Pentagon to revamp IT buying practices.

• Author: Erwin, Sandra I.
• Position: WASHINGTON PULSE: NEWS FROM INSIDE THE BELTWAY - Information technology - Brief article

Buyers of Pentagon hardware are comfortable managing acquisitions of traditional weapon systems such as airplanes, tanks and ships. But they have yet to master the procurement of high-tech networks and information systems, a senior official said.

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The problem is that technology changes faster than the acquisition cycle, so the Defense Department often ends up buying systems that are obsolete by the time they reach troops in the field. One way to overcome this is to make sure all program managers are knowledgeable in the...