design-implementation-happening-piecemeal/ Tue, 13 Jan 2015 12:02:04 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/01/13/trends-on-tuesday-responsive-web-design-implementation-happening-piecemeal/ Approximately 18% of websites have implemented Responsive Web Design, according to the audit of websites Guy Podjarny completed in November. That’s more than 7% growth since his previous audit in January 2014. That number may seem low with the popularity of Responsive Web Design and the preference of mobile websites from users, but implementing responsive Web /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/01/06/trends-on-tuesday-phablets-top-tablets-in-post-holiday-activations/ Tue, 06 Jan 2015 11:31:50 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/01/06/trends-on-tuesday-phablets-top-tablets-in-post-holiday-activations/ Phablets, the popular term for smartphones with screen sizes from 5.5 to less than 7 inches, increased in popularity this holiday season. According to Flurry, 13% of new device activations in December were phablets, jumping from 4% in 2013. Back in October, the International Data Corporation (IDC) predicted that “phablets” would outship tablets in 2015. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/12/30/trends-on-tuesday-the-hottest-digitalgov-mobile-articles-in-2014/ Tue, 30 Dec 2014 11:10:55 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/12/30/trends-on-tuesday-the-hottest-digitalgov-mobile-articles-in-2014/ QR codes, apps about whales, bullying and railroad crossings, challenges of responsive Web design and mobilizing charts and tables were the things you were most interested in this year. We publish mobile trends every Tuesday and feature a government mobile app every Thursday on the mobile channel of DigitalGov. In addition, we do recaps of MobileGov /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/12/23/trends-on-tuesday-half-of-online-americans-dont-know-what-a-privacy-policy-is/ Tue, 23 Dec 2014 09:00:17 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/12/23/trends-on-tuesday-half-of-online-americans-dont-know-what-a-privacy-policy-is/ Federal agencies are required by law to use privacy policies on their digital properties that explain how they use the data they collect about users and visitors. This ensures that these users and visitors know what the government is doing with their data. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/12/16/trends-on-tuesday-smartphone-users-still-use-the-phone-for-talking/ Tue, 16 Dec 2014 10:57:53 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/12/16/trends-on-tuesday-smartphone-users-still-use-the-phone-for-talking/ Smartphones are changing how organizations do business—they are more than just smart Web browsers. As I noted last week, purchases from mobile phones have dramatically increased during the holiday shopping season. The infographic from IfByPhone demonstrates how people are using /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/12/09/trends-on-tuesday-mobile-sales-rise-substantially-during-holiday-shopping-season/ Tue, 09 Dec 2014 10:14:32 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/12/09/trends-on-tuesday-mobile-sales-rise-substantially-during-holiday-shopping-season/ Were you surfing the pre-Black Friday online sales while waiting for the Thanksgiving turkey to appear on the table? Turns out, you weren’t alone. “Online sales for Thanksgiving 2014 grew 12.2%, with mobile sales accounting for 74% of that traffic,” according to Mobile Marketing Watch. To put that in context, mobile sales grew 26.1% percent /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/12/02/trends-on-tuesday-americas-new-first-screen/ Tue, 02 Dec 2014 10:00:46 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/12/02/trends-on-tuesday-americas-new-first-screen/ It has finally happened: Mobile has bumped TV as America’s first screen. Recent analysis from Flurry Analytics, which included data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, found that time spent on mobile devices grew in the U.S. by 9.3% to 2 hrs and 57 minutes, while time spent watching TV has remained flat at 2 hrs and 48 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/11/25/trends-on-tuesday-what-are-you-asking-your-phone/ Tue, 25 Nov 2014 10:00:33 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/11/25/trends-on-tuesday-what-are-you-asking-your-phone/ What’s the weather like? When does the next movie start? What time does Target close? These are just a few questions that I may ask my phone on any given day. According to a recent Mobile Voice Study led by Google, I’m not the only having conversations with my phone. 55% of teens aged 13-18 use voice /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/11/18/trends-on-tuesday-speed-matters-when-measuring-responsive-web-design-performance-load-times/ Tue, 18 Nov 2014 10:00:48 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/11/18/trends-on-tuesday-speed-matters-when-measuring-responsive-web-design-performance-load-times/ In the mobile world, every second matters. Mobile users are a finicky bunch. They want their information anytime, anywhere and quickly. As members of the MobileGov Community of Practice have noted last year, mobile user experience is about emotion. If that emotion is not happy, you will lose the user. For this month’s DigitalGov user /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/11/04/trends-on-tuesday-phablets-to-top-tablets-in-2015/ Tue, 04 Nov 2014 11:10:30 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/11/04/trends-on-tuesday-phablets-to-top-tablets-in-2015/ Is it a phone or is it a tablet? The International Data Corporation (IDC) predicts that “phablets,” the popular term for smartphones with screen sizes from 5.5 to less than 7 inches, will outship portable PCs this year and tablets in 2015. Specifically, total phablet volume will top 318 million units, surpassing the 233 million /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/10/31/whats-happening-with-the-internet-of-things/ Fri, 31 Oct 2014 12:32:33 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/10/31/whats-happening-with-the-internet-of-things/ No Mobile Gov Month on DigitalGov would be complete without an update on the Internet of Things. Regardless if you’re talking wearables, smart homes, sensors or any other connected device, your current mobile approaches will be impacted—as will your social media, user experience and data strategies. When we last visited the topic in April, discussion /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/10/30/cyber-house-of-horrors/ Thu, 30 Oct 2014 04:29:46 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/10/30/cyber-house-of-horrors/ Ghosts. Ghouls. Zombies. Multi-stakeholder content audits. This Halloween there is no shortage of terrors lurking to keep federal Web managers up all night, and our work is largely done in one of the scariest domains of all: cyberspace. Every moment of every day, a vast system of computers and networks are actively working to support /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/10/14/trends-on-tuesday-mobile-app-pop-quiz/ Tue, 14 Oct 2014 13:56:57 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/10/14/trends-on-tuesday-mobile-app-pop-quiz/ It’s time for a mobile pop quiz. How well do you know consumers and the time they spend on mobile apps? ComScore recently released the U.S. Mobile App Report which sheds light on how Americans use mobile apps. Test your knowledge with the five questions /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/10/06/trends-on-tuesday-are-qr-codes-still-relevant/ Mon, 06 Oct 2014 16:55:55 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/10/06/trends-on-tuesday-are-qr-codes-still-relevant/ Recently, I was designing new outreach materials and needed a way to connect this offline collateral with my agency’s digital content. Using a QR (or Quick Response) code immediately came to mind, followed by the question, “Are QR codes still relevant?” Opinions differ on their utility and I couldn’t find any objective data on how /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/09/30/trends-on-tuesday-meet-the-mobile-power-users/ Tue, 30 Sep 2014 11:21:09 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/09/30/trends-on-tuesday-meet-the-mobile-power-users/ U.S. Hispanics are ahead of the digital curve, according to an analysis of strategies of leading brands and forward-thinking marketers by Lisa Gevelber, Vice President of Americas Marketing. As we’ve noted before, Hispanics not only lead in adoption of new devices, they are also power users of mobile. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/09/23/trends-on-tuesday-avoid-the-testing-black-hole/ Tue, 23 Sep 2014 10:00:42 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/09/23/trends-on-tuesday-avoid-the-testing-black-hole/ Remember the Golden Age of Web development? A time long ago when there were only five desktop browsers to support, a few different screen sizes and every user connected via broadband? Well, those days are over. With the advent of mobile Web /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/09/09/trends-on-tuesday-are-only-11-of-websites-responsive/ Tue, 09 Sep 2014 10:00:59 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/09/09/trends-on-tuesday-are-only-11-of-websites-responsive/ Roughly 1 in 9 (11%) websites have adopted responsive Web design, according to research conducted by Guy Podjarny in January. While the number has risen in the last 7 months, I know you’re probably a little underwhelmed by that number. But if you are one of the agencies that have gone through the process of /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/09/02/trends-on-tuesday-are-pcs-obsolete-2/ Tue, 02 Sep 2014 14:05:01 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/09/02/trends-on-tuesday-are-pcs-obsolete-2/ We’ve seen (and experienced) a dramatic growth in mobile consumption in recent years. From app downloads to tablet ownership, the use of mobile devices continues to trend up. But, is this at the expense of desktop computer usage? Not really. The growth of mobile activity is incremental to what’s happening on existing platforms, according to /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/08/26/trends-on-tuesday-have-you-cut-the-cord/ Tue, 26 Aug 2014 10:00:05 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/08/26/trends-on-tuesday-have-you-cut-the-cord/ First, it was party lines. Then, it was the rotary phone. Now, two-in-five (41%) U.S. households have officially said goodbye to landlines, according to a recent report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s National Center for Health Statistics. If you have been keeping up with previous mobile trends, you won’t be surprised /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/08/19/trends-on-tuesday-whats-currently-the-no-1-smartphone-in-the-u-s/ Tue, 19 Aug 2014 10:00:18 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/08/19/trends-on-tuesday-whats-currently-the-no-1-smartphone-in-the-u-s/ Do you ever find yourself conducting unofficial smartphone research? Ever since my agency decided to develop a mobile app, I know I do. Luckily, new data from ComScore on the U.S. smartphone subscriber market share can help eliminate the guesswork. Here are a few of the key trends ComScore found in the U.S. smartphone industry /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/08/12/trends-on-tuesday-the-rise-of-mobile-app-super-users/ Tue, 12 Aug 2014 10:00:33 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/08/12/trends-on-tuesday-the-rise-of-mobile-app-super-users/ A recent Trends on Tuesday post cautioned against becoming another statistic in the treacherous, desolate wasteland known as the App Graveyard. Thankfully, there is some research that shows the likelihood of your app being banished to its grave is receding. Trends indicate that not only are app retention rates rising, user engagement is increasing. According /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/08/05/trends-on-tuesday-whats-your-mobile-appetite/ Tue, 05 Aug 2014 11:00:57 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/08/05/trends-on-tuesday-whats-your-mobile-appetite/ In a few short years, the number of mobile apps has exploded, and the time spent on apps continues to increase. However, one thing hasn’t changed: the number of apps individuals use. The average smartphone owner uses 22 to 28 apps in a month, according to new data from Nielsen. Here are a few highlights /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/07/29/trends-on-tuesday-avoid-the-app-graveyard/ Tue, 29 Jul 2014 01:23:17 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/07/29/trends-on-tuesday-avoid-the-app-graveyard/ Apps that are downloaded, used a few times and then never used again, are considered part of the “app graveyard.” In fact, 95% of apps are discarded within a month of download by users. Focus on creating a great user experience to make sure your agency apps are used consistently. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/07/22/trends-on-tuesday-fcc-finds-rise-in-mobile-internet-subscriptions/ Tue, 22 Jul 2014 11:00:40 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/07/22/trends-on-tuesday-fcc-finds-rise-in-mobile-internet-subscriptions/ Approximately 70% of American households have a fixed Internet source of 0.2 megabits per second or greater, according to the U.S. Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Measuring Broadband Across America Report that analyzes the digital divide in the U.S. Up 15% in the last decade, this increase in Internet subscription source /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/07/15/trends-on-tuesday-mobile-drives-time-on-digital-media/ Tue, 15 Jul 2014 14:28:13 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/07/15/trends-on-tuesday-mobile-drives-time-on-digital-media/ Major mobile milestones in May—try saying that three times! A new mobile usage report from ComScore revealed two significant shifts to mobile in May: total time spent on digital media and time spent on apps. Here are a few highlights from the report: Mobile platforms—smartphones and tablets—accounted for 60% of total time spent on digital /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/07/08/trends-on-tuesday-what-does-mobile-first-video-look-like/ Tue, 08 Jul 2014 01:39:53 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/07/08/trends-on-tuesday-what-does-mobile-first-video-look-like/ Like many Americans during the last month, I developed FIFA fever. Checking on scores, anticipating the latest Google Doodle and watching game highlights became part of my daily iPhone routine. Despite the elimination of Team U.S.A, mobile video consumption continues to win new fans. Consider these mobile video viewing statistics: On average, consumers spend 33 minutes /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/07/01/trends-on-tuesday-maximizing-your-mobile-moments/ Tue, 01 Jul 2014 11:00:13 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/07/01/trends-on-tuesday-maximizing-your-mobile-moments/ The rise of mobile device ownership is rapidly changing the way we, and our stakeholders, interact with organizations and information. From local weather to the status of our train, we look to our smartphones to not only provide the answers, but anticipate our questions. Forrester refers to this /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/06/24/trends-on-tuesday-are-mobile-devices-the-center-of-social-universe/ Tue, 24 Jun 2014 15:28:59 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/06/24/trends-on-tuesday-are-mobile-devices-the-center-of-social-universe/ Mobile devices are moving closer to the center of the social universe, according to this Sproutsocial article. Platforms like Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter are overwhelmingly used on the go. Comscore predicts that there will be increasing monetization via social in the coming years. In the banking industry, where data shows many people have stopped going to /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/06/17/trends-on-tuesday-mobile-location-data/ Tue, 17 Jun 2014 10:00:38 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/06/17/trends-on-tuesday-mobile-location-data/ Imagine a world where your mobile device delivers ads for goods and services within 100 yards of your location. According to Thinknear, a leader in /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/06/12/three-ways-agencies-are-using-social-media-in-mobile-products/ Thu, 12 Jun 2014 14:29:54 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/06/12/three-ways-agencies-are-using-social-media-in-mobile-products/ As highlighted in this Trends on Tuesday post, time spent on mobile phones—about 3 hours per day—has surpassed that of daily PC usage. This yields a significant opportunity for consumer interaction with federal agencies’ mobile apps, not just websites, and social media outlets. To take advantage of new opportunities for consumer /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/06/10/trends-on-tuesday-time-on-mobile-surpasses-pc-usage/ Tue, 10 Jun 2014 10:03:43 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/06/10/trends-on-tuesday-time-on-mobile-surpasses-pc-usage/ With the recent growth of smartphone and tablet ownership, it’s no surprise that U.S. consumers are spending more time on mobile devices than PCs. Mobile usage will rise to nearly three hours per day in 2014, according to eMarketer. So how does mobile compare to other major media: Mobile usage will rise to 2 hours 51 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/06/03/trends-on-tuesday-mary-meekers-2014-internet-trends/ Tue, 03 Jun 2014 13:25:10 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/06/03/trends-on-tuesday-mary-meekers-2014-internet-trends/ Since 2001, Mary Meeker has developed a knack for highlighting what’s currently happening on the Internet and how this information may impact technology and business in the future. Last week she released her 2014 Internet Trends and it reveals some interesting digital trends. Here are the highlights: Marketing: Social messaging is changing /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/05/27/trends-on-tuesday-hispanic-millennials-provide-insight-on-mobile-future/ Tue, 27 May 2014 13:24:38 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/05/27/trends-on-tuesday-hispanic-millennials-provide-insight-on-mobile-future/ If you’re a frequent Trends on Tuesday reader, you may recall our post titled, “Latinos Embrace the Mobile Future,” which outlined several key categories where Latinos have adopted mobile technology faster than other groups. A new report by Univision and the Interactive Advertising Bureau, took an in-depth look at the mobile habits of Hispanic millennials, /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/05/20/trends-on-tuesday-larger-screen-smartphones-see-accelerated-shipments/ Tue, 20 May 2014 01:15:08 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/05/20/trends-on-tuesday-larger-screen-smartphones-see-accelerated-shipments/ Smaller doesn’t mean more popular when it comes to smartphone screen size. According to mobile analyst Canalys, shipments for phones with screens larger than 5″ represented a third of total shipments worldwide in Q1 this year. Devices with a screen size larger than 5″ are more popularly known as “phablets” (not quite tablets, not quite phones). Government agencies /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/05/13/trends-on-tuesday-apps-dominate-mobile-web-usage/ Tue, 13 May 2014 13:13:22 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/05/13/trends-on-tuesday-apps-dominate-mobile-web-usage/ “There’s an app for that.” New data from app analytics provider Flurry on mobile app usage reveals that smartphone users are taking this trademarked slogan to heart. Of the 2 hours and 42 minutes per day that a typical user is on a mobile device, mobile app usage accounts for 2 hours and 19 minutes /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/04/29/trends-on-tuesday-mobile-its-where-youll-find-millennials/ Tue, 29 Apr 2014 10:04:25 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/04/29/trends-on-tuesday-mobile-its-where-youll-find-millennials/ It’s no secret, if you want to reach Millennials, mobile is a great way to connect. This generation of tech-natives is adept at accessing large amounts of information held in the palms of their hands. However, their information overload also poses a challenge for agencies /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/04/22/trends-on-tuesday-how-contact-centers-are-adapting-to-the-mobile-user/ Tue, 22 Apr 2014 10:00:01 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/04/22/trends-on-tuesday-how-contact-centers-are-adapting-to-the-mobile-user/ While it does provide challenges, anytime, anywhere digital government provides numerous opportunities for contact centers to do business more effectively. According to this study by Compare Business Products, one of the most important impacts for contact centers is that smartphone users can now connect with contact centers via voice calls, SMS messages, Internet pages, social /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/04/15/trends-on-tuesday-e-reading-on-the-rise/ Tue, 15 Apr 2014 09:18:35 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/04/15/trends-on-tuesday-e-reading-on-the-rise/ What’s black and white and read all over? An e-reader. While it may be premature to revise classic riddles, a recent study by the Pew Research Center indicates that e-books are gaining popularity among American readers. Nearly three in ten adults (28%) reported reading an e-book in the past year, up from 23% at the /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/04/08/trends-on-tuesday-multi-device-use-is-common-practice/ Tue, 08 Apr 2014 09:50:55 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/04/08/trends-on-tuesday-multi-device-use-is-common-practice/ Have you ever opened an email on your smartphone, and then switched to your laptop to read the attachment or write your response? According to a new multi-device study, you’re not alone. More than 40 percent of all online adults move across devices—they start an activity /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/04/08/tell-us-your-internet-of-things-challenges/ Tue, 08 Apr 2014 01:04:09 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/04/08/tell-us-your-internet-of-things-challenges/ The Internet of Things, a concept approaching reality, is best described as objects (think appliance, trees, etc.) in the world equipped with identifying devices or machine-readable identifiers that make them connected to the Web. This handy infographic charts the history and development of the idea and perhaps this washing machine could be a roadmap to /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/04/01/trends-on-tuesday-u-s-smartphone-ownership-increases/ Tue, 01 Apr 2014 13:31:07 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/04/01/trends-on-tuesday-u-s-smartphone-ownership-increases/ 159.8 million people in the U.S. over the age of 13 owned smartphones during the three months ending in January, up 7 percent since October, according to ComScore. That is a 66.8 percent mobile market penetration, meaning two thirds of people in the country /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/03/27/gsa-introduces-news-genius-to-decode-government-web/ Thu, 27 Mar 2014 08:00:20 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/03/27/gsa-introduces-news-genius-to-decode-government-web/ The federal government can now unlock the collaborative genius of citizens and communities to make public services easier to access and understand with a new free social media platform launched by GSA today at the Federal #SocialGov Summit on Entrepreneurship and Small Business. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/03/25/trends-on-tuesday-testing-key-to-quality-mobile-products/ Tue, 25 Mar 2014 10:00:34 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/03/25/trends-on-tuesday-testing-key-to-quality-mobile-products/ Building quality mobile products is the greatest challenge for succeeding in the mobile space according to an infographic by SmartBear. One key to developing quality mobile products is testing, as “nearly 50% of consumers will delete an app if they encounter just a single bug.” As a result the following processes are used to ensure /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/03/18/trends-on-tuesday-mobile-download-speeds-on-the-rise/ Tue, 18 Mar 2014 01:35:57 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/03/18/trends-on-tuesday-mobile-download-speeds-on-the-rise/ Mobile devices are uploading data faster and mobile users are starting to expect better performance, according to Citrix. Fifty percent of web pages are taking 37.5% less time to load on a mobile device than they did just a year ago according the Citrix Mobile Analytics Report. This infographic from the study shows the percentage of users /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/03/13/anytime-anywhere-anything-the-effect-of-mobile-on-the-web-in-25-years/ Thu, 13 Mar 2014 14:32:42 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/03/13/anytime-anywhere-anything-the-effect-of-mobile-on-the-web-in-25-years/ In 25 years, imagine a world where anytime, anywhere, any device is just taken for granted. That’s the theme from the responses we got from our Mobile Gov Community of Practice members when we asked them to predict the effect mobile would have on the Web /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/03/11/trends-on-tuesday-tablet-ownership-steadily-increasing/ Tue, 11 Mar 2014 10:32:50 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/03/11/trends-on-tuesday-tablet-ownership-steadily-increasing/ Tablet ownership continues to rise, 44% of Americans now owning one, according to Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) December 2013 estimates. Other interesting findings include: Exactly half of American adults now own either a tablet or an e-reader. 7 in 10 online consumers expect /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/03/04/trends-on-tuesday-global-mobile-data-traffic-nearly-doubles-in-2013/ Tue, 04 Mar 2014 12:18:53 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/03/04/trends-on-tuesday-global-mobile-data-traffic-nearly-doubles-in-2013/ Global mobile data traffic almost doubled in 2013 according to Cisco’s recent Traffic Forecast Update. There are a number of other mobile data traffic trends in the report, but here are five trends we wanted to highlight today: Global mobile data traffic grew 81 percent in 2013. Global mobile data traffic reached 1.5 exabytes per /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/02/25/trends-on-tuesday-six-new-changes-in-kids-media-habits/ Tue, 25 Feb 2014 11:53:59 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/02/25/trends-on-tuesday-six-new-changes-in-kids-media-habits/ Children’s mobile media use has doubled and in some cases tripled in the last two years, according an eSchool News report of a study by Common Sense Media. Here are the other key findings: Roughly twice /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/02/18/trends-on-tuesday-distracted-walking/ Tue, 18 Feb 2014 09:50:07 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/02/18/trends-on-tuesday-distracted-walking/ Piggybacking on one of my earlier posts, People are Excited about Mobile, I’m going to talk about “Distracted Walking.” Who among us hasn’t walked and texted or checked Facebook or Twitter on our smartphones, but have bumped into someone or something while texting on your smartphone? I /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/02/11/trends-on-tuesday-1-billion-smartphones-shipped-in-2013/ Tue, 11 Feb 2014 13:54:16 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/02/11/trends-on-tuesday-1-billion-smartphones-shipped-in-2013/ Smartphone adoption continues to grow exponentially. IDC recently reported smartphones accounted for 55.1% of worldwide mobile phone shipments last year. Smartphone manufacturers shipped a whopping 1.004 billion smartphones last year, up 38.4% from 2012’s shipments of 725.3 million, according to data /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/02/04/trends-on-tuesday-optimizing-infographics-for-mobile/ Tue, 04 Feb 2014 10:33:06 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/02/04/trends-on-tuesday-optimizing-infographics-for-mobile/ Mobile first means more than just focusing on text content; it’s also includes considering visual content as important element of the user experience. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/01/28/trends-on-tuesday-65-of-all-email-gets-opened-first-on-a-mobile-device/ Tue, 28 Jan 2014 05:37:44 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/01/28/trends-on-tuesday-65-of-all-email-gets-opened-first-on-a-mobile-device/ While composing email on mobile phones is still a tricky feat, email reading is quickly shifting away from the desktop. According to data from the US Consumer Device Preference Report: Q4 2013 from Movable Ink, way more than half of all email — a full 65 percent — is now being accessed /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/01/21/trends-on-tuesday-4th-qtr-online-mobile-traffic-up-40-over-last-year/ Tue, 21 Jan 2014 17:53:37 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/01/21/trends-on-tuesday-4th-qtr-online-mobile-traffic-up-40-over-last-year/ According to the IBM Digital Analytics Benchmark report, overall 4th quarter online sales were up 10.3% year over year. Here were some of the key drivers: • Mobile Traffic and Sales: Mobile traffic soared, accounting for nearly 35 percent of all online traffic, up /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/01/14/trends-on-tuesday-the-future-of-mobile-data/ Tue, 14 Jan 2014 17:20:40 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/01/14/trends-on-tuesday-the-future-of-mobile-data/ This infographic from Light Reading addresses recent trends in mobile data use. We are struck by how much data was transferred via a WiFi connection vs. cellular. People are using WiFi connections way more than cellular ones. Some other quick highlights: In Q2 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/01/07/trends-on-tuesday-what-might-smartphones-do-in-2016/ Tue, 07 Jan 2014 13:42:23 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/01/07/trends-on-tuesday-what-might-smartphones-do-in-2016/ A recent article in Mobile Marketing Watch suggested location-based sensor fusion would be featured on a billion mobile devices in 2016. Last year Mary Meeker said in 2013 that mobile would be wearable, sharable, drivable and flyable. We’ve gathered some other projections for the future functionality of mobile devices; • Indoor /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/12/31/trends-on-tuesday-federal-agency-mobile-gov-trends-in-2013/ Tue, 31 Dec 2013 13:31:03 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/12/31/trends-on-tuesday-federal-agency-mobile-gov-trends-in-2013/ Today we want to tell you about the federal agency trends we saw this year in the development of public facing mobile products. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/12/23/trends-on-tuesday-when-was-your-mobile-phone-not-within-ear-shot/ Mon, 23 Dec 2013 13:19:53 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/12/23/trends-on-tuesday-when-was-your-mobile-phone-not-within-ear-shot/ Here’s the latest news from the people are “excited about mobile” beat. Do you remember the last time your phone was not within earshot? Well, according to this infographic from Fast Company, 25% of smartphone owners ages 18-44 surveyed said they couldn’t remember the last time their smartphone was not /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/12/17/trends-on-tuesday-mobile-shopping-increased-for-2013-holiday-shopping/ Tue, 17 Dec 2013 13:16:26 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/12/17/trends-on-tuesday-mobile-shopping-increased-for-2013-holiday-shopping/ Mobile shopping increased significantly this year for both Black Friday and Cyber Monday. But by how much? A lot says this report from IBM: Online Sales Set New Record: Thanksgiving Day online sales grew by 19.7 percent year-over-year followed by Black Friday, with sales increasing 19 percent over 2012. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/12/10/trends-on-tuesday-mobile-gaming-habits/ Tue, 10 Dec 2013 01:01:15 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/12/10/trends-on-tuesday-mobile-gaming-habits/ We’ve reported before that playing games is one of the most popular activities on mobile devices. A recent study by App Annie and IDC dives deeper into /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/12/03/trends-on-tuesday-more-tablet-shipments-than-pcs-in-2014/ Tue, 03 Dec 2013 09:11:05 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/12/03/trends-on-tuesday-more-tablet-shipments-than-pcs-in-2014/ Canalys, an international IT company, predicted last week that tablets will almost out-ship all other PC form factors combined next year. They expect that tablets will account for almost 50% of the total client PC market (that includes desktops, notebooks, and tablets) in 2014. PC shipments accounted for 40% of PC shipments /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/11/26/trends-on-tuesday-mobile-driving-pre-cyber-monday-shopping/ Tue, 26 Nov 2013 15:55:39 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/11/26/trends-on-tuesday-mobile-driving-pre-cyber-monday-shopping/ Cyber Monday, billed as one of the busiest online-commerce days of the year, is spilling into the rest of the holiday season as more consumers use mobile devices to shop whenever they please. Shoppers are no longer waiting to return to work on the Monday after Thanksgiving to surf and complete web deals. Consumers armed /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/11/12/trends-on-tuesday-would-you-trade-your-latte-for-your-mobile-device/ Tue, 12 Nov 2013 09:50:30 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/11/12/trends-on-tuesday-would-you-trade-your-latte-for-your-mobile-device/ Recently, Mobile Marketing Watch published Sprint’s interesting infographic showing how executives use their mobile devices. “Would you trade your latte or morning cup of coffee for your mobile phone?” Sprint asked business professional executives. According to the results of their survey, turns out business professionals would /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/11/05/trends-on-tuesday-mobile-surpasses-desktop-for-social-media/ Tue, 05 Nov 2013 10:30:24 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/11/05/trends-on-tuesday-mobile-surpasses-desktop-for-social-media/ More users are now accessing social media via mobile than on desktops. People are checking email or using social networks during their commute, in line at the grocery store, or waiting at the doctor’s /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/10/29/tuesday-trends-12-trends-shaping-digital-news/ Tue, 29 Oct 2013 10:13:29 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/10/29/tuesday-trends-12-trends-shaping-digital-news/ The Pew Research Center recently released a report on “12 Trends Shaping Digital News.” Some of these trends show that mobile devices continue to affect how the public consumes the news. The report found: 19% of Americans saw news on a social network “yesterday” in 2012, more than double the 9% who had done so /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/10/22/tuesday-trends-lets-talk-connected-devices/ Tue, 22 Oct 2013 10:15:32 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/10/22/tuesday-trends-lets-talk-connected-devices/ Mobile Future recently released this infographic about the proliferation of connected devices. Among the key data points: Today, there are 10 billion connected devices. By 2020, data from connected devices will more than double all global Internet traffic in 2012. Traffic /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/09/24/trends-on-tuesday-pew-cell-phone-activities-report/ Tue, 24 Sep 2013 09:23:14 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/09/24/trends-on-tuesday-pew-cell-phone-activities-report/ Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project recently released their report on Cell Phone Activities for 2013. The report stated /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/09/17/trends-on-tuesday-the-state-of-mobile-search/ Tue, 17 Sep 2013 13:46:18 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/09/17/trends-on-tuesday-the-state-of-mobile-search/ Mobile searching has become a fact of life. According to a recent study by Econsultancy, 67% of smartphone owners had used their device to search for information in the past 7 days. The infographic below describes what they are searching for–the majority of searches are for /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/09/10/trends-on-tuesday-kids-are-going-mobile/ Tue, 10 Sep 2013 02:31:38 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/09/10/trends-on-tuesday-kids-are-going-mobile/ From the time they can grasp an object in their hands, children are reaching for electronic gadgets of all kinds—particularly our smartphones and tablets. The early adoption of mobile is growing each year as evidenced by this infographic from EveryDayFamily.com. 30 percent of 2- to /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/09/03/trends-on-tuesday-companies-use-mobile-for-brand-loyalty/ Tue, 03 Sep 2013 09:56:06 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/09/03/trends-on-tuesday-companies-use-mobile-for-brand-loyalty/ A recent survey of 100 retailers by EPiServer found that 46 percent of those with a mobile strategy in place and 74 percent of those planning to launch one soon said they are using mobile primarily to increase customer loyalty or provide a more personalized experience for /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/08/27/trends-on-tuesday-why-you-should-be-accessible-on-mobile/ Tue, 27 Aug 2013 10:24:24 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/08/27/trends-on-tuesday-why-you-should-be-accessible-on-mobile/ Mobile Marketing Watch released an article explaining why it is important for the workplace to be making the move to mobile. When it comes to marketing, it is essential to understand your customer and be easily discoverable or else your product will go unseen. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/08/20/trends-on-tuesday-latinos-embrace-the-mobile-future/ Tue, 20 Aug 2013 09:30:26 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/08/20/trends-on-tuesday-latinos-embrace-the-mobile-future/ Latinos appear to be adapting to mobile technology faster than other groups, according to Mobile Future. They are ahead of the average U.S. population in several key categories, such as: 47% of Latino adults have embraced wireless exclusively versus 34% of all U.S. adults /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/08/13/trends-on-tuesday-people-are-excited-about-mobile/ Tue, 13 Aug 2013 10:02:46 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/08/13/trends-on-tuesday-people-are-excited-about-mobile/ The way people are using mobile is changing—we are socializing in new ways; performing tasks in new ways, often multi-tasking between activities; and sharing and gathering information in new ways. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/08/06/trends-on-tuesday-a-record-230-million-smartphones-shipped-q2-2013/ Tue, 06 Aug 2013 11:45:35 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/08/06/trends-on-tuesday-a-record-230-million-smartphones-shipped-q2-2013/ According to research done by Strategy Analytics, global smartphone shipments grew 47 percent from 156.5 million units in the second quarter of 2012 to 229.6 million units in the second quarter of 2013. Additionally, the research finds that this growth is being driven by demand for Android phones /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/07/30/trends-on-tuesday-identify-your-mobile-personas/ Tue, 30 Jul 2013 09:35:38 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/07/30/trends-on-tuesday-identify-your-mobile-personas/ The mobile product your agency is trying to promote needs to fit your customers, and creating mobile personas is a strategic way of doing that. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/07/23/trends-on-tuesday-uprise-of-sms-marketing/ Tue, 23 Jul 2013 15:30:39 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/07/23/trends-on-tuesday-uprise-of-sms-marketing/ MobileMarketingWatch recently published an article on how the SMS marketing world is changing. Due to its popularity, SMS has evolved into one of the most effective mobile marketing strategies. Improves Relevance for All: Marketers tailor campaigns to a variety of interests in order /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/07/16/trends-on-tuesday-mobile-a-second-screen-for-tv-viewing/ Tue, 16 Jul 2013 09:58:58 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/07/16/trends-on-tuesday-mobile-a-second-screen-for-tv-viewing/ A study conducted by Nielson for Q1 2013 reports that almost half of all mobile users use their mobile devices as second screens while watching TV on a daily basis (46% for smartphones, 43% for tablets). /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/07/09/trends-on-tuesday-top-smartphones-on-the-market/ Tue, 09 Jul 2013 09:09:27 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/07/09/trends-on-tuesday-top-smartphones-on-the-market/ ComScore recently released key trends in the United States’ smartphone industry for three months (February-May) with Apple ranked as the top smartphone manufacturer and Android as the top smartphone platform. During the three months, 141 million people owned smartphones. Top Smartphone Original Equipment Manufacturers /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/07/02/trends-on-tuesday-10-mobile-trends-to-embrace/ Tue, 02 Jul 2013 09:24:48 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/07/02/trends-on-tuesday-10-mobile-trends-to-embrace/ Jackie Rov of tmgmedia points out that with more than a billion smartphones in consumer’s pockets, it’s more important than ever for brands to adapt their strategy to mobile trends. To engage with consumers in the mobile era, we must understand the shift in consumer behavior /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/06/17/or/ Mon, 17 Jun 2013 12:34:49 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/06/17/or/ Do you know what the most important technology will be 12 years from now, in 2025? A recent report on Disruptive Technologies from McKinsey & Company predicts a number of evolving technologies that will have the biggest impact in the next decade or so, including