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FCC to Track Providers’ Compliance With Robocall Mitigation Standards Via New Database
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FCC to Track Providers’ Compliance With Robocall Mitigation Standards Via New Database

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is developing a public database to track compliance of telephone service providers with standards meant to authenticate and display the caller ID of phone calls as part of efforts to mitigate robocalls, Nextgov reported Tuesday.

Voice service providers should certify that they have implemented the Secure Telephone Identity Revisited and Signature-based Handling of Asserted Information Using toKENs standards, according to a Federal Register notice posted Tuesday.

They will get certifications once they comply with STIR/SHAKEN standards to be posted on the Robocall Mitigation Database. Those certifications will include the contact information and other personal details of the carriers’ individual representatives.

The passage of the Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence Act led to the creation of the STIR/SHAKEN framework for caller ID authentication in late 2019. FCC issued the standards in March 2020 and set a June 2021 deadline for carriers to comply with those standards.

“Once service providers submit their certifications to the FCC, the certifications will then be made available for download via a public website to ensure transparency and accountability for implementing robocall mitigation programs,” the notice reads.

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SSTI Receives NIST Manufacturing Partnership Support Grant
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SSTI Receives NIST Manufacturing Partnership Support Grant

The State Science and Technology Institute (SSTI) has been selected by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to recommend evidence-based approaches on how a national public-private partnership that supports small and medium manufacturing companies can align itself with partner organizations.

Under a $5 million grant award, SSTI will explore strategies to increase collaboration between the NIST Manufacturing Extension Partnership, MEP Centers and other stakeholders at the state level, the agency said Tuesday.

The Westerville, Ohio-based nonprofit aims to facilitate activities that can help the centers and partners engage with policymakers and gain access to the nonpartisan public information about stakeholder efforts.

NIST awarded the funds under its 2021 NIST MEP State Partnership notice of funding opportunity. The five-year period of performance will run through June 2026.

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Forcepoint Appoints Parag Patel As Senior Vice President of Global Channel Sales; John DiLullo Quoted
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Forcepoint Appoints Parag Patel As Senior Vice President of Global Channel Sales; John DiLullo Quoted

Forcepoint announced Tuesday that the company has appointed Parag Patel as senior vice president of Global Channel Sales to lead the company's next-generation partner ecosystem. Under Patel's leadership, the company will make strategic investments that accelerate the channel's transformation into an expert deployment and support arm of the company's comprehensive data-first SASE platform.

"We are committed to building a robust, global partner ecosystem for the delivery of cybersecurity solutions that protect critical enterprise data and IP, including partnerships focused on data-first risk-based solutions," said John DiLullo, chief revenue officer of Forcepoint. 

"Helping our 10,000+ customers migrate securely to the cloud has become Forcepoint's consuming passion. Our products and our partners are critical fuels for this effort. Parag is a superlative channels leader and an experienced architect of programs that will excite, invigorate and accelerate our partners' and Forcepoint's mutual success,” Dilullo added. 

Patel will bring over two decades of experience as a global channels and business development leader to Forcepoint. He is well known for transforming go-to-market (GTM) strategies that drive growth for industry-leading enterprise SaaS companies. 

Before joining Forcepoint, Patel worked at VMware for 14 years, developing multiple Routes-to-Market that helped the company grow annual sales from approximately $250 million to more than $8 billion.

While working at VMware, Patel was also responsible for bringing VMware's hyper-converged platform to market and securing over 10,000 customers. Similarly, Patel led a successful effort to create transformational partnerships at C3.ai, a leader in enterprise artificial intelligence. 

"Our mission is to create friction-free partnerships, to foster a spirit of collaboration in the channel, and to ensure that Forcepoint's customers receive unparalleled service and support. Securing and protecting our customers is Job #1; nurturing a vibrant partner and alliance ecosystem is Step #1 toward that goal,” commented Parag Patel, senior vice president of Global Channel Sales at Forcepoint.

“I am excited to be leading this critical element of Forcepoint's transformation and look forward to sharing more details in the coming weeks and months,” concluded Patel. 

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Army Chief Scientist Philip Perconti to Step Down From Government Service
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Army Chief Scientist Philip Perconti to Step Down From Government Service

Philip Perconti, deputy assistant secretary of the Army for research and technology, will step down and retire from government service, effective May 28.

Perconti, who also serves as the U.S. Army's chief scientist, helped the service establish a science and technology strategy involving Army Futures Command. He also helped the Army prepare for future technologies, determine priorities and shape basic research programs.

Perconti previously served as director of Army Research Laboratory for over three years and held roles with various science and technology organizations in the service.

“By revamping the Army’s experimental prototypes and manufacturing technology programs to maximize technology transition from applied research projects to Army engineering, manufacturing, development and production programs, we set our path toward modernization,” the chief scientist said.

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Space Force Eyes Large Investment in Cloud to Drive Data-Driven Decision Making
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Space Force Eyes Large Investment in Cloud to Drive Data-Driven Decision Making

The U.S. Space Force intends to consolidate large amounts of data in a cloud environment for faster data-driven decision-making, Space News reported Monday. To make this happen, USSF will make a large investment in cloud consolidation efforts throughout the next decade.

Col. Jennifer Krolikowski, senior materiel leader for space command and control at the Space and Missile Systems Center, said space operations require a lot of data for decisions to be made.

The service plans to address this need via a data-as-a-service procurement approach, which automates data management processes. The cloud-consolidated data can undergo artificial intelligence analysis to speed up deliveries.

Krolikowski told Space News that the effort's contracting strategy might bring an award pool of $10 billion.

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CISA Creates Working Group to Secure Space Systems Infrastructure; Brandon Wales Quoted
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CISA Creates Working Group to Secure Space Systems Infrastructure; Brandon Wales Quoted

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has established a working group dedicated to the protection of space systems that contribute to the U.S. critical infrastructure. 

The Space Systems Critical Infrastructure Working Group combines industry and government expertise to develop risk reduction strategies for these space systems, CISA said Thursday.

The group will perform its duties in alignment with the Critical Infrastructure Partnership Advisory Council's framework. These duties include identifying services and products that boost the security of commercial space systems.

Jim Platt, chief of strategic defense initiatives at CISA, and John Galer, assistant vice president for national security space at the Aerospace Industries Association, will co-chair the working group.

“This cross-sector working group will lay the foundation for our collective defense against the threats we face today and in the future," said Brandon Wales, acting director of CISA.

BlueHalo Supports Expansion of Boys and Girls Club of North Alabama; Jonathan Moneymaker Quoted
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BlueHalo Supports Expansion of Boys and Girls Club of North Alabama; Jonathan Moneymaker Quoted

BlueHalo CEO Jonathan Moneymaker attended a ribbon-cutting event at the James A. Lane Boys and Girls Club in Huntsville, Alabama on Friday to recognize Team ECHO’s (Empowering Children in Huntsville Operation), one of Leadership Greater Huntsville’s small groups, in its completion of a multipurpose addition.

“BlueHalo is committed to supporting the efforts of employees, individuals, and organizations focused on serving the needs of others. The Boys and Girls Club represents values BlueHalo holds dear in their mission to enable all young people to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens,” said Moneymaker.

BlueHalo Serves, the company’s community outreach group, donated $15,000 to the year-long effort to sponsor both organizations in providing our youth with the experiences and opportunities to explore their capabilities and positively impact our communities. Johnathan Jones, vice president of Engineering Services for BlueHalo’s Space and Directed Energy Sector and team member of ECHO, was also in attendance on Friday. BlueHalo Supports Expansion of Boys and Girls Club of North Alabama; Jonathan Moneymaker Quoted

“Having our executives, like Johnathan Jones, committed to the development of future generations exemplifies what we mean by the BlueHalo Effect, safeguarding everything we hold dear. We are so proud to be even a small part of the Boys and Girls Club community,” Moneymaker added.

Team ECHO is made up of individuals from all walks of life who understand that children are our future and want to provide them with the tools for success. This makes the group a perfect partner for the Boys and Girls Clubs of North Alabama, which provide programs, people, and pathways that teach young people how to live, lead and serve no matter where they are from or what challenges they face.

Accenture Acquires Homburg and Partner; Edwin van der Ouderaa Quoted
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Accenture Acquires Homburg and Partner; Edwin van der Ouderaa Quoted

Accenture announced on Tuesday that it has acquired Homburg & Partner, a strategic management consulting firm with deep specialization in commercial strategy, sales and pricing. Homburg & Partner’s workforce of 73 professionals have joined Accenture’s Customer, Sales & Service team. Terms of the transaction have not been disclosed.

“The pandemic accelerated the shift for organizations to adopt new digital standards for customer experience and engagement. The addition of Homburg & Partners expands our ability to shape growth and efficiency strategies across the enterprise and will increase our clients’ focus on growing their sales and profits, as they pivot to their next-generation customer engagement,” commented Edwin van der Ouderaa, Accenture’s global lead of Customer, Sales & Service.

Homburg & Partner is headquartered in Mannheim, Germany and possesses a strong record of increasing sales, market share and profitability with considerable industry knowledge for clients in the industrial goods, healthcare and chemical industries. 

Accenture’s market lead in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Russia,  Frank Riemensperger said that “Acquiring Homburg & Partner reinforces our strategy and process capabilities, especially with commercial strategy, sales and pricing methods and knowledge so crucial for the digital economy.”

Over the past two decades, Homburg & Partner has worked with large to mid-sized companies on projects ranging from developing go-to-market strategies, optimizing sales processes and organizations to implementing leading pricing methodologies.

“Homburg & Partner stands for excellent and practicable consulting services at the highest level, which always keep the market insight. Accenture’s scale and market share will enable us to extend our value proposition to customers across industries and geographies,” added Prof. Christian Homburg, founder and chairman of Homburg & Partner’s scientific advisory board.

About Accenture

Accenture is a global professional services company with leading capabilities in digital, cloud and security. Combining unmatched experience and specialized skills across more than 40 industries, the company offers Strategy and Consulting, Interactive, Technology and Operations services — all powered by the world’s largest network of Advanced Technology and Intelligent Operations centers. Accenture’s 537,000 people deliver on the promise of technology and human ingenuity every day, serving clients in more than 120 countries. Accenture embraces the power of change to create value and shared success for our clients, people, shareholders, partners and communities. 

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Epirus Appoints Mark Esper to its Board of Directors; Chairman Grant Verstandig Quoted
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Epirus Appoints Mark Esper to its Board of Directors; Chairman Grant Verstandig Quoted

Epirus announced Tuesday that former Secretary of Defense and two-time Wash100 Award recipient Mark Esper has joined the company's Board of Directors. Esper was the 23rd secretary of the Army from 2017-2019 and the 27th Secretary of Defense from 2019 to 2020. 

“We cannot wait for the loss of human life to become the catalyst for change when the technology exists that can stop threats today. Adding a visionary leader like Mark to the Board solidifies our ability to bring to market the technology we need to help protect the U.S. warfighter and develop other new applications of our technology for broad commercial use,” stated Grant Verstandig, Epirus executive chairman and co-founder.

Esper’s appointment strengthens Epirus’s commitment to bring in experienced professionals to its Board of Directors to guide the company through its next phase of development and growth. Grant Verstandig leads the company’s Board of Directors.

As secretary of Defense, Esper led one of the largest, most complex organizations globally with the Department of Defense’s (DOD) nearly 3 million service members and defense civilians with a $740 billion annual budget. During his tenure, Esper oversaw the biggest R&D budget in the DOD’s history, drove spending on cutting-edge technologies, and advanced other initiatives to ensure the U.S. military modernized for the future.  

Dr. Esper is currently the first John S. McCain Distinguished Fellow at the McCain Institute for International Leadership at Arizona State University and a member of the Board of Directors at the Atlantic Council.  He also served as secretary of the Army, as a senior executive at Raytheon, and executive vice president at U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

“Epirus stands at the vanguard of those accelerating military and homeland security applications of game-changing technology to disarm drones used to launch lethal attacks against our service members and civilians anytime, anywhere,” commented Esper. 

“Addressing emerging threats and challenges was always a priority of mine at the Pentagon and will continue to be going forward. Epirus has proven itself able to rapidly innovate and adapt in ways that can make it a critical partner to the U.S. government and our allies,” concluded Esper. 

GSA, DOE Lab Release Blueprint for GEB Integration Into Federal Energy Savings Performance Contracts; Kevin Kampschroer Quoted
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GSA, DOE Lab Release Blueprint for GEB Integration Into Federal Energy Savings Performance Contracts; Kevin Kampschroer Quoted

The General Services Administration (GSA) and the Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have released a report detailing how to integrate grid-interactive efficient building (GEB) technologies into energy savings performance contracts of federal government agencies. 

GSA said Monday that the blueprint containing integration best practices and guidance is meant to help building operators equip all five phases of a performance contract with GEB energy analysis procedures and technologies.

"With this GEB blueprint from NREL, we will broaden our innovation in whole-building energy and cost savings and greenhouse gas reductions," said Kevin Kampschroer, director of the GSA Office of Federal High-Performance Green Buildings.

GSA plans for its future energy performance contracts and building modernization projects to be integrated with GEB technologies. It will leverage the blueprint to select sites that are prime for cost-effective GEB implementation.

Other landholding federal agencies are encouraged to also use the blueprint.

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