[ISN] NIST Director Sees Key Role In Emerging Technologies

http://www.informationweek.com/news/government/policy/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=221901183

By J. Nicholas Hoover
InformationWeek
November 25, 2009

As it takes on research and standardization in the areas of healthcare 
IT, smart grid, and cybersecurity, the National Institute of Standards 
and technology has a "critically important" role to play, according to 
NIST's new director, Patrick Gallagher.

A 16-year NIST veteran and former deputy director, Gallagher's 
appointment as confirmed by the Senate earlier this month. "What you're 
going to see is a small parade of things that will become critically 
important to solving government or national problems where we'll have to 
tackle them," Gallagher said in an interview.

IT has become an important focus of NIST's efforts. While better known 
for its work in physics and science -- the agency sets official time in 
the United States -- NIST's IT work is every bit as significant, 
Gallagher says. The agency's IT Laboratory accounts for much of the 
institute's overall lab budget.

NIST, which was given some authority over smart grid standards in 2007, 
in September released a framework and road map for smart grid 
interoperability. NIST recently held the first meeting of the Smart Grid 
Interoperability Panel, which will help set standards. It's a pressing, 
and challenging, task given that government and private utilities are 
expected to spend $8.1 billion on smart grid projects over the next 
three years as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

[...]


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