THE MOST IMPORTANT

TECHNOLOGY TRENDS

Those That Evolve How We Work

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

www.nasa.gov

IT Talk

January - March 2017 Volume 7 • Issue 1
IT Talk

Jan - Mar 2017 Volume 7 • Issue 1

Office of the CIO

NASA Headquarters

300 E Street, SW

Washington, D.C. 20546

Chief Information Officer

Renee Wynn

Editor & Publication Manager

Eldora Valentine

Graphic & Web Designer

Michael Porterfield

Copy Editor

Meredith Isaacs

Cover Design

Chris Hawley

IT Talk is an official publication of the 

Office of the Chief Information Officer 

of the National Aeronautics and 

Space Administration, Headquarters, 

Washington, D.C. It is published 

by the OCIO office for all NASA 

employees and external audiences.

For distribution questions or to 

suggest a story idea, email:

eldora.valentine-1@nasa.gov

To read IT Talk online visit:

www.nasa.gov/offices/ocio/ittalk

For more info on the OCIO:

v www.nasa.gov/ocio

v inside.nasa.gov/ocio

 (Internal NASA network only)

v www.nasa.gov/open/

www.facebook.com/NASAcio

3

6

8

4

10

Message from

the NASA CIO

The Most Important 

Technology Trends

Innovation at 

Goddard Space Flight 

Center (GSFC)

A Reminder From The 

NASA Privacy Office

BSA Corner

In this Issue
New Deputy CIO for Glenn Research Center Named

By Kristin Ratino, Communications Specialist, Glenn Research Center

Louise Moroney was selected as the 

new Deputy Chief Information Officer 

(DCIO) for NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) effective November 27, 2016.

Moroney has more than 25 years of 

progressive leadership experience 

across IT strategy, IT operations, and 

cyberdefense. Prior to joining NASA, 

Moroney served as the Deputy for the 

Chief Strategy Office (CSO) of the Defense Information Systems Agency 

(DISA), where she was part of a leadership team that led strategic goal and 

objective development, along with the 

associated measures of performance 

that were used to assess goal and 

objective achievement. She also was 

responsible for the internal growth, 

development, and management of the 

Chief Strategy Office team.

Prior to her civilian role at DISA as Deputy 

for the CSO, Moroney served the organization in a military capacity in roles such 

as the Director of the DISA Command 

Center, Director for DISA Cyber Command Field Office, Director of Global 

Data Center Operations, and Vice Director of Operations for the Joint Task Force 

Global Network Operations. Throughout 

her military career in the U.S. Army, she 

held a variety of leadership and staff positions across the information technology and cyber mission areas in both Army 

tactical and strategic/installation levels 

and in the joint operating environment.

Moroney stated, “I am excited to be a 

member of the NASA team. I believe my 

skills and 25-plus years of experience, 

as both a customer-/mission-oriented IT 

service provider and a people-focused 

leader, will be a positive benefit to NASA 

GRC’s OCIO customer and team members.” Welcome aboard, Louise!

No New Year’s celebration would be complete without thanking the people who 

worked very hard on one of last year’s resolutions: the IT Business Services Assessment (BSA). It was truly teamwork, communication, and collaboration that steered 

us in the right direction. We took a hard look at how we manage IT and outlined a 

series of steps the Agency should take—and is taking—to optimize and protect our 

IT assets. The BSA results ensure that IT is seen as a strategic Agency resource, 

establishing clear direction for the NASA CIO to approve the Agency’s IT spending 

plan for non-highly specialized and oversight of highly specialized IT investments. In 

my personal opinion, the BSA will help us move from an “okay” to a “great” state.

In 2017, it is also critical that IT security remain a top priority at NASA! We have some 

serious challenges ahead of us. Our IT Security Division (ITSD) is working constantly 

to identify and counter attacks by implementing proactive and adaptable security 

measures. We are also working closely with the Department of Homeland Security 

(DHS) and other Federal agencies to implement new technologies and share best 

security practices—partnerships that have improved NASA’s security posture.

Our values will help guide our behavior to achieve NASA’s vision. It’s important for us to be responsive, customer-driven, 

transparent, accountable, and a trusted partner. Strengthening our IT services means adopting high-level performance 

goals and key priorities. So here are some 2017 New Year’s resolutions I would like our team to embrace:

1. Protect and effectively manage NASA’s IT as a 

strategic resource. (This is a top priority.)

2. Safeguard NASA’s information and IT assets 

to ensure mission safety and integrity.

3. Deliver excellence and delight our customers.

4. Optimize IT investments to achieve Agency priorities.

5. Capitalize on innovation to advance NASA’s capabilities.

6. Be flexible and willing to accept change.

7. Hold more skip-level meetings.

8. Show IT’s value.

9. Increase productivity.

10. Enjoy the job!

I look forward to this new year and know that there are great things ahead for our OCIO team!

NASA OCIO IT Talk Jan - Mar 2017 3

Message from the NASA CIO 
A Reminder From The NASA Privacy Office

By Bryan McCall, NASA Privacy Manager

NASA Privacy Policy (NPD 1382.17J)

NASA’s policy is to protect all forms of 

sensitive unclassified information, including personal information. 

Federal law and regulations require 

that all personal information collected, 

used, maintained, and disseminated 

by or on behalf of this Agency be protected, whether in electronic or nonelectronic form.

Therefore, NASA policy requires that

1. All collections of sensitive unclassified information (including personally identifiable information [PII]) 

will be assessed for applicability 

under, managed under, and appropriately protected in compliance 

with Federal laws, regulations, and 

Government-wide policies;

2. An Initial Privacy Threshold Analysis (IPTA) for any new, or significantly changed, applications, Web 

sites, information systems (including third-party applications, information systems, and collections 

of information provided by external 

service providers who are collecting information on behalf of NASA), 

and all non-electronic information 

collections will be accomplished to 

determine/identify regulatory compliance requirements; and

3. When initial assessments via the 

IPTA process call for the completion of a full Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA), one must be completed prior to actively collecting 

any information.

All collections of PII gathered by or on 

behalf of NASA will leverage Agencyspecific individual identifiers. Use of 

Social Security Numbers (SSNs) will be 

avoided to the greatest extent possible. 

In instances where SSNs are already in 

use, collections will be reviewed annually for removal or replacement using other Agency individual identifiers, 

such as the Universal Uniform Personal 

Identification Code (UUPIC). The use 

of SSNs is authorized only when mandated by external or statutory requirements and justified in writing within the 

associated IPTA or PIA.

Information owners, custodians, and 

managers are responsible for maintaining heightened awareness of their 

responsibility to protect privacy information. Even potential compromises or 

loss of control over information is costly 

to individuals, the Agency, and the Federal Government. Encrypt it at rest. Do 

not store it on shared folders or other 

resources that do not have the appropriate protection ratings and mechanisms in place. We are accountable!

If you have questions, please contact 

Agency or NASA Center Privacy Offices. Contact information is available 

on the Agency Privacy Information Resource Web site (available at https://inside.nasa.gov/ocio/it-security/privacymanagement).

Security Tips 

• Think Before You Click: 

Any misspelled URLs, 

hidden links, poor grammar, 

unknown senders, suspicious 

attachments, or requests for 

personal information?

• Be aware of your 

information’s classification 

and where you send it.

• SBU, PII, and ITAR data 

cannot be freely shared or 

stored everywhere.

• Secure and protect sensitive 

information at your desk, in 

the hallway, and online.

• Set strong passwords and 

don’t reuse them for other 

accounts.

• Lock your computer when 

away from your desk.

For more information, visit: 

https://inside.nasa.gov/itsd/

reporting-incidents

NASA SOC (OCIO Security 

Operations Center)

1-877-627-2732

soc@nasa.gov, available 24/7

NASA CIO Executive Council (CEC) Face to Face, 29 Nov - 1 Dec 2016 - Washington, D.C.

Back: Keith Bluestein, Kofi Burney, Sean Gallagher, Jeff Seaton, John Sprague, Danny Harvill, Jerry Davis

Front: Neil Rodgers, Mag Powell-Meeks, Sean McMorrow, Dinna Cottrell, Renee Wynn, Vanessa Stromer, Dennis Vandertuig, Robert Powell

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

NASA CIO Executive Council 

(CEC) Face to Face

Nov 29 - Dec 1, 2016

Back: Keith Bluestein, Kofi Burney, Sean 

Gallagher, Jeff Seaton, John Sprague, 

Danny Harvill, Jerry Davis

Front: Neil Rodgers, Mag PowellMeeks, Sean McMorrow, Dinna Cottrell, 

Renee Wynn, Vanessa Stromer, Dennis 

Vandertuig, Robert Powell

4 www.nasa.gov
NASA Langley Looks Toward a Future with 

Augmented and Virtual Reality

By Vince Whitfield, Communications Specialist & Sean Sullivan, Marketing Manager, NASA Langley Research Center

Employees at NASA Langley Research 

Center (LaRC) are investigating how 

augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) 

could assist research and development, educational outreach, and communication to help achieve the Agency’s mission. The terms “AR” and “VR” 

cover a range of emerging information 

technology fields that have gained recent popularity in consumer gaming 

applications. AR integrates digital information with a user’s environment in 

real time. In contrast, VR replaces the 

real world with a simulated one. The 

International Data Corporation projects 

that the AR/VR industry will grow to be 

worth more than $160 billion annually 

by the year 2020.

Teams at multiple NASA Centers are 

exploring the possibilities of AR/VR 

technology, and the NASA LaRC Office 

of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) 

is keen to discover ways to share 

knowledge and coordinate AR/VR efforts across the Agency. “Augmented 

and virtual reality technologies hold the 

potential to shape the future of research 

and collaboration at NASA,” said Ed 

McLarney, Associate Chief Information 

Officer for Technology and Innovation 

at NASA LaRC. “As a Center, we’re 

making efforts to figure out how these 

technologies can become tools to help 

us achieve the NASA mission.”

As part of that effort, the Center recently hosted Joseph Weaver, CEO of 

ARIO in Newport News, VA, who gave 

a presentation about AR/VR technologies. The event was organized 

by NASA LaRC’s Multimedia League, 

a self-organized group of multimedia 

professionals who work on the Langley Administrative, Media, and Professional Services (LAMPS) contract. The 

presentation was attended by more 

than 50 Center employees, as well as a 

remote audience from NASA Marshall 

Space Flight Center (MSFC).

ARIO specializes in AR, VR, and mobile 

application development. While ARIO 

is a relatively new company, Weaver 

has over a decade’s worth of experience leading and working on projects 

that bring new and emerging technologies to the field. The presentation covered an array of topics, including an 

overview of AR and VR, ARIO’s role and 

goals in the industry, and the potential effects that these emerging technologies could have in business and 

academia. During the presentation, he 

passionately described the grand potential of AR/VR technologies for solving complex problems. A lively Q&A 

session with the audience followed.

After the presentation, Weaver and his 

team demonstrated two software applications developed by ARIO. The first 

demonstrated how AR could be used 

to walk someone through a maintenance check of a water pump system 

with little training or knowledge of the 

system itself. The second demonstration showed how AR could be used 

in the inspection and repair of a military vehicle. After the demonstrations, 

NASA LaRC employees were invited 

to try the software themselves. Overall, the event gave attendees a glimpse 

into the future and the potential effects 

AR/VR technologies will have on both 

their work and their world.

JarMarcus King, ARIO provides an

augmented reality demo for Jennifer

Knight, NASA LaRC OCIO.

NASA OCIO IT Talk Jan - Mar 2017 5
The Most Important Technology Trends:

Those That Evolve How We Work

By Tom Soderstrom, Chief Technology & Innovation Officer, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology

As we look at the exciting technology 

trends of the Next IT Decade (the next 

three years), one mega trend stands 

out: We will work very differently.

Why? Because we will need to work 

faster and more effectively with fewer wait-states (aka “bureaucracy”). 

Consumer technologies are evolving 

very quickly and have made us highly 

productive at home. However, these 

trends are slower to adopt for an enterprise, largely because there are legacy 

technologies and the cost of switching 

is higher and more time-consuming.

So, because Jet Propulsion Laboratory 

(JPL) and NASA are made up of IT consumers, a key disrupter is the adoption 

of the most meaningful emerging consumer capabilities in the enterprise. If 

JPL and NASA can do this, our employees will be more productive and 

more satisfied and we can deliver the 

NASA mission more quickly, more securely, and at lower cost.

But, which technologies and capabilities will matter and how can we use 

them? The answer is to predict the 

Human Behavior trends as Human Behavior affects IT, which affects Human 

Behavior, which affects IT, ... you get 

the point. Simply put, they help us select which technologies are worth prototyping in the near-term, as they are 

the most likely ones to be adopted in 

the enterprise.

From our research, the key Human Behavior traits for the next few years are 

the following:

WHO will do the work? Entrepreneurs 

will come up with ideas. Makers will 

use 3D printing, Arduinos, Raspberry 

Pis etc. to prototype a solution. Crowdsourcing will help us find specific expertise and new, non-traditional, partners 

who will work from anywhere to accomplish the NASA and JPL missions 

(this will include public hackathons).

HOW will they work? They will use an 

Agile approach and Open Source and 

consumer technologies in the cloud 

to rapidly prototype a minimum viable 

product (MVP) and pivot quickly when 

needed. They will use crowdsourcing 

in creation of these MVPs, both internally to the enterprise, through internal 

hackathons and internal Kickstarters, 

and externally by using the NASA Open 

Innovation contracts and other approaches.

WHAT technologies and tools will they 

work on? They will apply advanced 

analytics and deep learning to make 

Smart Data from the current Big Data. 

They will evolve the cloud as the default 

development and operations platform, 

with rapid course corrections when 

needed. DevOps will be the expected 

way to work. The key enablers will be 

Internet of Things, Wearables, Natural 

User Interfaces, and Conversation as a 

Platform.

Which are the key CHALLENGES they 

will face? We will no longer be able 

to lay out a long-term, fixed architecture. Instead, we will need to create a 

chaotic architecture, where frequent 

changes with effective and automated 

analytics is the new normal. Because 

of the size, scale, and speed of continuous development / continuous integration (CD/CI), manual operations will 

be replaced with automation and this 

change can be difficult both technically 

and culturally. Cyber Security becomes 

ever more important and needs to be 

built into all the solutions and automated with advanced visual and predictive 

analytics. Luckily, these challenges are 

not unique to our enterprise, and by 

collaborating with others, we can meet 

them more quickly.

By paying attention to the Human Behavior trends, we will evolve the way 

we work to adopt new technologies 

faster, create automated and fully scalable solutions, and get effective help 

from new and varied partners.

Most importantly, this will help us use 

new techniques to answer the big 

questions more quickly, such as: Is 

there life in Space? How can we put 

humans on Mars? How can we redirect 

an asteroid? Where is Earth 2.0? How 

can we help protect Mother Earth? And 

that’s what it’s all about. An exciting future indeed!

6 www.nasa.gov
What’s New in 2017: Top IT Trends

By John Sprague, Associate CIO, Technology & Innovation Division (Acting), and

James B. McClellan, Tech Infusion Branch Manager, Office of the Chief Information Officer.

Information Technology analysts name 

virtual/augmented reality, intelligent 

applications, and customer journey 

analytics among the top trends for 

2017 and beyond. What’s next for 

NASA Innovation?

» Data Centric Model (DCM): The 

DCM is a strategic vision for NASA 

to incorporate the latest trends in 

twenty-first century computing 

and simultaneously provide a more 

secure system than we are operating today. Using only a modern 

browser, data content is delivered 

to the screen but not stored on the 

device, exemplifying the Any Device, Any Network challenge.

» Collaboration: The Chief 

Technology Officers (CTOs) for 

IT, in conjunction with the OCIO 

Collaboration Team, have been 

working on a federally-approved 

solution for Enterprise File Sync 

and Share (EFSS). This tool, 

coming in 2017, will provide cloudbased storage and sharing across 

the Agency. It opens the door to 

achieving several tenants of the 

DCM, while increasing security 

and lowering the risk of data loss.

» Internet of Things (IoT) Lab:

Now entering Phase III, the 

physical lab is located at Johnson 

Space Center (JSC) in the 1958 

Co-working Space, but the 

IoT team spans the Agency. In 

Phase III we will be developing 

the NASA IoT policy and look 

towards operationalizing the IoT 

environment across all of NASA. 

» NASATube: Hosted on the 

Amazon GovCloud, NASATube will 

provide an internal-only, Agencywide repository for NASA videos 

that are Americans with Disabilities 

Act (ADA) 508-compliant and a 

secure location for subject matter. 

It allows any NASA employee 

to easily submit and post their 

videos, enabling collaboration and 

sharing on a whole new level.

» T&I Labs Innovation Challenge: 

Our 5th Annual Challenge 

showcased many interesting and 

exciting projects. Appearing again, 

a mind-controlled drone prototype 

has advanced algorithms that 

can now control elements in the 

International Space Station virtual 

environment with only a thought! 

The 6th Annual Challenge begins 

January 9, 2017; start planning 

your entry today! 

» World Wind: A free, open-source 

Application Programming Interface 

for a virtual globe (spatial data) allowing developers to quickly and 

easily create interactive visualizations of 3D globe, map, and geographical information. Organizations across the world use World 

Wind to monitor weather patterns; 

visualize cities and terrain; track 

the movement of planes, vehicles, 

and ships; analyze geospatial 

data; and educate people about 

the Earth. New capabilities are expected in 2017. 

» NEW Open Gov Plan: The 

plan offers new pathways for 

public involvement, employee 

collaboration, and provides 

a roadmap to track past 

performance from the 2010 Open 

Government Plan through today. 

We’ve embraced these principles 

and built upon the initial activities 

by leveraging these early learnings 

and best practices. 

» NASA Federal Source Code 

Framework: We are ensuring new 

custom-developed federal source 

code is made broadly available 

across the federal government. 

This approach meets the Digital 

Government Strategy “Shared 

Platform” approach to enable 

federal employee collaboration—

within and across agencies—to 

reduce costs, streamline development, apply uniform standards, 

and have consistency in creating 

and delivering information. 

» Conversational Systems: Today 

we have automated phone interactions like Siri, but soon consumer 

digital platforms will use artificial 

intelligence and machine learning. Natural-language recognition 

and voice synthesis will make it 

difficult to distinguish between humans and machines. The T&I Data 

Analytics team is developing several advanced concepts related 

to this work, such as predictive 

analytics to help mission partners 

make real-time decisions based 

on mission data.

As we continue to innovate and work 

on solutions to solve or mitigate 

problems, we appreciate you telling us 

your challenges and headaches. We 

hear you and are actively addressing 

your frustrations to make it easier, 

efficient, and more enjoyable to do 

your job. We look forward to what 

2017 has to offer!

NASA OCIO IT Talk Jan - Mar 2017 7
Innovation at Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC)

By Keith Keller, Associate Director for Innovation & Chief Technology Officer for Information Technology, Goddard Space Flight Center

Although the term “innovation” has 

many meanings in different contexts, 

innovation is a necessary part of any 

successful IT service organization. To 

innovate means to create something 

new and to incorporate this new thing 

into an organization in order to make 

the organization more effective, more 

efficient, and, ultimately, more competitive.

There is an interplay between IT technology, processes, and business models that drives innovation. For example, 

a new device may offer capabilities that 

allow a new, more efficient process. This 

new process could then be incorporated into a more efficient and competitive 

business model. An innovative “feedback loop” then occurs when the new 

business model spurs the development 

of more improved technology. NASA is 

benefiting from this innovative IT spiral.

New IT capabilities are being explored 

at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center 

(GSFC) through prototyping activities 

in cloud computing, virtual desktop 

infrastructure (VDI), and—with new 

human-machine interfaces—virtual reality and augmented reality (VR/AR). 

The GSFC IT and Communications 

Directorate (ITCD) has assisted GSFC 

users in prototyping new capabilities 

such as avionics component modeling 

and simulation, along with cloud-based 

storage using NASA’s Enterprise-managed cloud services, i.e., Amazon Web 

Services (AWS). VDI solutions are being 

evaluated as a Center capability for ondemand, accessible, standardized, and 

secure computing. ITCD has partnered 

with its engineering community to develop a VR/AR pilot roadmap and to 

ensure secure and adequate network 

access for this innovative technology.

When combined with other innovative technology areas, such as additive 

manufacturing (e.g., 3D printing), IT innovations will fundamentally change engineering and science. These new capabilities will drive further innovation in 

engineering and science to ensure that 

NASA remains a world-class science 

and engineering organization. Innovation is part of NASA’s DNA, so innovation in IT should be a matter of course.

Contact Keith Keller at keith.l.keller@

nasa.gov with any questions.

8 www.nasa.gov
Coming Soon – Mobile Device Management (MDM)

By Kellie White, Communications Specialist, Marshall Space Flight Center

The Center for Internal Mobile Applications (CIMA) has partnered with the 

Identity Credential and Access Management (ICAM) team and the End User 

Services Office (EUSO) to provide users 

with increased security and greater ease 

of use on their NASA-issued iOS and 

Android mobile devices. Given all of the 

recent cybersecurity threats seen within 

the Federal sector, the new technology 

being introduced by these three teams 

could not have come at a better time.

The new technology, which is being implemented in three distinct phases, will 

reach full benefits in late 2017. The first 

phase, completed in 2016, introduced 

the use of mobile device management 

(MDM) to the NASA community. Users can now successfully register their 

NASA mobile devices at mdr.nasa.gov. 

With this rollout, users who have registered their NASA mobile devices no 

longer have to worry about placing the 

Agency at risk if those devices are lost 

or stolen. Once reported as lost or stolen, a device is “wiped” and all NASA 

data are removed, thereby securing 

NASA’s information.

The second phase will consist of the 

derived credential certificate and the 

NASA secure container for mobile devices. This phase will begin in 2017 

and will eliminate the use of passwords 

for authentication on NASA-provided 

mobile devices and will give users the 

ability to send and receive encrypted 

e-mails for iOS and Android mobile 

devices. The implementation of the secure container to access NASA e-mail, 

contacts, and calendars will further 

the efforts to improve NASA’s security 

posture by protecting NASA data and 

services on any Android or iOS device.

The third and last phase will begin rollout later in calendar year 2017 or in early 2018. This phase will provide NASA 

with the ability to fully manage the life 

cycle of NASA applications and services 

being accessed from a NASA-provided 

mobile device. Once this phase is completed, users will access NASA mobile 

applications from the secure container 

via their Android or iOS device.

Be sure to look for Center and Agency 

announcements and opportunities to 

learn more starting in 2017. Until then, 

if you have questions or suggestions, 

send us an e-mail at msfc-cima@mail.

nasa.gov.

Agency Applications Office to Configure Enterprise 

Applications/Systems for Two-Factor Authentication

By Kellie White, Communications Specialist, Marshall Space Flight Center

The Agency Applications Office 

(AAO) will be configuring twofactor authentication for all AAO 

Enterprise Applications integrated with 

Launchpad (SiteMinder) and the SAP 

Suite (Core Financial, Procurement 

for Public Sector, and Business 

Warehouse). The planned release for 

this change is currently scheduled for 

Release 17.2, which will occur in late 

March 2017. This configuration change 

is being implemented to meet the 

OMB M-11-11 Federal Mandate, which 

increases security and eliminates 

the use of username and password. 

After the systems and applications 

have been configured for two-factor 

authentication, all users will need a 

Personal Identity Verification (PIV) 

Smartcard or RSA SecurID token to 

access the systems and applications. 

Users of AAO applications will need to 

be aware of the following items:

1. All users will need a PIV Smartcard 

or RSA token to access all applications configured for two-factor authentication.

2. Users who do not currently have 

a two-factor credential will need 

to obtain one through their home 

Center.

3. PIV-ineligible workers may authenticate using RSA tokens until the 

NASA Smartcard is available to 

them.

4. Individuals who frequently telework 

will need to check their Center policy regarding the use of VPN and 

RSA tokens. As a reminder, users 

should not be storing NASA data 

on non-NASA computers per security guidelines.

The change to two-factor authentication will result in increased security 

measures for both the user and the 

Agency. To view a list of AAO applications being configured for two-factor 

authentication, please visit https://

epss.nasa.gov and look for the link labeled “Two-Factor Authentication.” 

If you have questions or require additional information related to this upcoming change, please e-mail the AAO 

at MSFC-CC-BR-Team@mail.nasa.gov.

NASA OCIO IT Talk Jan - Mar 2017 9
BSA Corner

By Meredith Isaacs, OCIO Communications Specialist, NASA Headquarters

As the implementation of IT Business Services Assessment Decisions 

marches along, much progress has 

been made. As of December 15, 56 

percent of IT BSA tasks are fulfilled 

(up from 34 percent last quarter); another 4 percent are almost finished! So 

far, a lot of important work has been 

completed by OCIO staff across all 

Centers. Some highlights include the 

following:

• Roles and responsibilities: Naming program executives for the 

Applications, Communications, 

Computing Services, End User 

Services, Information Management, and IT Security Programs 

and defining Level 0–3 roles.

• Governance: Redefining governance boards (IT Council, IT 

Project Management Board, CIO 

Leadership Team) and conducting 

the first Center Functional Review 

(CFR).

• Computing services: Drafting a 

program plan and defining data 

center elements for reporting.

• Communications: Completing 

the communications domain architecture and writing the communications program plan.

• Workstations: Measuring Agency 

Consolidated End-User Services 

(ACES) usage at each Center and 

designing a waiver for non-ACES 

workstations.

• Collaboration: Outlining evaluation criteria for a Core Suite of Collaboration Tools and establishing 

a tool portal (available at https://

inside.nasa.gov/ecs/approvedcollaboration-tools), currently being populated.

• IT Security: Conducting a zerobase review of security spending 

and deploying the Continuous 

Diagnostics and Mitigation (CDM) 

tools.

As actions add up, new programs and 

assets will bring benefits to the OCIO 

community and information technology customers. These advantages 

allow the OCIO to assist customers, 

capitalize on innovation, safeguard 

NASA’s information, and optimize IT 

investments.

• Customer Service: For IT customers, new program offices will 

present “front offices” for enterprise OCIO services while updated strategic sourcing guidelines instruct in the use of existing 

contracts and the procuring of 

new contracts. For data owners, 

monthly Cloud Community of Interest Forums share best practices 

and feature guest speakers.

• Innovation: By embracing new 

ways of handling information, IT 

is evolving. With the cloud, concentrated data centers are more 

efficient and cloud options offer 

new (and cost-effective) means for 

“big data” processing. The OCIO 

is also developing a Core Suite of 

Collaboration Tools to meet most 

needs while eliminating duplication and providing one-stop access.

• Security: New firewalls will unite 

Centers behind a shield while 

easing collaboration. Security 

tools, like CDM, amplify the 

Agency’s knowledge of 

devices and software on 

the network and allow 

for greater threat assessment.

• Savings: By becoming more efficient in services, the OCIO has 

begun to save while recognizing 

other areas in which to uncover 

more savings. Reserves gathered 

through contracts, strategic sourcing, operations, and data center 

consolidation will be reinvested 

into services and the mission.

Through the hard work across the 

Centers, the OCIO is bringing benefits 

to the IT community and customers.

Questions about the IT BSA?

Read more:

https://inside.nasa.gov/ocio/bsa

Save The Date!

Join us for the IT BSA Ask-Me-Anything Webinar with CIO Renee Wynn 

on January 18, 2017, 11:30 a.m.–12:30 

p.m. ET. This will be an event open internally to NASA employees. Submit 

questions to HQ-ASK-BSA-IT@mail.

nasa.gov. More details to come.

10 www.nasa.gov
2016 Headquarters Honor Awards

Team Excellence Award, Internatioinal Space Apps Challenge, Beth Beck; Customer Service Award, Joe Gomes; Exceptional Service Medal, Jason Duley; Team Excellence Award, Datanauts Team. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani);

Not pictured: Customer Service Award, Dana Mellerio.

NASA OCIO IT Talk Jan - Mar 2017 11
NASA Deputy Chief Information Officer Face to Face, December 6-8, 2016 - Washington, D.C.

(l-r): Faith Chandler, Catherine Prohaska, Terry Jackson, Grace DeLeon, Dan Conway, Beth Beck, Dennis Groth, 

Dwaine Kronser, Steve Guy, Jeanne O’Bryan, John McDougle, David Walters, Russell Leonardo

www.nasa.gov

NASA Technology & Innovation Face to Face, December 6-8, 2016 - Washington, D.C.

(l-r): Travis Kantz, Nick Skytland, Brian Thomas, Andrew Adrian, John Sprague, James McClellan, Jason Duley, Veronica Phillips, Beth Beck

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

www.nasa.gov

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Office of the Chief Information Officer

300 E Street, SW

Washington, DC 20546

www.nasa.gov

IT Talk