- Super Bowl Security
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By Teresa Carlson, Vice President, Microsoft Federal
The Super Bowl is only two days away, and the City of Miami is handling the challenges that come with putting on an event that attracts tens of thousands of visitors. The game has become so popular that the Department of Homeland Security has designated it a “level one” national security event, and this year there will be more than 40 law enforcement agencies from all levels of government working to ensure that the 70,000 ticket-holders will be safe in Sun Life Stadium. From flight restrictions to a 300 foot perimeter around the facility, security personnel have been diligent in their pre-event planning. As technologists, it’s our job to help officers be more productive and efficient when executing security plans.
To help facilitate collaboration in response to potential threats posed by organized crime, gangs, drug cartels or terrorists leading up to the game, the Miami Dade Police Department (MDPD) will use Microsoft’s Fusion Core Solution. Fusion Core is designed to address three specific challenges that intelligence and fusion centers face:
- Information Collection and Management
- Data Analysis and Modeling
- Information Sharing
Securing an event like the Super Bowl requires information sharing and analysis by public safety organizations at all levels of government. Law enforcement data is often siloed in different locations across agencies and is difficult to share. To facilitate crucial information sharing, Fusion Core brings previously disparate data together under one platform, and enables personnel to securely exchange documents and alerts. Once the data is captured, analysts can view it geospatially using ESRI’s visualization and mapping technology to make sense of the information and respond appropriately to potential threats.
The Super Bowl is an exciting event and it’s easy to forget how much work goes on behind the scenes to ensure the safety of fans. Technology can significantly help by extending the capabilities of the hard working security personnel, and the MDPD has done an incredible job preparing for this year’s game. Here is some additional information on how local Miami public safety officials are leveraging technology to prevent and respond to threats, and click here to see a demo of Fusion Core in action.
- Top Cloud Concern: Security
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By Teresa Carlson, Vice President, Microsoft Federal
The MITRE Corporation recently launched its Cloud Computing Forum for Government, and it’s quickly filling up with thoughtful insight from IT leaders. Last month I joined other industry representatives in answering a fundamental question: What do you perceive as the most significant concern for federal organizations who want to use cloud computing?
Issues like availability, performance, scalability and vendor lock-in are all extremely important factors to consider, but security is still the concern that repeatedly comes up in my discussions with federal leaders. This seems to be the case in the private sector as well. In his contribution to the Cloud Forum, Geoff Raines of MITRE Corporation cited a 2008 survey by CIO Research in which 45% of IT leaders chose security as their greatest concern for cloud adoption. In my response, I focused not only on the IT security standards that we as cloud providers can follow today, but also on the need for transparency to instill confidence in the cloud for our government customers. As I mentioned in a blog post last month, government has a role to play in terms of regulation, but cloud-specific security standards will emerge as the technology matures. In the meantime, we as vendors need to continue to innovate.
To view all of the great responses, check out MITRE’s Cloud Forum here.
- Continuing Support for Haiti
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By Teresa Carlson, Vice President, Microsoft Federal
We have all been moved by the scenes and reports of devastation in Haiti over the past two weeks. Tens of thousands of people are now homeless and in need of basic essentials like food, water, clothing and shelter. The global outpouring of support has shown how truly generous people can be during times of crisis, and we know that need is only just beginning.
My last post focused on the global health discussions occurring at the Military Health Systems Conference (MHS) this week, and MHS is doing so much in support of the relief effort in Haiti. The USNS Comfort, a Naval vessel that serves as a floating medical treatment facility around the world, arrived in Haiti last week and immediately starting treating patients. The facility is close to its capacity of 1,000 beds, underscoring the need for additional health aid, and the doctors and nurses aboard USNS Comfort are true heroes in the recovery effort.
As technology professionals, we can’t head into Haiti and perform surgeries, but we can help responders share information and deliver resources more efficiently. I’m extremely proud of my colleagues at Microsoft who have jumped at the opportunity to lend support. Hours after the earthquake, Microsoft consultants arrived in Haiti to help Customs and Border Protection (CBP) personnel automate data capture and reporting via Sharepoint. Prior to this, workers were relying on emailed excel spreadsheets. The team also supported CBP’s efforts in preparing jump kits for their Haiti support team and installed an Office Communications Server for collaboration.
The Bing Maps team at Microsoft is working with the US State Department to fly over Port Au Prince to get improved imagery of the region. Right now we have satellite photos like the one below, but a fly over will get us twice as close, providing high-resolution images of the entire country as recovery efforts move forward.
Microsoft has also partnered with NetHope, a consortium of 28 international humanitarian aid organizations to bring connectivity and technology collaboration tools to first responders on the ground in Haiti. Nethope has already established a temporary telecommunications infrastructure to allow humanitarian agencies to communicate and provide relief to the affected victims. And we’re collaborating with Crisis Commons to provide application and data hosting through Windows Azure, and coordinating in the development of Creole/English translation applications for Windows Mobile.
Technology can truly make a different in the Haiti recovery effort and I’d love to hear about the innovative ways other organizations are leveraging solutions. We are helping to drive awareness and donations to a number of NGOs through the following Citizenship link while promoting ‘text Haiti’ to 90999 initiative on this site which links from the home pages of bing.com, msn.com and Microsoft.com. I’m also very proud that Microsoft employees have already contributed over $1 million (Microsoft matches employee contributions up to $12k per year) to 120 non-profit aid organizations working in Haiti. The Haitian people are in desperate need of support, so please continue to find ways to give.
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- Software Innovation in Support of Global Health
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By Teresa Carlson, Vice President, Microsoft Federal
This week Microsoft will be participating in the 2010 Military Health System (MHS) Conference, an event dedicated to sharing best practices in healthcare delivery, research, education and training. The MHS is a diverse organization that brings together medical educators, researchers, and healthcare providers to support our DoD service members, retirees and their families all over the world. Like all healthcare organizations, the MHS is constantly striving to provide better, safer and more efficient care to patients, and we believe software innovation can play an essential role.
Information sharing is one of the fundamental challenges facing the military and civilian health communities, and technology can be a real force-multiplier when it comes to patient care. There is a need to connect disparate systems, data, processes, and devices to improve communications, information access and collaboration. Connecting data can not only improve quality and efficiency, but also enable providers and patients to build clinical data assets and comprehensive histories for future use. CarePoint, a solution we’ll be demonstrating in the Microsoft MHS booth, is a great example of this innovation. It’s a portal and data analysis solution created by the Air Force Medical Service and Aquilent that brings together data from existing clinical systems and allows medical personnel to share reports, applications and information to support population health efforts across the DoD. This solution is built on Microsoft Windows, SQL, .net and Office SharePoint Server, and is helping the Air Force Medical Service deliver effective and efficient services to its beneficiaries.
Technology is also empowering individuals to take control over their own medical data. To support this, Microsoft has created HealthVault, a free, cloud-based platform that helps people collect, store and securely share health information with participating healthcare providers. In an ongoing pilot at Madigan Army Medical Center, users are able to login through their personal Micare portal to receive clinical data such as lab results and current medications, track and monitor progress, complete health-focused tasks, educate themselves about health issues, and connect disparate elements of their care. Right now, most of our health data resides separately with our provider, pharmacy, government, and employer, and this is a great way to bring it into one location and help us all take better care of ourselves.
If you’re attending the 2010 MHS Conference in National Harbor, MD, please stop by the Microsoft booth to see some of the technology that is helping us meet patient care challenges in both the military and civilian communities.
- Government’s Role in Cloud Confidence
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By Teresa Carlson, Vice President, Microsoft Federal
Yesterday Microsoft General Counsel Brad Smith gave the keynote address at the Brookings Institution’s “Cloud Computing for Business and Society” Policy Forum. It was a great event that further demonstrated that there is a lot of agreement on the benefits of cloud – flexibility, mobility, convenience, cost-savings, choice – but also a lot of differing opinions on how to address the concerns leaders have. In his speech, Brad mentioned that “75 percent of senior business leaders believe that safety, security, and privacy are the top potential risks of cloud computing.” This is obviously a top concern of federal leaders as well, as many are dealing with extremely sensitive information. Allowing someone else to store your data is a decision that isn’t taken lightly, and cloud providers have a responsibility to be transparent and honest about their plans to protect that data. But government has a role too. Yesterday Brad identified some very interesting policy initiatives governments can implement to strengthen confidence in the privacy and security of the cloud. The Microsoft News Center has a transcript of the speech as well as an audio clip, and I’d love to hear feedback on some of the ideas Brad raises.
- A Template for Open Government
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By Teresa Carlson, Vice President, Microsoft Federal
Last month I wrote about the importance of the administration’s Open Government Directive, and with the first deadline looming, federal agencies may be looking for resources to assist in the process. By Friday, January 22, each agency must publish at least three high-value data sets and register them via Data.gov. But beyond achieving this first step, agencies need a comprehensive plan to meet the administration’s goals of transparency, participation and collaboration in a way that makes strategic sense in support of their mission.
To help federal leaders get started, we’ve published an Open Government Directive Plan Template. With over 70 different activities, deliverables and milestones due over the next 100 days or so, the template is a useful tool for establishing priorities, tracking progress and outlining responsibilities. Our resource page also includes an Open Government Directive Project Plan to keep teams on schedule, and a Governance Plan for Social Networking to help agencies create their Open Government Web pages that are due by February 6.
Microsoft’s Dean Halstead led the effort to create these tools and we are getting very positive feedback on their ability to simplify and organize the process of creating Open Government Plans. Dean blogged about available Open Government resources on GovLoop last month, and he’s continuing to connect with folks that have passed on some great ideas. Please feel free to comment on whether you find these tools useful and/or let us know how we can improve them to help you better meet your goals.
- Relief for Haiti
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By Teresa Carlson, Vice President, Microsoft Federal
The earthquake that hit southern Haiti earlier this week has caused catastrophic damage throughout the country. Haitian Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive has estimated that the loss of life could approach 100,000, and the survivors desperately need our help.
My colleagues at the State Department have partnered with the Red Cross, CTIA, and mGive on a very innovative and necessary donation program. If you text “haiti” to 90999, a $10 donation will automatically be made to the relief effort and charged to your cell phone bill. This morning the White House tweeted that citizens have already donated $8 million for the citizens of Haiti through this program. It’s an amazing accomplishment in such a short period of time, but Haiti needs much more help. To support the relief effort, Microsoft has added links to the bottom left portion of the Bing home page for citizens that wish to get involved and access more information on the disaster. Clicking “How you can help Haiti” takes you directly to a resource page on MSN.com, with contact information for organizations that are providing support.
We all want to help…and now we are able to through truly innovative programs like “text Haiti”. Please continue to support the citizens of Haiti with donations and resources that they urgently need.
- Modernizing Government
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By Teresa Carlson, Vice President, Microsoft Federal
Today President Obama is hosting a White House Forum on Modernizing Government, which will bring together CEOs from across the country to discuss how government can leverage private sector best practices to reduce costs, streamline processes, and improve citizen services. Our CEO, Steve Ballmer, will attend today’s event, and in his blog entry from today he reiterates what an important opportunity this event represents in terms of making government more efficient, effective and responsive.
It’s clear that the administration understands the transformative effect information technology can have on the way government operates. From the start, President Obama has talked about the importance of increasing transparency, participation and collaboration, and last month’s Open Government Directive was an important step. Citizens now have access to government data through portals like Data.gov, and they are developing innovative applications through projects like NASA’s “Be a Martian” initiative. Making data available also promotes accountability, and Microsoft has supported this effort through solutions like Recovery.gov and Stimulus 360.
But publishing the data is only the first step. Government and its industry partners need to focus on the outcomes that can be achieved when data is made available, and pursue solutions that securely and cost effectively reach these goals. I always talk about choice, and it’s because it’s so fundamental to the mission of modernizing government. Government isn’t one size fits all. There is an incredible amount of variability amongst government organizations, all with different needs and requirements in areas like collaboration and security. Cloud computing has been rightly embraced by the administration because of its potential in cost-savings and efficiency, but every government organization needs the freedom to choose where its data resides (multi-tenant, dedicated and/or on-premise), and which devices and applications have access to that data. Choice also means the freedom to choose the best technology solutions regardless of underlying development, licensing or business models. Organizations in both government and the private sector use products from a variety of vendors, so success means delivering value in a mixed-source environment, which requires interoperable solutions built on open standards.
Government now has the ability to draw upon an almost limitless level of technology innovation, and agency leaders are tasked with developing enterprise-level modernization strategies that fit their budget and their mission. I know Steve is excited to join partners and colleagues from across the country to share ideas on how technology can make government more efficient. Please read his blog entry from today for more information on this exciting event!
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- CES 2010
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By Teresa Carlson, Vice President, Microsoft Federal
I’m excited to be in Las Vegas this week to attend the 2010 CES! It is always a great way to kick off a new year. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer gave last night’s keynote and it focused on how much the technology industry accomplished in 2009, as well as where we’re headed in 2010. He mentioned that in spite of a very difficult global economy, technology proved resilient, and helped organizations accomplish more with limited resources. Investment remained high because innovation breeds solutions that create efficiencies, and we all needed to be more efficient in 2009.
Steve also focused on how technology continues to deliver the experiences people want, wherever they are, and I think it’s one of the biggest drivers of innovation in our industry. In a recent chat I had with Dorothy Ramienski of Federal News Radio, we discussed how mobility has changed the way we all work, and as I look around CES it’s clear that it’s changed the way we receive entertainment as well. We have enormous amounts of data at our fingertips at all times, and it’s all through tiny devices that fit in our pockets. And as I’ve discussed at length in this blog, folks are also instantly accessing services from any device with an internet connection as cloud computing gains more and more traction. It’s such an interesting time to be a part of this industry, and with Web 2.0 tools becoming more and more sophisticated, innovators are able to collaborate like never before.
With all of this innovation surrounding CES, I can’t wait to moderate the CIO Firing Line panel as part of CES Government 2010 tomorrow morning. The panel will consist of government CIOs and other technology leaders who will field audience questions on cloud computing, social media, 2010 budgets/funding, outsourcing, and other topics that government executives are wrestling with as we begin the new decade. The cool thing is that our audience will be equipped with voting devices to react to our discussion as it’s going on. It should be a great time, so if you’re attending CES this year, please come by and participate! The panel will provide some great insight into the ways technology is helping to address key government challenges like healthcare, homeland security and energy. And visit the blog again early next week for a recap!
- New Chief of Cybersecurity
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By Teresa Carlson, Vice President, Microsoft Federal
As the Federal IT world welcomes in 2010, we are excited by the announcement made earlier this week that President Obama has appointed Howard Schmidt as his White House Cybersecurity Coordinator. Howard is an ideal candidate to lead the federal government through the challenge of protecting our nation’s critical IT assets from online threats, with over 40 years of experience in government, business and law enforcement.
As the federal government embraces new technologies like cloud computing, our security practices must keep pace. The federal IT community must work with Howard on developing a comprehensive strategy to secure American networks, strengthening public private partnerships both domestically and internationally, promoting R&D for next generation technologies and leading broad cybersecurity awareness and education campaigns. Many of my colleagues and I have a profound respect for Howard and the work he has done over the years. We can’t wait to begin working with him and others in the industry on the President’s top priorities for securing our nation’s networks.
- Ten Technology Trends that Shaped the Past Decade
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By Teresa Carlson, Vice President, Microsoft Federal
With the holiday season upon us, we are not only moving on to another year, but also a new decade! It’s easy to forget how different the climate in the federal space was just ten years ago - from policy to procurement to technology. I recently spoke with Chris Dorobek for a Federal News Radio series called “Stories of the Decade”, and it was a reminder of how technology has fundamentally changed our lives over the past 10 years. I will link to my interview with Chris when it’s posted, but in the meantime, here are some trends that I think have had the biggest impact:
Social Computing and Gov 2.0 – Adoption of social media and collaboration tools has really heated up over the past few years, and that includes federal agencies. Tools like Twitter, Facebook, Sharepoint, and Instant Messaging are transforming communication in a lot of the same ways the phone did years ago. The last presidential election showed us how powerful social networking can be in the world of politics, and most government leaders now engage directly with stakeholders through a significant online presence. NASA is an example of a federal organization that has fully embraced these technologies, with internal collaboration through Spacebook and external engagement with citizens.
Search – It’s amazing to think how much online search has changed the way we access information. Compare Encyclopedia Britannica with the information we have at our fingertips today through tools like Bing and Wikipedia. Citizens are now instantaneously able to find critical public information through portals like USA.gov, and search has transformed the way governments are able to research and compile data on both international and domestic events.
Cloud Computing and Virtualization – Much like Windows fundamentally altered the DOS-based computing environment, cloud computing is now redefining computing in this decade. The ability to access Iaas and SaaS applications via the Web has changed how organizations operate, and in government we’re seeing citizen-facing services like Recovery.gov creating unprecedented levels of accountability and transparency.
Mobility – Cell phones and smart phones have changed the way we all communicate, and these devices are now allowing us to take computing capabilities on-the-go.
Security – Ten years ago broadband was just coming onto the scene with Cable and DSL, and security threats were mostly confined to the physical world. But malware has changed all that, with viruses and spyware affecting nearly everyone with a computer. It’s not only transformed the way Microsoft writes all of its software, but it’s forced the computing industry to focus on protecting users before features.
Standards and Interoperability – At the start of the decade, all file formats were closed and proprietary. In order to access data and documents, consumers and organizations had to maintain the legacy programs that created them. Open standards and common technical specifications have changed all that, and provided government with more technology choices. Today we publish our technical specifications online so that anyone can write interoperable applications with commercial or open-source products.
“Consumerization” of IT – Citizens are demanding more from government because they use technology in their everyday lives and understand it’s potential. PCs are in more and more homes and we are communicating online in ways that weren’t possible ten years ago. Most purchases are now made using a Web search, and we can pay for items using services like PayPal. This progress has raised the expectations people have when dealing with the government, and it’s led to citizen-facing services that didn’t exist before. State DMV’s were the first government organizations to implement citizen engagement via the Web (paying parking tickets, etc.), and we’re now seeing widespread adoption by federal agencies.
Communication and Collaboration – The events of 9/11 reinforced the fact that all layers of government need the ability to communicate quickly and efficiently. When a disaster strikes, federal decision-makers, state leaders and first responders all have to be on the same page. Interoperable networks and the rapid expansion of broadband facilitated this forced evolution in our government’s communications infrastructure.
Telepresence – At the start of the decade, the first VOIP pilot solutions were being implemented. Video conferences were conducted in a few expensive rooms that were designed specifically for that purpose. Today software exists that allows us to chat from our computers or mobile phones, and we’re even starting to use voice technology to communicate with machines.
Software – Software tools are the backbone of what we can accomplish using technology, and it’s amazing to see such innovative government-focused applications coming directly from citizens using portals like Data.gov.
It’s fun to take a look back at how far we’ve come, and the innovation in the federal market continues each day. I’d love to hear other thoughts about the incredible technology trends we’ve seen over the past decade, so please comment below!
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- Opening Up Government
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By Teresa Carlson, Vice President, Microsoft Federal
Today the White House released an extremely important directive on open government designed to institutionalize agency processes to make government more participatory and collaborative. Chief Technology Officer Aneesh Chopra and Chief Information Officer Vivek Kundra detailed the directive live from the White House this morning during a Web chat, and really focused on the need to establish accountability while leveraging the ingenuity of the American people. Doug Beizer wrote a great story on the announcement in Federal Computer Week today, as did Grant Gross of ComputerWorld.
We’ve already seen the incredible solutions citizens have come up with when they have access to high-value government data through portals like data.gov. Vivek specifically mentioned FlyOnTime.us which is an application supported by Federal Aviation Administration data that allows citizens to see average flight delay and wait times at airports all over the country. It’s such an innovative tool, and is just another example of how powerful the collective knowledge of our populace is. To help support the development of solutions like FlyOnTime.us, we launched our Open Government Data Initiative (ODGI) earlier this year. ODGI is a grouping of software assets designed to help agencies bring useful data to the public, maximizing the amazing solutions citizen developers continue to create.
But open government is really about outcomes, regardless of how solutions are created. I’ve talked a lot about open government and the role that Gov 2.0 technologies play, and a holistic approach is needed to ensure appropriate security, scalability and interoperability. Government can be both open and secure, but it requires multiple levels of security controls that can quickly adapt to threats that are growing more and more sophisticated. When we look at security, we’re looking at three dimensions: security of data (virus/spam filtering in the cloud), secure data access and secure datacenters. Agencies are all trying to achieve open government in the right way, and an approach that incorporates controls at all three of these levels is essential.
The other crucial component is interoperability. Government operates in a mixed IT world, and we all need to be talking to each other. Interoperability truly “opens” government up, giving federal decision-makers the flexibility to choose solutions that provide taxpayers with the best return on their investment. It also fosters a competitive environment in which companies are constantly required to innovate and provide more value to federal agencies. Federal customers don’t care if software is open source or proprietary, they want to know if it delivers results and integrates within their existing IT infrastructure. It’s an exciting time to be part of this federal innovation, and we can’t wait to continue these discussions with the administration, the federal agencies we support, and our industry partners.
- Visualization Solutions Improve Training for Warfighters
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By Teresa Carlson, Vice President, Microsoft Federal
Yesterday Lockheed Martin and Microsoft continued to strengthen their partnership in the government market with an agreement that will allow Lockheed to use Microsoft’s PC-based ESP visual simulation software to build customized virtual training solutions for warfighters preparing for battle. It’s a great example of industry collaboration that will bring innovative, necessary solutions to the market in a faster and more cost-effective manner.
Our partnership with Lockheed consists of an intellectual property (IP) licensing agreement that provides Lockheed with access to the ESP technology portfolio, giving developers the freedom to build unique simulation solutions for customers without having to start at square one each time. ESP comes equipped with the simulation engine, development tools and existing visual content from all over the world, which frees up developers to focus on innovating in support of the specific mission they are serving. The result is tailored simulation and training solutions delivered faster and at a lower cost. It’s our goal to continue to offer our industry partners IP tools that foster innovation, greater choice and interoperability on behalf of the government.
Microsoft ESP technology allows users to operate realistic vehicle models that incorporate real-world physics to enhance realism, such as in the interior and instrumentation of a Boeing 747-400
Shortening the development cycle is essential because these solutions are often supporting the soldiers fighting to keep us safe. We have to get this crucial training content into the hands of warfighters when they need it, and Lockheed has already created its first ESP-based solution in support of this effort (which is being demonstrated at the I/ITSEC conference this week). For more information on the exciting ESP-based solutions that are being built, visit http://www.microsoft.com/ESP/
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- Educate to Innovate
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By Teresa Carlson, Vice President, Microsoft Federal
Yesterday I attended an inspirational event at the White House where President Obama announced “Educate to Innovate”, a national program designed to help U.S. students improve their science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) skills. The President made it clear that technological innovation will be vitally important to staying competitive in the rapidly-evolving global economy, and Microsoft is proud to partner with the administration and other STEM organizations dedicated to supporting this effort.
High school student from Oakton, VA demonstrates a robotics project for President Obama
The goal of the program is to build excitement and passion for science and math within our students at an early age, to develop the leaders and innovators of tomorrow. As part of Educate to Innovate, President Obama is kicking off a national video game design competition to engage young people across the country with real life STEM-related concepts. Microsoft is proud to sponsor the 12-16 year-old age group in the competition, and we’re very excited to see what the kids come up with!
It’s so important that we help the next generation develop these crucial skills of the future, and we commend the President on launching this invaluable initiative. For a look inside (including a white paper) the hundreds of millions of dollars that Microsoft has committed to STEM, visit my colleague Pamela Passman’s blog.
- NASA Pathfinder Innovation Challenge Focuses on STEM
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By Teresa Carlson, Vice President, Microsoft Federal
In 1997 when the Mars Pathfinder began to transmit images back to Earth after its seven-month journey through space, I remember being awestruck by the TV coverage. The barren vistas, talcum-powder like Martian soil and rocks were, literally, other-worldly. NASA’s Mars Exploration Program has served as a steadfast example of America’s greatness in innovation and discovery. And as a way to keep that innovation coming, we are excited to embrace the “Pathfinder Innovation Challenge” announced jointly with Federal CIO Vivek Kundra at this week’s PDC09.
The “Be a Martian” website and Pathfinder Innovation Challenge, which are being co-sponsored by Microsoft and NASA’s Mars Exploration Program, “seek to encourage the development of critical digital-age computer skills, as well as life-long-learning in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).”
With possibly thousands of participants using the information being made available on this website, NASA aims to produce a complete, accurate map of Mars as well as enhanced close-up images, and easier interpretation of Martian surface changes over time. The Pathfinder Innovation Challenge is a specific programming and design contest created to help solve some of NASA’s most challenging problems. For example, developers can devise ways to sift and sort information about craters on the Martian surface, which, in turn, will be used to determine the relative age of certain regions of the planet.
The NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory has loaded all of the Mars rover images from the Spirit and Opportunity Rover missions and made them available via our cloud-based Windows Azure platform. What I find most fascinating about all of this is that by contributing to the Challenge, not only will participants have the chance to win game points and prizes, but their designs may actually be used by the Mars mission team. Let the Pathfinder Innovation Challenge begin! Citizen scientists from high-school age on can directly contribute to that proud history of exploration.
