【英语科技】谷歌电邮成功抢滩美国联邦机构

Google Inc.'s (GOOG) online software won a key endorsement from the federal government Wednesday, as the General Services Administration said it will use the company's Gmail, word processing and other applications for the agency's more than 15,000 employees.

The GSA selected Google's offerings, called Google Apps, over technology from rival Microsoft Corp. (MSFT), whose Outlook email and other Office applications are used in most government offices and businesses.

The two technology giants already compete to win contracts from companies as well as state and local governments, which hope to cut costs by switching to Web-based software from programs installed on their own computers. The GSA move gives Google's applications a beachhead in the federal government.

It also affirms the broader concept of Web-based software, sometimes known as cloud computing. The GSA described its effort as the first agency-wide use of cloud-based email in the federal government. Cloud-based systems store email, documents and other items on distant server computers instead of personal computers at the user's desk.

The bidding was closely watched because the GSA--which oversees government procurement and manages federal property--often helps shape how other agencies acquire new technology.

'Other agencies will look closely at what GSA has done,' said David Mihalchik, a Google business development manager. He declined to name other government groups Google has approached about using Google Apps.

A Google spokesman said it is the first cloud-based software provider to receive certification from a federal agency--GSA in this case--that its software meets security requirements to handle 'moderate'-level data, also known as sensitive but unclassified. The vast majority of government communications consists of such data, the spokesman said, and Google won't be handling 'top secret' information.

Amir Efrati

谷歌公司(Google Inc.)的在线软件周三赢得了美国联邦政府意义重大的认可。美国总务管理局(General Services Administration)表示，该机构1.5万余职员将使用谷歌公司的电子邮箱Gmail、文字处理系统和其它软件。

美国总务管理局选择谷歌企业应用套件(Google Apps)，而没有选择大多数政府办公室和企业所用的微软(Microsoft Corp.)Outlook电子邮件和Office其它应用程序。

这两家科技业巨头已为争夺公司以及美国各州和地方政府的合同而展开竞争。美国政府部门希望从使用安装在计算机上的软件转为使用基于网络的软件，从而达到削减成本的目的。美国总务管理局此次选择谷歌，让谷歌应用软件在联邦政府中“抢滩”成功。

另外，此举还肯定了基于网络软件的广义概念，这一概念有时也被称作“云计算”。美国总务管理局称，自己将是首家广泛使用云电邮的联邦政府机构。云系统可将电子邮件、文件和其它资料储存在远程服务器计算机中，而不是储存在用户的个人电脑里。

谷歌此次竞标成功受到外界密切关注，因为美国总务管理局负责政府采购监管和联邦财产管理，因此常在使用新技术方面对其它政府部门起到一定的影响。

谷歌负责业务发展的经理David Mihalchik说，其它政府部门将密切关注总务管理局的选择。他拒绝透露谷歌就其企业应用套件具体与哪些部门进行了接洽。

谷歌发言人说，谷歌是第一家得到联邦政府机构认可的云软件提供商，联邦机构选用谷歌企业应用套件说明其软件符合国家安全要求，可处理“中等”程度的数据，即敏感但非机密的数据。这位发言人说，政府联络通讯中绝大多数内容都是这些“中等”数据，他们不会用谷歌软件处理“最高机密”信息。

Amir Efrati

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