President Obama is set to sign Nov. 9 an executive order that will, among other things, restrict the number of information technology devices agencies can issue to federal employees, according to a White House announcement.

The executive order will effect cell phones, smartphones, tablets and laptops, the announcement says, adding that "some federal employees are issued more devices...than they need."

The order will also direct agencies to limit production of hard copy documents in favor of electronic copies. It also places limits on travel and conference spending, prunes the federal vehicle fleet and tells agencies to "stop wasting taxpayer money on non-essential items used for promotional purposes, such as clothing, mugs, and non-work related gadgets."

The order comes at a time when more federal agencies are permitting mobile devices, particularly tablets, onto their network--in some cases, touting them as cost-saving devices, since the maintenance cost of a tablet is less than a laptop.

To what extent mobile devices--specifically smartphones and tablets--can penetrate the federal government in the short term is an open question, since uncertainty regarding security at the operating system level is rife. The Veterans Affairs Department, perhaps the largest federal agency to make a big push for mobile devices, has settled on security at the application layer, a course that the largest potential federal buyer, the Defense Department, is unlikely to copy.

Some observers have suggested that a government fork from the Android operating system subjected to the Joint Interoperability Test Command process and cybersecurity certification such as Common Criteria might be necessary before the DoD allows new devices to touch its networks.

Coincidentally, the Environmental Protection Agency announced this week winners of an "Apps for the Environment" contest--although the winning apps appear to have been designed for consumers, rather than enterprise users.

For more:
- read a White House Nov. 9 announcement on the executive order

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