Deputy Associate Administrator of Citizen Services and Innovative Technology at GSA, Bajinder Paul, sat down with WashingtonExec to reflect on this year’s GSA accomplishments; including the FEDRAMP, data.gov and federal data consolidation initiatives.
WashingtonExec also asked Paul what GSA is working on in the coming year that has somewhat flown under the radar: mobility. “I think mobile computing will be the next logical extension of innovation after cloud computing,” said Paul. GSA has begun a pilot program using iPads for mission critical applications.
Paul also talked about his Georgetown University Professorship, and how his technical management students were able to present their project to top executives at a Tech America earlier this year. “I see these students as the next leaders in technology both in public and private. For me to see their good work, their hard work, being recognized by the industry was a highlight,” said Paul.
See what Bajinder Paul told small business CEO’s at a WashingtonExec Roundtable here.
WashingtonExec: Please give us a brief background about yourself and tell us what you do at GSA.
Bajinder Paul: I’ve been in the government approximately twenty years in managing information technology, organizations and complex programs. Now, at GSA, I’m working very closely with the Office of Management & Budget (OMB) in leading a number of presidential IT technology initiatives such as; cloud computing, federal data center consolidation initiatives and security for cloud services known as FEDRAMP, and another initiative called data.gov. These are the Administration’s high priority egov technology initiatives.
WashingtonExec: Is there anything that GSA is doing that is not talked about as much but that you all are really focusing on?
Bajinder Paul: That is a really good question. I think in addition to the innovation based on cloud computing the impact of cloud computing will be far beyond the infrastructure. Its impact will also be on the delivery of mission critical applications and the workforce being highly mobile. I think mobile computing will be the next logical extension of innovation after cloud computing. We can see now for example, today with the workforce now using a variety of smart forums; Apple Ipad, Iphone, Android devices. We are beginning to see more and more proliferation of applications and I think a lot of that will be the byproduct of a cloud infrastructure.
WashingtonExec: Do you use an Ipad or an Iphone?
Bajinder Paul: Yes, in fact here at GSA we’ve piloted the Ipad and I use the Ipad for launching browser based mission critical applications. GSA was one of the first agencies to migrate to the cloud for email and a messaging system; Gmail. Gmail allows us now to use Ipad or tablet to act as our email anytime, anywhere using non-Windows devices in fact.
WashingtonExec: How would you reflect on this year? What do you feel that was significant that you accomplished this year?
Bajinder Paul: I think if we step back and look at it from a broader perspective and clearly 2011 has been a year of achieving remarkable milestones. First, the development of a concept of operation for the entire program, management office for the FEDRAMP. The second was establishing a strong governance with the DOD, CIO, DHS, GSA and OMB through FEDRAMP. The governance structure for FEDRAMP, known as the Joint Authorization Board was established.
-In other areas, clearly for the Federal Data Center consolidation initiative. GSA developed a total customer ownership methodology in assessing consolidation goals and understanding the level of optimization and efficiencies.
-In the area of data we continue to mature the data.gov platform. I believe to date we have a little over 400,000 different data sets from different agencies. On data.gov we have more than 1,000 applications or apps that have been developed and are available to the public.
-We also established a partnership with India on something called the datagov. The idea is to share best practices, information with other communities of interest including other countries, like India. In addition to that some of the other communities have established specific data.gov includes energy and health.
WashingtonExec: What is something you are most proud of that you have accomplished either in your professional career or your personal life?
Bajinder Paul: Just recently I started teaching a graduate level course in the School of Technology Management at Georgetown University. This was a very unique opportunity for me to design a graduate level IT course based on my real life practical examples as a CIO and a Deputy CIO. When I assigned the project I was just amazed that the results of what the students did and the solutions that they developed –I had them present their solutions to Tech America. This group actually went in front of a number of IT executives in Tech America to present their project; I see these students as the next leaders in technology both in public and private. For me to see their good work, their hard work, being recognized by the industry was a highlight.
*Featured in the 12/10 edition of the CGI Initiative for Collaborative Government online magazine Collaborative Government Today.