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OMB Updates Guidelines for New Internet Protocol Adoption; Russell Vought Quoted
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OMB Updates Guidelines for New Internet Protocol Adoption; Russell Vought Quoted

The Office of Management and Budget has released an updated guidance on the federal government's implementation of internet protocol version 6 (IPv6).

OMB now tasks agencies to prepare an IPv6-exclusive infrastructure, assign an integrated project team for IPv6 implementation, issue an agency-wide IPv6 policy, identify pilot program opportunities and complete an IPv6 implementation plan by the end of fiscal year 2021, OMB Director Russell Vought said in a memorandum posted Thursday.

The guidance also calls for agencies to work with external partners and update public-facing servers and online services in preparation for the implementation.

IPv6 replaces the existing IPv4 and reduces costs associated with service life extension and maintenance of the older IP.

"As information technology continues to evolve toward mobile platforms, internet of things and wireless networks, IPv6 growth will continue to accelerate," Vought wrote in the memorandum.

The new version's implementation would also help the government pursue future innovation and align with other organizations.

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Navy to Perform Testing, Integration Efforts for DDG 51 Destroyers
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Navy to Perform Testing, Integration Efforts for DDG 51 Destroyers

The U.S. Navy has announced that the modernization effort for Arleigh Burke-class DDG 51 Flight III destroyers remains on track as the service branch moves to perform testing and integration activities for the vessels' ship systems.

Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Philadelphia Division is set to test the destroyers' hull, mechanical and electrical equipment to meet increased power and cooling requirements for the AMDR/SPY-6(V)1 air and missile defense radar, the service branch said Friday.

The Navy also installed AMDR arrays to initiate land-based tests for the destroyers' Aegis Combat Systems. Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) is currently building Flight III destroyers, with the future USS Jack H. Lucas slated for activation and test activities.

The Navy seeks to equip DDG 51 with ballistic missile defense and anti-air warfare capabilities through the modernization effort.

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Gen. John Raymond: Space Force Needs Domain Awareness Tech to Track Space Debris
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Gen. John Raymond: Space Force Needs Domain Awareness Tech to Track Space Debris

Gen. John Raymond, the chief of space operations and 2020 Wash100 Award winner, said the U.S. Space Force has a critical need for space domain awareness technologies as debris continues to threaten space operations, Space News reported Sunday.

Raymond spoke at the Halifax International Security Forum virtual event about the service branch's need to gather and quickly analyze more space awareness data.

The chief said USSF needs to do what it can for the prevention of space debris affecting satellite operations and human life, despite the lack of an official mandate to perform this task.

USSF must also prevent satellite collision and implement engineering standards that reduce the risks of debris coming out of space craft.

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Deloitte Names Matt Gentile as Head of Government and Public Services Advisory Practice
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Deloitte Names Matt Gentile as Head of Government and Public Services Advisory Practice

Deloitte has appointed Matt Gentile, the company’s principal with Deloitte Risk & Financial Advisory, Deloitte Transactions and Business Analytics, as the new head of Deloitte’s government and public services Advisory practice, the company reported on Monday. Gentile’s new role is effective immediately. 

“As our clients tackle the hard challenges in establishing and restoring trust, securing mission critical systems and building crisis response and resilience into operations, we will help set the pace on human-centered, AI-assisted solutions as governmental entities enhance how they serve citizens everywhere,” Gentile said. 

With Deloitte’s government and public services Advisory practice, Gentile will supervise the company’s work in cybersecurity, risk management, financial modernization and digital transformation with government agencies at the federal, state and local levels, as well as with institutions of higher education. 

Gentile most recently served as a leader of a majority of Deloitte’s work with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and as the government and public services Innovations & Platforms Industry leader.

During his tenure with Deloitte, Gentile has supported the analytics community through advising federal agencies and Fortune 500 companies on the collaborative exchange, display and analysis of data. “In the last decade at Deloitte, I’ve had the pleasure of serving dozens of dynamic clients with world-class talent in our government practice,” said Gentile. 

Gentile recently led Deloitte’s collaboration with the MIT Media Lab on the development and launch of DataUSA.io, an analytics and visualization platform for the government’s public data sets. He has worked across multiple industries, including banking, insurance, homeland security, transportation, housing and urban development, and other governmental entities.

He also serves as a member of the board of directors for the Homeland Security and Defense Business Council (HSDBC). Gentile previously served on the National Geospatial Advisory Committee to help inform the development and implementation of the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI). 

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MetTel Recognized as Leader in Managed Network Services; Marshall Aronow, Ed Fox Quoted
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MetTel Recognized as Leader in Managed Network Services; Marshall Aronow, Ed Fox Quoted

MetTel has been recognized as a ‘Leader’ in the inaugural Gartner 2020 Magic Quadrant for Managed Network Services (MNS), the company reported on Monday.

“To us, Gartner naming MetTel a Leader in the Magic Quadrant for Managed Network Services underscores our commitment to customers and our effectiveness in helping them with digital transformation,” said Marshall Aronow, CEO of MetTel.  “As the rate of change accelerates, managed services have become crucial to IT communications and overall business performance and we’re proud of this Gartner recognition.”

MetTel represents a US-based company in the Leaders Quadrant for MNS, and furthest along in “Completeness of Vision.” MetTel received recognition through its demonstrated ability to support its customer missions through the company’s MNS offerings. The company has provided complete and differentiating services, as well as global service and support.

The Gartner report noted “The amount of highly skilled labor required to plan, design, build and operate internally with do-it-yourself (DIY) NOCs is considerable. Together, these requirements present ongoing challenges for most enterprises — finding and keeping the right labor talent and hence seeking MNS alternatives. ”

“It is our belief that this Gartner Magic Quadrant is the culmination of many years of investment in channel relationships, talent acquisition, and system and infrastructure development,” said MetTel CTO Ed Fox. More importantly, we consider it an affirmation of our MNS model that focuses on the customer experience.”

About MetTel 

MetTel is a leader in communications and digital transformation (DX) solutions for enterprise customers. By converging all communications over a proprietary network, MetTel gives enterprises one, unified view and control point for all their communications and advanced network services.  MetTel’s comprehensive portfolio of customer solutions can boost enterprise productivity, reduces costs and simplifies operations.

Combining customized and managed communication solutions with a powerful platform of cloud-based software, the company’s MetTel Portal® enables customers to manage their inventory, usage, spend and repairs from one simple, user friendly interface.

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Amentum Closes Acquisition of DynCorp; John Vollmer Quoted
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Amentum Closes Acquisition of DynCorp; John Vollmer Quoted

Amentum has closed the acquisition of DynCorp International, a provider of aviation, logistics, training, intelligence and operational solutions, worldwide, Amentum reported on Monday. With the purchase, Amentum will expand its growth into new markets, accelerate capabilities, and further Amentum’s offering of differentiated solutions to its customers’ missions.

“The addition of DynCorp International will make us a powerhouse with an enduring mission focus and market-leading positions in several key areas,” said John Vollmer, Amentum CEO and 2020 Wash100 Award recipient.

The combination has also created one of the largest providers of mission critical support services to government customers, with 34,000 team members in 105 countries around the world. The financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

RBC Capital Markets, LLC acted as financial advisor to Amentum, Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP acted as legal counsel, and Covington & Burling LLP acted as regulatory and government contracts counsel. Citigroup Global Markets Inc. and Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC acted as DynCorp International’s financial advisors and Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP acted as legal counsel.

“The enhanced size, scope, and footprint of the combined organization will help ensure sustained delivery excellence to our customers and allow us to pursue transformational opportunities in the market,” Vollmer added.

Amentum entered the DynCorp acquisition on Sept. 24. Following the announcement, ExecutiveBiz followed up with Vollmer to gain additional insights on how the purchase would shape Amentum’s strategy and offerings.

ExecutiveBiz: What are some of the initiatives Amentum will pursue in new markets once the acquisition is complete?

“Some of the primary markets that both companies plan to emerge in are asset management, critical infrastructure and supply chain management. That is a market for the federal marketplace, not just the Department of Defense (DoD), but also the Department of Energy (DoE) and other federal agencies as well.”

To read John Vollmer’s full Executive Spotlight, visit blog.executivebiz.com.

About Amentum

Amentum is a premier global services partner supporting critical programs of national significance across defense, security, intelligence, energy, and environment. Amentum draws from a century-old heritage of operational excellence, mission focus, and successful execution underpinned by a strong culture of safety and ethics. Headquartered in Germantown, Md., Amentum employs more than 34,000 people in all 50 states and 105 foreign countries and territories.

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SPA Wins SAIC Subcontract to Support US Navy Advanced Hypersonic Technologies; Dr. William Vantine Quoted
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SPA Wins SAIC Subcontract to Support US Navy Advanced Hypersonic Technologies; Dr. William Vantine Quoted

Systems Planning and Analysis (SPA) has been awarded a subcontract on Science Applications International Corporation’s (SAIC) five-year, $63.5 million prime contract to support the U.S. Navy’s Advanced Hypersonic Technologies, SPA reported on Monday.

“Conventional Prompt Strike is one of the leading Advanced Hypersonics Programs and SPA is proud to be working with the Department of Defense (DoD) and Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Crane on such an important and ground breaking endeavor,” said Dr. William Vantine, SPA president and CEO.

Under the subcontract, SPA will support Advanced Hypersonic Technology across a variety of focus areas, including program management support, budget support, system safety, risk management, scheduling, system and subsystem test and evaluation. The company will also support system integration of the weapon system onto operational platforms.

When fully fielded, Advanced Hypersonic Technology will provide warfighters with advanced systems that support critical mission objectives. “We thank the department for allowing us to support them and we look forward to continuing this successful partnership with them and our prime contractor, SAIC,” Dr. Vantine added.

The U.S. Navy will develop Advanced Hypersonic Technologies through the Global Deterrence and Defense Department (Code GX) at the NSWC in Crane, Indiana. SPA has supported Advanced Hypersonic Technologies with SAIC since 2016.

About SPA

Systems Planning and Analysis provides innovative and leading edge solutions integrating technical, operational, programmatic, policy, and business factors in support of important national security objectives. Our capabilities include: Advanced Analytics; Software Tool Development; System Engineering and Safety Analysis; Strategy, Policy and Compliance; Program and Acquisition Management.

Our employees have expertise in many domains, including: Land, Undersea, Surface and Air Warfare Operations; Radar and Sensor Systems; Unmanned Systems and Counter Systems; Nuclear Deterrence Policy, Safety and Security; Defence Industrial Base; Space Systems; Ballistic Missile Systems; and Hypersonics.

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Lumen Expands Partnership with Zoom to Advance Collaboration Platforms; Shaun Andrews Quoted
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Lumen Expands Partnership with Zoom to Advance Collaboration Platforms; Shaun Andrews Quoted

Lumen Technologies and Zoom have expanded their partnership to combine technology capabilities and communications expertise, Lumen reported on Monday. The companies will deliver ‘Zoom delivered by Lumen’ to enable businesses to advance virtual communications by combining Lumen’s speed and reliability with Zoom's collaboration solutions.

"We're happy to take this partnership a step further by combining our platforms and our strengths to create Zoom delivered by Lumen. Together, we will help keep families, businesses, schools and hospitals securely connected to the world, and thriving in the 4th industrial revolution," said Shaun Andrews, chief marketing officer at Lumen.

Zoom delivered by Lumen will unify Lumen's embedded network security capabilities with Zoom's built-in security features to advance businesses’ security features, who use their combined services.

The Lumen-Zoom partnership was first announced in Sept. 2020. The initial partnership was created to deliver managed services and experiences to businesses. Zoom delivered by Lumen will launch new service features and enhancements, including Zoom Phone and Lumen Cloud Connect for Zoom.

"Lumen has been a very valuable partner to Zoom and over the past several months, we've helped businesses connect and grow," said Ryan Azus, chief revenue officer at Zoom. "With their wide market incumbency, as well deep expertise in the networking and Unified Communications & Collaborations space, Zoom delivered by Lumen is poised to bring our mutual clients an optimal experience that we are very excited about."

About Lumen

Lumen is guided by our belief that humanity is at its best when technology advances the way we live and work. With approximately 450,000 route fiber miles and serving customers in more than 60 countries, we deliver the fastest, most secure platform for applications and data to help businesses, government and communities deliver amazing experiences.

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Army Fuses Europe, Africa Forces Into Single Command; Ryan McCarthy Quoted
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Army Fuses Europe, Africa Forces Into Single Command; Ryan McCarthy Quoted

The U.S. Army has combined its forces assigned in Europe and Africa into a single command to be led by Gen. Christopher Cavoli, Inside Defense reported Monday.

The service branch's consolidated Army Europe and Africa command (USAREUR-AF) will support regional and global readiness in alignment with the National Defense Strategy, said Ryan McCarthy, secretary of the Army and 2020 Wash100 Award recipient. 

“The new structure will increase command and control effectiveness, flexibility and the capability to conduct large-scale, joint and multidomain operations,” McCarthy added.

Cavoli formerly served as U.S. Army Europe's commander and has been with the military since 1987. His military career also includes deployments in Asia.

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Chuck Rettig: IRS Speeds Up Programming, ‘Health Testing’ for IT Systems Amid Budget Uncertainty
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Chuck Rettig: IRS Speeds Up Programming, ‘Health Testing’ for IT Systems Amid Budget Uncertainty

Chuck Rettig, commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), said the IRS has expedited “health testing” and programming work on information technology systems partly due to uncertainty over the passage of a comprehensive budget for fiscal year 2021 in Congress before a stopgap measure ends on Dec. 11th, Federal News Network reported Friday. 

“The IRS response serves to illustrate how critical it is for the agency to receive consistent, timely and adequate multi-year funding such that we can succeed in providing the services that our country and our citizens so rightly deserve,” Rettig told the House Ways and Means Committee. 

The IRS introduced a six-year IT modernization initiative in April 2020. Rettig said reduced funding and other setbacks would take the agency longer than six years to carry out that plan. 

Rettig told the House panel the IRS would need $6 billion to $7 billion in multiyear funds to support the modernization effort, which includes internal agency works. 

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