What Technologies Identified by the U.S Federal Government Will...
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What Technologies Identified by the U.S Federal Government Will Help Most in 2020?

Government CIO Outlook | Thursday, January 02, 2020

The technologies identified by the U.S Federal Government should offer better operational efficiency, productivity and most importantly, security.

Fremont, CA: A recent discussion made with government leaders has made their areas of interest concerning technology, clear. Their interest is varying with respect to mission, budget and outlook of different technologies. Here are the four most significant technologies that are likely to gain more attraction, according to the U.S. federal government tech predictions for 2020.

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Quantum Computing

Although quantum computing is one of the geekiest of technologies, it will not deter the federal government from their continuous exploration of possibilities around quantum computing in 2020. While traditional computers are built around 1s and 0s, otherwise known as “bits”, quantum computers will use subatomic quantum bits or “qubits”, and this promising technology can solve problems in minutes rather than thousands of years.

The U.S. government is positioning to compete with China that is determined to own this next great technological leap. It signed the National Quantum Initiative Act into law, which committed $1.2 billion to quantum intelligence research in late 2018 to further quantum research. Also, recently the Department of Energy announced that it would $40 million for research to develop quantum computing software. Regardless of the investment, the U.S. is falling behind the rest of the world in this field.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

AI is regarded as a magical technology as it has the power to heal any government ill. It will become increasingly important, especially for government agencies in 2020 because of its ability to automate time-consuming tasks, including data research and thereby creating efficiencies for employees in the government sector. It also presents exciting opportunities for detecting and protecting against unforeseen, unpredicted or zero-day cyberattacks that most IT software wouldn’t catch.

Supply Chain Security

It is an issue of national security and one that should stay top of mind in 2020. It should be one of the most important concerns, especially for technology purchased by the U.S. government from international vendors. Because each part of the supply chain can be easily attacked, including emerging 5G networks and new information systems. This makes government technology purchasing decisions critical. Usually, many budget-oriented government agencies have confined to purchasing lowest priced technically acceptable, or LPTA, computers and printers. Moreover, the increasing cyber threats against government institutions and their maliciousness implores every agency to consider purchasing equipment from vendors with trustworthy supply chains.

To support this, the recently passed House Resolution 2500 and Senate Bill 1790 will bring greater accountability into the nation’s procurement processes and promote agencies as smart buyers.

Ambient Technology

Employees nowadays prefer working from remote sites, and multiple locations and so the technology underlying physical spaces will adapt for employees at different places. This will operate invisibly in the background to enable people to communicate and collaborate anytime and anywhere. This new approach is called “ambient computing”. The extensive use of mobile phones and connected devices and technologies like virtual reality and augmented reality, artificial intelligence (AI) are all ways that ambient technology could play a role in the routine life of government workers. It is no wonder that in 2020, many breakthroughs will occur in ambient technology and how it is playing a role in every office, including government agencies.

In 2020, many trends are likely to emerge and influence government spending and utilization of information technology. However, one thing is inevitable, and it is discarding the old LPTA procurement model and instead focus on technology offering better operational efficiency, productivity and notably, security for government agencies.

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