Chris Rasmussen

Knowledge Manager, NGA

Mr. Chris Rasmussen is a “purple intelligence” and mashup evangelist within the US Intelligence Community (IC).  Mr. Rasmussen evangelizes and teaches how to use  lightweight social tools such as Intellipedia (wiki), A-Space (Facebook for spies) blogs, tag|connect (social bookmarking service), widgets, mashups, social networking services, etc. to create “purple intelligence” throughout the IC Enterprise  These tools, in agency-neutral space, have considerable advantages over exceedingly complex databases and applications often with opaque data access layers isolated within agency footprints with too many controls. 

 "Purple Intelligence" or "living intelligence" are terms popularized by Chris Rasmussen which are references to what happens when a range of shades between red and blue are mixed together and the intelligence topic is constantly updated unlike the snapshot idea behind the "finished intelligence" process. If intelligence agencies were to adhere to the same concept – mixing their information together into one topical space rather than circulating reports with limited feedback loops on near identical topics through disparate agency-specific production systems--the government would experience more robust and efficient business processes. In 2006, intelligence officials acknowledged major barriers to information sharing. U.S. intelligence agencies still produce about 50,000 reports a year, often lengthy and redundant.  Purple intelligence can help reduce the amount of duplication by moving the review process into the same space where the collaboration takes place.

Mr. Rasmussen holds a BA in History and Masters in National Security Studies.  He was selected as one of the “Federal 100” by Federal Computer Week in 2008.  This award is giving to top executives from government, industry and academia that had the greatest impact on the government information systems community.