The Environment Protection Agency will develop applications for mobile devices first before making them for desktops and laptops, the agency’s chief information officer said Tuesday, according to Federal Computer Week.Malcolm Jackson said the new policy will focus the agency’s information technology projects into creating web-enabled mobile applications and websites designed for mobile devices.
Jackson made the remarks at the Social Business for Government Summit in Washington, sponsored by IBM and Federal Computer Week.
The agency will apply the new mobile first policy for both employees and the public, he said.
Jackson said the agency is taking this route because of the proliferation of smartphones and relative low cost compared to computers and Internet service.
Some young people own smartphones but do not own a computer, he said.
Tablet computers will soon arrive at the agency later this year, he added.
The EPA announced in November the winners of its Apps for the Environment contest, where it challenged the public to create apps that would address Administrator Lisa Jackson’s priorities.
The agency selected an app that offers details on purchasing energy-efficient bulbs as the overall winner.
