SAVE Award 2011 Ideas

We have scientific collaborators and shipboard operations around the globe - using Skype for telecommunications would save the taxpayers money and enhance our scienctists ability to pariticipate in international meetings. Congress is now allowed to use Skype - let's broaden the scope and SAVE MONEY!

Mimic industry and (except where required for security reasons) allow employees to use personal cell/smart phones for government business. Allows elimination or consolidation of supported infrastructure, support personnel, phone purchases, upgrades, etc. Allows employee to carry fewer devices. Allows nearly all employees to have cell phone access to work. Facilitates teleworking. Reduces the "I left it at the office"... more »

Minimize need for high cost travel by allowing low/no cost internet-based, peer-to-peer, communication such as Skype. Right now, our only option for video conferencing in the VA "V-tel" system which is cumbersome, requires administrative support and does not easily allow for connectivity with nonVA sites.

Currently agencies have a lot of cell phones, but very few have effective management of the cell phone service or the devices. Agencies buy phones and then that's it. Often agencies do not analyze their invoices to determine if all the phones are really needed or if the rates are the best value, or if some employees are using too many minutes or losing phones too often.

With TEMs you pay for a contract that can save... more »

Two ideas is the cloud and telecommuting, which are easy to get started now and the biggest saver now and for the future.
- File Cloud. This is probably a very popular idea and it is for good reason. Why spend thousands to millions of dollars for hard drive space and when the hard drive crashes/person leaves, the file is then moved/lost? It is better to invest in an encrypted file space online to place sharable sensitive... more »

At the least one position (probably more) on the medical center side that has a back ground in information/communication technology. In my position I see many missed opportunities because there is no one to perform the task. We don't even have anyone training people. The primary responsibilities of the data liaison: provide data training/presentation, handle specific data requests and provide recommendation for proper... more »

The government should require that any phone carrier automatically close any cell phone or air card account (number) that has not been used for over 30 days. The phone company will continue to bill the government until they are formally notified. If an Aircard or Cell Phone has not been used in thirty days, it is rare that the employee needs the device or can justify the need.

Also, International plans should require... more »