NASA Launches apps@NASA

NASA launched apps@NASA (http://apps.nasa.gov), a website where NASA employees and contractors can download mobile apps that securely access NASA systems.  These apps enable our users to perform critical job functions at anytime from anywhere via personal and NASA mobile devices.  

This is part of a full suite of services that is provided by the NASA Enterprise Applications Competency Center (NEACC).  The NEACC resides at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.  It is supported by SAIC under the Enterprise Applications Service Technologies (EAST) contract of our Information Technology (IT) Infrastructure Integration Program (I3P).  The NEACC’s role is to help NASA improve business processes and to deploy enabling technology needed to implement our Agency’s strategic plan. 

A wide range of services are available under NEACC’s Center for Internal Mobile Apps (CIMA).  This includes the ability to host, distribute, and provide support for internal mobile applications; the ability to develop internal mobile applications for NASA mission needs; and the ability to provide secure NASA-approved methods for authentication and access to Agency internal resources. 

Even though apps@NASA is only available to NASA employees and contractors (don’t you wish you worked at NASA?), the use of internal apps stores has a broad interest.  There’s a lot of debate in the IT community relative to the use of mobile devices in the workplace in general.  Whether or not IT providers are ready or not, mobile devices both enterprise-issued and personally-owned are in the workplace.  This service advances us a bit further beyond debate and into the world where IT service providers must enter – a world where the driving force of technology and customer expectations advance faster than policy and procurement cycles and the restraining force of security and legal issues like e-Discovery and records management keep our feet firmly grounded in reality. 

Managing diversity like this is where CIO’s tread carefully.  apps@NASA is a first small step for the mankind that work at NASA into a daunting world where customer expectations are measured in hours or minutes and not in 18-month software develop lifecycles. 

Linda Cureton, NASA CIO

 

 

8 thoughts on “NASA Launches apps@NASA”

  1. Linda,

    This is an awesome initiative! I am so glad NASA did this, I didn’t think NASA could ever get past the politics do something like this, at least not until it was “slap you in the face” obvious, it is a need.

    Some questions:
    I understand the prudence of having its own store, so that the customer (civil-servants and contractors) can easily view the tailored apps available. Is there any initiative to make the apps open-source,and/or collaborate with other agencies to develop better apps?

    When will android/wp7 be supported?

    Will this work on personal devices? If so, will there be IT levied constraints of how we use our personal devices (like no personal email)?

    I have previously proposed that NASA develop an app for running TPS’s (similar to this, but for hardware and software http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TPS_report) and for document signatures. Are there any plans to develop those type of apps?

    This made my day. Thanks!

  4. How exciting! NASA has paved the way for its staff members’ collaboration needs! Well done!

    Linda, is this a move towards SaaS? I would interpret the next step to be providing software and applications for desktop and laptop appliances. It would seem to be a natural progression in the evolution of IT services at an organization such as NASA (and NOAA, my own agency) where the business model is based on providing the customer with information. Well, I am not yet familiar with the NASA business model.

    I think that as NOAA moves closer to cloud computing and begins to embrace the customers’ needs for a mobile computing environment, we might be asking for advice in the near future! 🙂

    Well done!

    Woody

  5. In response to Woody:

    Yes, we’re working a SaaS strategy. One of the things we’re doing in this area is developing a survey to determine what the high interest products are. Then our security folks are developing a framework to do testing and evaluation.

    Look forward to more collaboration with NOAA.

    Linda

  6. Question: I understand the prudence of having its own store, so that the customer (civil-servants and contractors) can easily view the tailored apps available. Is there any initiative to make the apps open-source, and/or collaborate with other agencies to develop better apps?

    Response: We at CIMA are certainly open to collaboration with other agencies on mobile efforts and sharing lessons learned. To date we have met with the Army (Redstone Arsenal) in regards to their mobile scanning. We have a request to meet with OPM regarding their desire to do a mobile app for Employee Express. We have made inquiries to Veterans Affairs, GSA and the ACT/IAC Mobility Shared Interest Group.

    Question: When will android/wp7 be supported?

    Response: apps@NASA can currently support android and wp7 applications. We hope to see the centers provide applications for these devices soon. At CIMA, we are targeting our first Android application (NASA Contacts) to be available by the first quarter of calendar year 2012 on apps@NASA with others to follow.

    Question: Will this work on personal devices? If so, will there be IT levied constraints of how we use our personal devices (like no personal email)?

    Response: The apps currently provided via apps@NASA make no distinction between government furnished and employee owned devices and no constraints have been placed on their use.

    Question: I have previously proposed that NASA develop an app for running TPS’s (similar to this, but for hardware and software http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TPS_report) and for document signatures. Are there any plans to develop those type of apps?

    Response: We are always looking for new ways to use mobile devices to help NASA with its mission. We would like to capture your contact information and a short description of your app idea so we can add it to our future product backlog. Let us know if you are open to being contacted for more information on your idea.

  7. Will NASA be providing any apps available to the public? It would be fun to have the ability to see what hubble is currently looking at or something like that.

  8. I like this app and I look take to your future posts on further development. Good luck!

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